IRONMAN is not just for the boys

IRONMAN, in collaboration with local and state officials in Hawaii, has announced that the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN® World Championship triathlon will continue with a two-day format in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i on October 12 & 14.

This year, for the first time in the 40-plus year history of triathlon's pinnacle event, the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will take place over two days in Kona, Hawai`i on October 6 & 8. With the two-day format set to continue in 2023, IRONMAN will have a dedicated day of racing for the women's field on Thursday and the men's field on Saturday, allowing for full focus and coverage on each race and its competitors as well as the Island of Hawai`i like never before.  

Dedicated female and male race days will also now bring about increased qualifying opportunities, including expanded slot allocations at regional championships as well as increased opportunities for women at 17 IRONMAN triathlons from around the world, designated as Women For Tri® events.  

These events will consist of: IRONMAN European Championship Hamburg, IRONMAN France, IRONMAN UK, IRONMAN Vitoria-Gasteiz, IRONMAN Copenhagen, IRONMAN Kalmar, IRONMAN Ireland, IRONMAN African Championship South Africa, 2022 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery, IRONMAN Arizona, and GWM IRONMAN Western Australia, and 2023 IRONMAN New Zealand, Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas, Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship – Cairns, IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene, ViewSport IRONMAN Lake Placid, and Subaru IRONMAN Mont-Tremblant.   

Those Women For Tri designated events will aim to further grow participation and celebrate women in the sport while also creating more than 1,200 additional opportunities to qualify for the biggest stage in the sport – The VinFast IRONMAN World Championship. These designated events were determined based on a number of factors including time of year, regional race calendars, as well as their propensity to grow female participation based on relatively higher levels of female participation or areas where further growth opportunities exist.   

A full list of qualifying events and slot allotment for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship can be found at www.ironman.com/im-world-championship-2023-slot.  

"I'm thrilled by the news that the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship will hold a dedicated women's race for the first time in 2023," said IRONMAN Hall of Famer Julie Moss. "Women have a long history of stealing the spotlight in Kona! A separate day of racing guarantees the professional and age group women their time to shine. These amazing athletes deserve the opportunity to showcase their talents, separate and apart from the men. This is truly a cause for celebration."  

To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com.