Kailua Bay · swim
Settle before committing to a group.
An in-water start opens the clockwise out-and-back in Kailua Bay. Choose your own effort before following another swimmer’s feet.
Settle by 400 m. Swim your own effort, not the pack's.
Race Finder IRONMAN World Championship.
Race Intelligence · Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, United States
IRONMAN World Championship.
Race Kailua-Kona on your terms.
A 3.8 km out-and-back in Kailua Bay. Ride 180.2 km along the Queen Kaahumanu Highway to Hawi and back. Run from Alii Drive up Palani Road, out to NELHA and home to Kona.
Kona Bay, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
- Race day
- 9 Oct 2027
- Course
- Swim 3.8 km · Bike 180.2 km · Run 42.2 km
- Historical air
- 24–28°C
Your day in Kailua-Kona
What could you race?
I’m Tom, the coach behind Sense Endurance Coaching. Tell me where you are now and I’ll show you what a strong day in Kailua-Kona could look like.
The course behind your race
Bring a marathon back from Hawi.
The exposed highway and climb to the turnaround ask you to control effort before you return to town. Keep enough fuelling and patience for the run beyond Alii Drive.
Queen Kaahumanu Highway · opening bike
Begin the long ride at your own effort.
The highway heads north through exposed terrain and lava fields. Establish sustainable power and begin your rehearsed fuelling routine as you settle into the ride.
Settle at your planned sustainable power. Begin your rehearsed fuelling and cooling routine.
Towards Hawi · middle bike
Keep the climb inside your power ceiling.
The road climbs to the Hawi turnaround, where crosswinds can break your rhythm. Keep that climb within your effort ceiling, with the return ride and marathon still ahead.
Cap power on the climb. Stay patient in the crosswind.
Back towards Kailua-Kona · final bike
Continue fuelling after the turnaround.
The route returns from Hawi towards Kailua-Kona. Keep your fuelling routine and control effort on the way back, even if conditions make the speed change.
Keep drinking all the way to T2. Resist chasing riders on the return.
Alii Drive and Palani Road · opening run
Keep the crowds and the climb inside your plan.
The run starts with an out-and-back on Alii Drive before climbing Palani Road to the highway. Hold a repeatable opening effort and shorten your stride on the climb.
Hold opening pace despite the crowd. Use aid stations for your practised cooling routine.
Queen Kaahumanu Highway · outward run
Check effort before looking at pace.
After Palani Road, the route follows the Queen Kaahumanu Highway towards HOST Park at NELHA. Check breathing and posture before chasing a pace target.
Keep your stride economical. Adjust pace to the conditions.
HOST Park at NELHA · later run
Keep your routine through the turn.
The run reaches HOST Park at NELHA before returning along the highway. Keep your effort and aid-station routine controlled through this later part of the marathon.
Cool at every opportunity. Run the descent in gently, it has to be climbed out of.
Highway back to Kona · run finish
Decide the finish after leaving NELHA.
The return along the highway and the final lap through Kona town is where a patient bike and a controlled Alii Drive finally pay. Assess what you can sustain on the highway home before spending more effort.
Run on effort, not on the goal time. Keep taking fluid to the line.
What to check in race week
Practise sighting in Kailua Bay when the permitted swim areas are open. Review the Hawi route and highway wind forecast, check bottles and on-course supplies against your rehearsed fuelling plan, and walk the transition exits before race morning.
Forecast statusToo early for a forecast
A race-day forecast is not meaningful yet; check back closer to the event.
- Temperature
- 23.6–27.6°CDew point centred on 22.3°C
- Wind and gusts
- 6.4 km/hGusts up to 29.5 km/hPrevailing direction WSW
- Rain likelihood
- Up to 95%Wet-surface uncertainty retained
Historical baseline, 2019–2025 · Open-Meteo historical archive · Updated 2026-10-25.Historical comparison only. This is not a forecast for 2027.
Make your finish prediction and I can send this plan to you in race week.
Your plan, in race week
Prepare for Kailua-Kona
Build the legs.
Practise the decisions.
A finish range gives you something to work towards. The preparation is specific to this race: Training has to make sustained exposed-road power manageable and leave the running durability for Palani Road, NELHA and the highway home.
I’m Tom. With Sense Endurance Coaching, I’ll build that preparation around your life, follow how you respond and adjust the work as you get closer to Kailua-Kona.
Explore coachingTrisutto certified80/20 Endurance certifiedBrett Sutton’s Coach the Coach programme
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