Search
shop

Lionel Sanders reveals IRONMAN Kona goals and a BRUTAL triathlon reality check

'No Limits' looks ahead to the IRONMAN World Championship with his pre-race thoughts and a brutal reality check.
Editor-In-Chief
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

Lionel Sanders is zoned in on Kona yet again with the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship just over two weeks away, but this time things are different.

The 36-year-old Canadian superstar finished second in the biggest race in long-course triathlon back in 2017, but outside of that his recent performances in Hawaii have been underwhelming in comparison. He came home 28th (2018), 22nd (2019) and 34th (2022).

‘No Limits’ will go again on October 26, with a stellar field up against him – notably Norwegian pair Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden, and defending champion Sam Laidlow.

So what are Sanders’ goals heading into the big dance on the ‘Big Island’? The answer may well surprise.

Sanders goals for Kona 2024

Lionel, speaking in his latest Kona Vlog on YouTube (check out the full version at the bottom of this article), revealed: “What are my goals this race? I don’t have any, truly don’t have any goals.

“I’ve never done a race I didn’t wanna win, every race I’ve ever done in my entire life – pretty well every competition of any sort – I’ve wanted to win. Of course I want to win, yes. But my goals, I don’t have any – I’m just having fun.”

Sanders admits this is the first time ever he’s landed in Hawaii with fun as the main driver, and he also admits how different the sport is now compared to the day he finished second behind Patrick Lange in 2017. It’s a brutal reality.

“The guys at the top now don’t have weaknesses. I have a weakness, my swimming’s weak. If I repeated that performance now [from 2017], it might crack the top 10 now if you repeated that.”

That swim weakness means Lionel will again be playing catchup, but ‘No Limits’ knows absolutely his limits when it comes to making inroads into that deficit. Anybody who expects him to be near the front of the race on the bike should recalibrate those thoughts.

Race strategy

“Front of the race on the bike? Because it would probably require 330/340 watts on average for me to bridge to Sam Laidlow on the bike. So that’s not realistic. I just understand my body a lot better than I did then, there’s no room for that kind of stupidity.

“Getting to the front, what does that mean, but who is at the front? Now, the people at the front, you’re not gonna get to them if you spot them five minutes in the water. No, that would be dumb, if you want to have your best race, don’t worry about the other guys.

“I think it’s an advantage for a guy like Laidlow to come out at the front and be so strong on the bike because he doesn’t worry about the other guys – he’s racing his own race, he’s doing it at the front.”

Graham Shaw
Written by
Graham Shaw
Graham has been involved with TRI247 & RUN247 since the summer of 2021. Since then he has provided strategic direction for all news and is passionate about the growth of triathlon as a fan sport.
Discover more
Laura Siddall Challenge Roth 2025 finish line
PremiumLaura Siddall: 10 things I’ve learned from my professional triathlon career
Ruth Astle finishing IRONMAN Vitoria 2024
PremiumHow to cope with a DNF: Elite athletes share their stories
PremiumIs your evening workout routine wrecking your recovery? Expert physiologist on how to improve recovery and what NOT to do
Caroline Pohle Lena Meissner ironman 703 jonkoping sprint 2025
PremiumTriathlon’s mid-season report card: Tim Don on who’s raising the bar this triathlon race season
03/07/2025 - Tour de France 2025 - Grand départ Jour 2 - Lille - Présentation des équipes -Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma-Lease a Bike)
PremiumWhat triathletes can learn from the Tour de France pro peloton
latest News
Dan Lorang Head of Performance BORA - hansgrohe
Touching and heartfelt tribute from Anne Haug’s coach after she announces triathlon retirement
Sam Long - T100 San Francisco 2024 bike
‘No No No’ – culture shock and bike crash for American star Sam Long in Italy
Georgia Taylor Brown wins supertri Chicago 2024 photo credit supertri
Georgia Taylor-Brown on enjoying her busy “year off” and wanting “to go out on a bit of a high”
challenge roth race ranger
Challenge Roth publish RaceRanger anti-drafting data from both pro races in a first for triathlon
Sam Laidlow celebrates Challenge Roth win 2025
IRONMAN Leeds 2025: Date, start time and how to follow live
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

TRI247-LOGO_Primary-Black_RGB-1

CHOOSE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO BECOME PART OF SOMETHING EPIC

We’re on a mission to elevate the world of endurance sport, becoming your go-to resource for expert training tips and inspiration, unbiased reporting and creating a platform for grassroots voices. But we can’t do it without you on board! Choose a TRI247+ membership option below and become part of something epic.

£7.95/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

100+ new articles/month

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

£47.95/year
£95.40/year

50% Discount

100+ new articles/month

Unlimited access. No ads. A whole library of tips, advice and inspiration at your finger tips, and the chance to shape the future of triathlon journalism.

You’ll also gain access to our other premium websites:

Have an account? Sign in

Share to...