• 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN® World Championship Has Been Rescheduled to February 5, 2022

    August 19, 2021
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    2021 EDITION OF IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RESCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 5, 2022 DUE TO CONTINUED GLOBAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC
    - 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN World Championship postponed based on continuing COVID-19-related impact to Island of Hawai`i

    TAMPA, Fla. (August 19, 2021) - IRONMAN in conjunction with local Hawai`i officials announced today that due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic to the Island of Hawai`i, the 2021 Supersapiens IRONMAN® World Championship has been rescheduled from its originally scheduled October 9, 2021 race date to February 5, 2022. Like 1982, we expect that there will be two editions of the IRONMAN World Championship in 2022 (February and October).

    “The resurgence of the virus and new Delta strain has had significant impact on the island community of Hawai`i. Combined with substantial border closures and travel restrictions for qualified athletes, there is not a viable pathway in October to host the IRONMAN World Championship,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “After extensive consultation with governmental and community leaders in Hawai`i, we believe that the best course of action is to delay the event until February of 2022.”

    “We have worked closely with local and state Hawai`i officials and other key event stakeholders, and are aligned in the imperative to protect our local community by shifting planning efforts to a February race date,” said Diana Bertsch, Senior Vice President, World Championship Events for The IRONMAN Group. “Our local community, athletes, partners, volunteers, and all other members of our `ohana -- who represent our Hawaiian roots and history -- feel pride and confidence in this difficult decision. We will work towards welcoming our athletes back to the Island of Hawai`i in February with the racing experience for which the IRONMAN World Championship is famous.”

    “We are honored to work alongside the fantastic IRONMAN staff, amid a global pandemic, to reach an equitable solution that ensures our island’s premier sporting event may persist at a later date,” said Hawai`i County Mayor, Mitch Roth. “Since the first race in 1978, the event has become an integral part of our county’s global identity, and we look forward to welcoming the athletes and spectators from around the world to our shores once again when it is safe to do so.”

    “The IRONMAN World Championship is an iconic part of our Hawai`i Island community and history. For over 40 years, our community has supported IRONMAN and cheered on participants from all over the globe. In return, IRONMAN has continued to support our community during these challenging times. I am deeply grateful for IRONMAN’s $1,000,000 commitment to feed our residents in need throughout 2020 and 2021 with their Kahiau Together program. As IRONMAN continues to mālama and truly care about our island community, we look forward to welcoming the IRONMAN World Championship back in 2022 with our full support,” said State Senator Dru Mamo Kanuha.

    The pandemic has greatly impacted the Hawaiian community not only through deadly cases of COVID, but also significantly hurting the local economy due to limited tourism opportunities. As the impact of the pandemic was felt in our home community where our staff and many volunteers live and work, a targeted initiative, Kahiau Together, was created alongside the IRONMAN Foundation in July 2020 to support locals who were suffering due to food insecurities. By years end, the Kahiau Together initiative will have hosted 25 events locally, serving over 132,000 meals through the distribution of food bundles of locally sourced fresh proteins, fruits, vegetables, and starches. An additional $30,000 in grants from the IRONMAN Foundation has been provided to non-profits feeding their communities. Those needing support can attend one of the following upcoming events:

    Wednesday, September 1 – Kamehameha Park
    A Meal Fit for a Queen – Celebrating the birth month of Queen Lili`uokalani

    Monday, October 4 – Kona International Marketplace
    Heroes of Hawai`i

    Monday, November 22 - Kona International Marketplace
    Thanksgiving Bundles

    Monday, December 20 - Kona International Marketplace
    Christmas Bundles

    IRONMAN Athletes who are registered for the 2021 edition of the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon will be contacted directly. For more information and event details for the IRONMAN World Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship.

    There are no material changes in qualifying for professional or age-group athletes for the 2022 IRONMAN World Championship.

    Additional information on the Kahiau Together initiative, schedule of events, grant applications, and how to support these efforts, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org/kahiau-together.

    For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media related inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.
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    About the IRONMAN Foundation
    The IRONMAN Foundation creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through giveback programs led by the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 9,500 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series participants are powerfully linked to the community and together help leave a positive legacy behind in race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including TEAM IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town®, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org. 
    About The IRONMAN Group
    The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf®, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.