[ad_1]
KAILUA-KONA >> The Ironman World Championship will be held outside of Hawaii for the first time in four decades as there is uncertainty as to whether the Big Island can host the triathlon as planned in February during the coronavirus pandemic.
Attendees will instead travel to St. George, Utah on May 7, West Hawaii Today reported. Organizers plan to bring the competition back to the islands in October 2022.
Ironman participants swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a marathon that is 42.2 miles.
The first race took place in Honolulu in the 1970s. The competition moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 1981.
Organizers canceled the race last year due to concerns about the coronavirus and the risks of international travel. It was the first time in the history of triathlon that the event did not take place.
In August, when the Delta variant sparked a spike in COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, organizers decided to postpone this year’s race to February. They later made the decision to cancel the February event and move it to Utah in May.
Organizers plan to bring the competition back to the Big Island over the next year with a two-day racing format slated for October 6th and 8th, 2022.
[ad_2]
