A year after one of the most dramatic finishes in IRONMAN World Championship history, the leading women return to Kona on Saturday 10 October.

Solveig Løvseth emerged victorious on her championship debut last year, finishing just 35 seconds ahead of Kat Matthews after Taylor Knibb and Lucy Charles-Barclay were forced out in the closing stages.

Now the Norwegian returns as defending champion, with victories at Texas and Hamburg reinforcing her credentials.

But the opposition is formidable. Knibb arrives as the reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, Charles-Barclay is chasing a second Kona crown, and Matthews will be determined to turn her world championship silvers into gold.

Add former champions Laura Philipp and Chelsea Sodaro, plus Kona newcomers Julie Derron and Paula Findlay, and the ingredients are there for another compelling contest.

For the first time since 2019, the professional men and women will race on the same day in Hawaii. The IRONMAN Pro Series titles will also be settled, adding another major prize to Saturday’s showdown.

Read on for all the info you need as we bring together our full preview package…

Date, start time and how to watch live

The professional women’s race starts at 06:30 local time in Kailua-Kona on Saturday 10 October, ten minutes after the professional men.

For viewers around the world, the women’s start time is:

• UK: 17:30 BST on Saturday.
• Central Europe: 18:30 CEST on Saturday.
• US East Coast: 12:30 EDT on Saturday.
• US West Coast: 09:30 PDT on Saturday.
• Sydney and Melbourne: 03:30 AEDT on Sunday.
• New Zealand: 05:30 NZDT on Sunday.

The race will be broadcast live and free on IRONMAN’s YouTube channel and the IRONMAN Pro Series website, with access available internationally, including the United States and Canada.

There is also a YouTube ‘Mosaic multiview’ with four live feeds on one screen, which is available to watch on your smart TV.

Additional regional coverage includes DAZN, L’Équipe in France, HR in Germany and RTVE Play in Spain.

The IRONMAN Tracker app is also a useful companion to the broadcast, allowing you to follow individual athletes and their progress through the timing checkpoints.

Who is racing – and who is missing?

Løvseth wears F1, followed by Matthews at F2 and Philipp at F3.

Hannah Berry and Lisa Perterer have F4 and F5 after finishing fourth and fifth respectively last year. Charles-Barclay wears F6, Sodaro F7 and Knibb F8.

Findlay has F14 following her victory on her full-distance debut at Lake Placid, while Olympic silver medallist Derron wears F19 after qualifying at IRONMAN Switzerland.

Daniela Bleymehl withdrew before race week. Langridge, Nina Derron and Julie Iemmolo have subsequently confirmed they will not race.

Among the other notable absentees are Alanis Siffert, who won Challenge Roth and finished third at September’s 70.3 Worlds, and Holly Lawrence, whose qualification plans were disrupted by injury.

Our full women’s start list and bib-number guide includes the field and latest withdrawal updates.

Podium predictions: Who are the favourites?

Our Daily Split team’s leading trio is Løvseth, Knibb and Charles-Barclay.

The defending champion brings proven Hawaii success and strong full-distance form. Knibb’s speed across the disciplines makes her a major threat, while Charles-Barclay can shape the race from the swim.

Philipp, Matthews and Derron head our next group of challengers. Berry, Perterer and Marjolaine Pierré also feature, with Findlay selected as our wildcard.

The margins are small, and several athletes outside our leading trio have a credible route to victory.

Our full women’s power rankings explain the verdict and assess all ten main contenders.

Which Kona newcomers could make an impact?

Derron and Findlay are the headline newcomers, and both have the credentials to make their first appearances count.

Derron’s debut comes a year later than planned after her late withdrawal in 2025. Her running makes her particularly dangerous if she reaches the marathon within striking distance.

Findlay won her first IRONMAN at Lake Placid, meaning Kona will be only her second full-distance start. Her cycling strength could put her firmly in the contest.

Britain’s Daisy Davies also arrives with an impressive record: wins at Challenge Almere and IRONMAN South Africa, plus third place at Challenge Roth.

Our women debutants to watch feature explores their qualification routes, backgrounds and potential impact.

What is the Kona course like?

The race opens with a 3.8km ocean swim in Kailua Bay, starting and finishing beside Kailua Pier.

The 180km bike heads through the lava fields on the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway towards Hawi before returning to town. Exposed roads, rolling terrain and potentially strong crosswinds demand careful judgement.

The 42.2km marathon begins along Aliʻi Drive, climbs Palani Road and heads onto the Queen K. Athletes then visit the Energy Lab before returning towards the finish on Aliʻi Drive.

Managing the conditions is fundamental. A powerful swim or bike can create an opportunity, but the title will depend on how much an athlete has left when the marathon reaches its decisive stages.

Our detailed Kona course guide covers all three disciplines and the key sections to watch.

What is at stake in the IRONMAN Pro Series?

Saturday will also decide the 2026 IRONMAN Pro Series, with $200,000 awarded to the Series champion.

That exceeds the $125,000 first prize for winning Kona. An athlete claiming both titles would collect $325,000 from those two prizes alone.

The leading Series battle is between Løvseth and Philipp, with just 61 points separating them once counting-score adjustments are made.

Philipp leads the published standings, but her Kona result would replace an existing score. Løvseth can add a fifth result in full, giving the Norwegian the adjusted advantage.

With one point lost for every second behind the race winner, Philipp needs to finish more than 61 seconds ahead of Løvseth to move above her in their Series comparison, assuming both Kona scores count.

The world-title winner and Series champion could therefore be different athletes.

Our full Pro Series permutations guide explains that battle and the wider contest for the bonus-paying positions.

How it could play out

Charles-Barclay and the opening swim: Her swimming prowess again means she’ll be in control early on the bike, a position she is fully accustomed to. It’s what happens behind that it much more up in the air. And keep an eye out for potential company in the water for LCB as Lara Hernandez-Tome is seriously rapid in that discipline.

Our fastest swim prediction: Lucy Charles-Barclay.

Knibb’s bike strength against the full-distance specialists: Knibb has the ability to apply substantial pressure. How Løvseth, Philipp, Matthews and the other contenders respond could determine who starts the marathon with a realistic winning chance. Løvseth is arguably the most critical – her bike performance last year was superb but often overlooked, less than a minute slower than Knibb, and she has the potential to bring some dangerous runners with her too.

Our fastest bike prediction: Solveig Løvseth.

The marathon — and another close finish: Last year demonstrated how quickly Kona can change. Derron adds another outstanding runner to the mix, while the Løvseth–Philipp Series battle gives us a separate margin to track even if another athlete leads the race.

Our fastest run prediction: Julie Derron.