issue #156: Oct. 9, 2025

All-sporters, if you get this early enough in the morning and happen to be on a big island in the middle of the ocean, come to our live preview show with Daniela Ryf. This morning, after the Underpants Run. We'll have some breakfast buffet starting at 9 a.m. at the Kona Canoe Club & the show starts at 9:30 a.m.

We'll also be selling more (!) shirts — though we're almost out of the 'Here for the Women's Race' ones. Two more days to get 'em: 8-11 a.m. at the Kona Canoe Club. 

And then it's time to race. So, of course, today's newsletter about things from the ground here at Women's Kona II.  

- Kelly

It's so "quiet" this year...

Look, yes, sure, it's quieter and calmer and gentler in Kona this year (as everyone keeps noting) because women are lovely kind amazing angels who never cut people off or urinate in locals' yards during their runs.

But also it's "quieter" this year because there are fewer athletes. And there are fewer athletes because Ironman handed out a LOT fewer spots to Women's Kona than to Men's Nice this year. It's really not that complicated.

The 2025 qualification page on Ironman's website is gone now, but when it was up you could go down the list of races and add up how many spots there were available for the men's world championship in Nice and how many spots there were for the women's world championship in Kona. It's simple addition I did a year ago and got to: 1,520 spots for women here and 2,415 spots for men in Nice. (You add IM Foundation spots, etc. And you end up now with ~1,600 women and ~2,500 men.)

It's really very simple. Ironman leadership made a choice. They don't even have the excuse of "not enough room on the pier." The races were in different locations. They could have chosen equality. They did not. 

I have my guesses as to why (I listed them on the podcast), but you'd have to ask CEO Scott if I'm right.

(Actually interviewing lots of the pros to include in the daily podcast. Crazy.)

A woman came to our booth today so angry with Ironman. (It's fine; this is what our booth is for, many many women are coming to us this week for this reason. Let your feelings out.) This will be her 15th Ironman on Saturday, but she said she thinks she's done after that, she's so frustrated, so down, feels like women are just getting ignored, and Ironman isn't listening. 

She said she didn't even realize why there were so many fewer women this year until she was listening to our daily Kona podcast episode from Monday. The new 2026 qualification is rough, too, just not going well — so many people keep unprompted bringing that up.

She wanted to know what we should do, how we can rally everyone. And, well, I didn't have an answer. I don't have an answer. 

I think women should absolutely take world championship spots they are entitled to, they shouldn't feel like imposters or not good enough, they should have Dude Level Confidence, and we should provide them with every bit of support they need to overcome the systemic and societal barriers. You can 100% race an Ironman.

BUT. If you, as a woman, don't want to race Ironman because it sounds shitty, you don't have to. If a ~3,000-person Kona with 75% men does not sound appealing, you do not owe it to women to buy a product that is clearly not designed for you. It's not up to us anymore to solve Ironman's market problem for them.

Who will win?

Anyway. ANYWAY.

The pro race is really quite epic. This reel from Ironman did a good job summing up the number of world champions, Olympians, debuts, fastest times. 

• Defending champ Laura Philipp

• Defending Kona champ (and course-record holder) Lucy Charles-Barclay

• 2022 champ Chelsea Sodaro

• 3x 70.3 world champ Taylor Knibb

• 2x second place + 2x second place at 70.3 worlds Kat Matthews

• Last year's other podium finisher Marjolaine Pierre

• Plus, debuts: Solveig Lovseth (fastest ever Ironman debut), 70.3 world champ Holly Lawrence (who I feel like people are sorta ignoring), Tamara Jewett, Lisa Perterer

• Out: Julie Derron & Els Visser

I was in the 'Kat's the one to beat' camp after her performances this year, before Lucy ran crazy fast at T100 Spain. And then Lucy at the shortened practice swim this past Sunday. Oof. Like, I don't think Lucy's definitely going to go gun-to-tape, but I don't think she's not.

I will say this, if we're reading random race week vibes: I've never had a relaxed chill conversation with Kat before a race until this week. But she is distinctly having a good time here, staying in town, hanging out, remembering this is supposed to be fun, too. Which other athletes should be worried about. 

And Laura seemed like Laura (and thinks she can make up a 5-minute gap out of the swim). Which other athletes should be worried about.

And Chelsea's having fun (and has fire fits all laid out for race week 😂). Which other athletes should be worried about.

And no one's really heard much from Taylor. Which probably other athletes should be worried about.

No one gets to this level without knowing it's all a combination of hard work, genetics, luck, and timing. Some are better at getting those all right on the right day. But sometimes it just depends on the day. Who's your podium?

An assortment of other Kona things

• I have to say, I know there are a lot of daily Kona podcasts these days and it's a whole thing. But. Our daily Kona podcast has many interviews with athletes and people behind-the-scenes. Sure, you can hear the pros on Breakfast with Bob, but trust me, I ask different questions than Bob. I'm pretty sure ours is the best of the daily podcasts. Just saying.

  • Monday, we went deep on the whole 2026 Kona qualification mess & had post-swim interviews with Jackie Hering and Solveig Lovseth, and a shark conversation with Tamara Jewett. Tuesday, USA Triathlon CEO Vic Brumfield joined us & there was a long chat I had with Skye Moench about this being her first pro race back post-partum. Yesterday, the legend Julie Moss came on & we heard from Chelsea and Laura P. Tomorrow, we'll have a live preview show with GOAT Daniela Ryf. (You can come at 9:30 a.m. at the Kona Canoe Club!) And to wrap up on Friday, announcer Joanne Murphy should be joining, we have an interview with the long-time race director, and probably a chat with the oldest athlete racing (80 years old!). I'm just saying.

• Speaking of, if the 80-year-old woman, Natalie, finishes, then she'll be the oldest woman to ever finish Kona. (Also the oldest man in Nice was 78. In case you were curious.)

• The average age is 43. There are 482 athletes from the U.S. 

• There's a woman doing her 99th Ironman. (Her 100th will be in Florida this winter.)

• There's also a woman we interviewed today who has done 231 marathons, 231 half-marathons, and once was hit by lightning while biking and was temporarily paralyzed and blind, but miraculously came back and now she's racing on Saturday. 

• Taylor Knibb's mom is racing again. But, reportedly, is giving Taylor her space.

• Cherie Gruenfeld is being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

• Skye didn't know that there are lactation accommodations for athletes, so I've been letting people know — which is definitely a strategy, Kelly will personally tell all athletes: The King Kam has a pumping room during race week (ask at the front desk) and they have pumping/lactation in transition (but you have to ask in advance). 

• Sharks are a weirdly hot topic here. Like, I've never heard anything about sharks in Kona before. And now all of a sudden everyone's talking about sharks. Even after the swim was shortened (100% because of a lack of water safety personnel), people kept asking me if it was because of sharks. 

• If you're into bike galleries, Triathlete has many and GTN has bike videos. And Laura P. said the rule at Canyon was no custom bike until you win a world championship.

• Papa Kona has decided to throw their own after-party because Huggo's has a capacity cap. And Papa Kona says their party won't have a cover, so we'll see if they manage to attract the crowds.

• We're also co-hosting Hoka's post-race brunch & panel on Sunday at Papa Kona's with Taylor Knibb, Gwen Jorgensen, and Daniela Ryf. So RSVP and celebrate with free food and music (too).

The -ish

Non-Kona interesting things this week from around our sports.

• Jeanne Lehair won the Supertri final and then her boyfriend proposed on the podium. Which, OBVIOUSLY, isn't my thing and if someone did that to me I'd be like 'have we met.' But clearly she was into it, so that's cool for her. (Instagram)
  
  

• We talk about that briefly in this week's 'what's happening in women's sports' podcast and also Red Bull Rampage. Which is wild. (Spotify/Instagram)

• Next week is the World Triathlon World Championships in Wollogong! Stay tuned! (World Tri)
  
  

• Tim reported on the whole World Triathlon corruption mess, with the Triathlon Canada president coming forward now. And obviously my original opinion was that the people who lost just got outplayed, but the key to outplaying your opponents in elections is not to get counterplayed — which definitely is what's happening now. So. (Triathlete)
  
  

• Grand Slam Track got some emergency funding to stop them from going out of business. But it's not enough funding to pay off all of their debts. And, honestly, I don't know how they sign athletes for next year at this point. So, I don't know how this ultimately keeps them in business at all. (Front Office Sports)
  
  

• Athlos, the all-women's splashy track meet + concert, is on Friday and they signed an instant payment cash app sponsor. Which is 100% a dig at Grand Slam Track. (Instagram/Canadian Running Magazine)
  
  

• And did you know J. Lo ran a 4:49 mile in high school! Here's the pic. (Instagram)

One last thing

This reel is actually really funny if you play it with sound through to the end.

Triathlonish is written by Kelly O'Mara. Ads by Ella Hnatyshyn

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