The best long-course triathletes have descended upon the tiny Hawaiian town of Kona, bikes are racked on the pier, and a couple thousand people have run around in their underwear -- it's time for the 2014 Ironman World Championship.
The pinnacle of Ironman racing, now in its 36th year, puts competitors through a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike through the lava fields up to Hawi and back, and finally a 26.2 mile run. And this is all done in typically hot an humid conditions, and the forecast for this year is no exception with an expected high of 84 degrees and a dew point around 70.
Here's a look at the schedule for Saturday's race, which begins with the male pros, who start at 12:25 p.m. EDT:
10:45 a.m. - Swim Check-In/Body Marking KBH Parking Lot
12:25 p.m. Race Start - Male Professional/Elite Athletes Kailua Pier
12:30 p.m. Race Start - Female Professional/Elite Athletes Kailua Pier
12:50 p.m. Race Start - Age Group Male Kailua Pier
1 p.m. Race Start - Age Group Female Kailua Pier
The age group athletes have 17 hours (until 6 a.m. Sunday morning EDT) to finish the 140.6-mile race. This year's schedule is unique in that for the first time, age groupers have separate starts base on gender, with the women starting 10 minutes after the men.
If you want to watch the race live, you have some options, though no live television coverage here in the U.S. (NBC's annual highlights show is set to air Nov. 15, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. EDT).
Ironman.com will provide a live stream, hosted by Ironman world champion Greg Welch, and pro triathletes Michael Lovato and Matt Lieto, beginning at 12 p.m. EDT. The coverage will focus heavily on the pro athletes, an will also be available on-demand here. In addition, Ironman.com offers a live Athlete Tracker, which does just what it says, and now also will provide multiple split times on the bike and run.
If you're planning to watch the pros finish live on the stream, plan on being in front of your computer around 8:15 p.m. EDT (last year's male winner crossed the tape about 8:37 p.m.; no one's done it faster than 8:28 p.m.).
Of course, you can also follow along on Twitter, particularly with the #IMKona hashtag, plus these accounts:
- @IronmanTri
- @TriathleteMag
- @220Triathlon
- @firstoffthebike
- @Bob_Babbitt
- @IronmanLIVEgreg
- @mattlieto
- @michaellovato
- @TheRealStarky
