The wait is over and triathlon returned to its spiritual home on Thursday October 6 as Kona in Hawaii once again hosted the IRONMAN World Championship in 2022.
For the first time ever we have two separate races on two separate days, with the Pro women taking centre stage on Thursday. Kona is back after a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This page featured a live stream of the race and our own live blog to bring in insight and analysis from our experts as Chelsea Sodaro became the first female rookie to win at Kona since Chrissie Wellington in 2007.
Lucy Charles-Barclay continued her incredible comeback from injury with her fourth successive runner-up spot in Hawaii, with Anne Haug in third.
What time does the race start?
The women’s PRO race started at 0625 local time on Thursday October 6, 2022. That is 1225 Eastern Time in the United States, or 0925 Pacific. If you are in the UK, the action starts at 1725 while CET is 1825.
Who is racing in Kona?
The field was headed by the formidable Daniela Ryf, five times winner of the IRONMAN World Championship.
The Swiss superstar bounced right back to her best in St George in May to silence the doubters to claim the delayed 2021 IRONMAN World Championship title.
Ryf defended that crown against a stellar field, headed by 2019 winner Haug and fit-again British star Charles-Barclay.
There was another huge danger in the shape of Laura Philipp. She missed Utah after catching COVID just days before the race.
The full start list and bib numbers for the pro women at Kona 2022 is here.
Who is not racing in Kona?
The biggest name missing from the field was British star Kat Matthews, who finished second behind Ryf in St George and would have been a major contender again here.
Matthews however will sit the race out after sustaining multiple injuries when hit by a car on a recent training ride in Texas.
Who will win at Kona in 2022?
Of course we had previews for you, and they included:
- John Levison puts the focus on the leading four contenders for Kona 2022
- John Levison asks who is best of the rest and can they make the podium
- Our expert panel give their women’s podium picks for Kona 2022
IRONMAN Kona course guide
Kona in October presents a unique challenge for the world’s greatest triathletes. We have guides for all three disciplines:
Racing to keep up: Is social media making us train harder?
