Kaiden Lieto, 21, of Kona reflects on his journey to compete in the Ironman World Championship in October and where he goes from here.

Several Big Island athletes who shared the field with about 2,400 participants successfully conquered the grueling 140.6-mile course across swimming, biking and running.

The 16 local athletes share the field today with 2,400 other triathletes from around the world with people coming from 85 different countries.

Despite hot and humid conditions, 16 triathletes finished the 2024 Ironman World Championship in under 8 hours, a feat that wasn’t accomplished until Patrick Lange did it for the first time in 2018.

At Hale Halāwai on Ali‘i Drive, currently home to the Ironman Village, six Ironman Ambassador Athletes took to a stage Thursday to share their journeys.

Saturday marks the return to Kona for the men’s championship race, which last year was held in Nice, France, due to the new alternating sites format for men and women.

The changes aim to ensure the safety and smooth flow of the event while accommodating local community needs.

The 16 men from Hawai‘i Island who will take to the 140.6-mile course on Saturday will push their minds and bodies to the limit alongside 2,400 triathletes from around the world.

In the first-ever all-male race in Kona, there are approximately 2,500 athletes that will swim, bike and run on Saturday, starting at the Kailua Pier.

Starting this week, the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel will be operating at max capacity with its 455 rooms sold out as it hosts the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship.

Here’s everything you need to know about race day Oct. 26, from road closures to solid waste facility closures, where to watch the action and even how to become an Ironman VIP spectator.

Defending Ironman World Champion Sam Laidlow of France leads an elite men’s field of 56 triathletes in the grueling 140.6-mile swim, bike and run race.

While Kailua-Kona’s Brenda Avery was the first to cross the finish line Saturday at the VinFast Ironman World Championship, her overall ranking among Hawai‘i Island’s competitors was third.

Around 100 medical volunteers helped racers in the 2023 VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona Saturday night.

The 58-year-old Brenda Avery exited Kailua Bay after the 2.4-mile swim in just 1 hour and 55 seconds, 97th overall and second in her age group of 55-59.

The 2023 VinFast Women’s Ironman World Championship in Kona in photos.

After finishing second four times, Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain wins the 2023 VinFast Ironman World Championship in Kona in a record time of 8:24:31.

Funds directly benefit those communities where Ironman events are hosted by providing charitable support to a variety of local nonprofit organizations.

Starting at 6:25 a.m. HST, women will begin the grueling 140.6-mile race at Kailua Bay. Following the 2.4-mile swim, athletes will transition to the bike for 112 miles and finish the race with a 26.2-mile run.

The race will take place Saturday where triathletes with swim, bike and run for a grueling 140.6 miles from Kailua Bay in downtown Kona to the top of Hawai‘i Island in Hawī and finish where they started.