This is a preview of the race, which provided plenty of drama on the course – as well as an amazing bike course and overall result. Click here to find out how Patrick Lange mastered the victory perfectly.

At the biggest professional men's endurance race of the season – the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona – the sport's superstars fight for glory.

It is the second time that men and women have competed separately. A month ago, Nice hosted the women's event, where the German Laura Philipp emerged as the winner. Now it's the men's turn on the Big Island of Hawaii and it promises to be a blockbuster.

The Norwegians are back as Gustav Iden, the record winner at the last race in Kona, and Kristian Blummenfelt have returned to endurance racing with full focus.

Frenchman Sam Laidlow split them on the podium two years ago and then went one better in their absence with a hugely impressive victory in Nice last year.

The two-time winner Patrick Lange is also there – as is the brilliant Challenge Roth winner of the last three seasons, the great Dane Magnus Ditlev, who is number 1 on the long-distance athlete rankings.

Add to that Lionel Sanders' box office appeal, and it's clear we're in for something special this weekend.

And not only will they be competing against each other, but also against Hawaii's unique conditions – read on to find out why they might not be quite so extreme this year.

We've got all the other bases covered – including the start time, the ability to watch the race live, an overview of the outstanding field and much more.

Date, start time and how to watch live

The Kona Men's Pro Race began on Saturday, October 26th at 6:25 a.m. local time from Kailua Pier. This corresponds to 5:25pm UK time, 6:25pm CET. That's 12:25 p.m. on the East Coast of the United States and 9:25 a.m. on the West Coast. In Australia it is 3:25 a.m. on Sunday morning in Sydney, and in New Zealand it is 5:25 a.m. on Sunday morning.

You can watch the race live right here without leaving TRI247 using the embed below.

Live race day coverage will also be broadcast free of charge on multiple platforms for global viewers, including proseries.ironman.com, DAZN and YouTube, as well as Outside TV in the US and Canada, L'Équipe in France and ZDF Online in German viewers.

And as always, alongside broadcast coverage, the IRONMAN Tracker app on your phone/mobile device is your essential companion for keeping up to date with all the action on the track.

Which professional men are racing at IMWC Kona?

Choosing a favorite is not easy. Normally you would think that winning endurance racing's biggest event less than three months after the Olympics would be a near-impossible task – but Kristian Blumenfelt (NOR) does not work normally!

He wiped out an 80-strong professional field and won the European Championship at IRONMAN Frankfurt just weeks after Paris, and a Kona win is about the only thing missing from his glittering resume.

The last time he was on the Big Island, he didn't have an answer Gustav Iden (STILL) Sam Laidlow (FRA) in the final stages of the marathon, and the Frenchman crosses the finish line as defending champion after the master class in Nice last year.

Laidlow has arguably settled into the 2024 IMWC far more smoothly than last year – everything seemed to be coming together last time out at the T100 Ibiza when he was the only one able to keep up with Marten Van Riel.

Iden rewrote the record books in Kona two years ago, but he and the Norwegian camp seem to feel another win may be out of reach at the moment, given the challenging time he has had on and off the track in recent years spent due to injuries and personal tragedies.

Magnus Ditlev (DEN) must also be included in the equation. He has raised the bar with his Challenge Roth victories, particularly in the last two seasons, and still has unfinished business in Kona after a bike penalty in 2022 all but ended his chances.

The final member of what looks like a “Big Five” is Patrick Long (GER), the winner in Kona in both 2017 and 2018. He came second in Nice last year, but 2024 hasn't really gone according to plan so far.

Lionel Sanders (CAN) finished second to Lange in 2017, but “No Limits” came no closer in Hawaii. However, that has been his focus for most of the year and it would be a story to beat them all if he could get that elusive victory.

There have been American winners in 18 of the first 19 IMWC, but there hasn't been a single one since 2002, and if that order is to be broken, then it will be Rudy von Berg seems by far the most likely candidate.

Daniel Bækkegård Ditlev joins the Danish Raid squad and there are signs – particularly in the T100 London – that he is returning to form, although it must be said that his Kona record does not yet match his considerable talent.

Only the two Brits are at the start – two-time podium finishers David McNamee and aspiring Kieran Lindarswho chased Blummenfelt home last time in Frankfurt.

And pay attention to New Zealand's Braden Currie – Luck hasn't been on his side recently, but he was third when the postponed 2022 IMWC took place in St. George and has shown in the past that he can be successful in Kona.

The complete start list and start numbers can be found here.

Tips and predictions

We've brought together the great and the good from the world of triathlon to give their verdict on who will take victory in Kona – and it's fair to say they don't all agree.

Our chief correspondent John Levison chose Blummenfelt – as did two-time Kona winner Chris McCormack.

But Mark Allen, who triumphed in Hawaii no less than six times, says Magnus Ditlev will emerge victorious, while two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee will be declared the defending champion Sam Laidlow “will be hard to beat.”

Who doesn't race in Kona?

All eyes were on the great Jan Frodeno at the IMWC in Nice last year, but that was his last race before retirement, so the three-time Kona winner is a notable absentee here. Alistair Brownlee, the man who succeeded Frodeno as Olympic champion, still competes, but not at the full Ironman distance since 2022.

Brownlee's compatriot Joe Skipper missed out after failing to qualify, while US star Sam Long met a similar fate despite his best efforts. The Frenchman Arthur Horseau, sixth last year, WILL RACE NOW after a U-turn following his withdrawal last week.

The IMWC course in Kona

Triathlon GOAT contender Mark Allen recently told us that he thinks the course record could be broken this year.

There were a number of reasons for this, but at the top of the list, in his opinion, were slightly more lenient conditions.

He explained: “This year in particular, the race is taking place two weeks later than normal. This time of year is a crucial time of year in terms of temperature differences. Just a few weeks can make it a little cooler, a few weeks later it can mean you are further away from the windiest time of the year.

“In general, it is windier earlier in October than later in October. The fastest time I drove in Kona was on October 30th, this year it is October 26th. This was probably the least windy year I've had. All in all, I think this year probably has the best chance of breaking that record.”

The swim course consists of an out and back swim in Kailua Bay. It is a wide open start in deep water that goes out into the ocean to the tack boat and back. There are actually only the floating buoys for sighting, but there are landmarks on the shore.

And the water is warm, so there are no wetsuits, but the salt water keeps swimmers buoyant, and swim skins worn over trisuits provide additional buoyancy.

The Kona Cycling Course is primarily an out-and-back route, from the race headquarters in Kailua-Kona to Hawi, over large, well-maintained roads, over lava fields and with beautiful ocean views to accompany it.

There is often a misconception that the Kona bike route is flat and easy. Although there are cycling routes with much greater elevation changes, the Kona route is anything but flat. With a total difference in altitude of 1,772 m, most of which is on the climb to Hawi, you can best say that the route is rolling.

And so on to running, where temperatures can really make a difference.

The first 10 km along Ali'i Drive offers athletes the opportunity to shake off some of the residual fatigue of the bike route and get into a rhythm, with the first section along the coast being the flattest part of the route.

After what probably feels like an eternity, the athletes will turn and dive into the legendary “Energy Lab”. The “Energy Lab” is completely unprotected at mile 16, and after 132 racing miles, even the best athletes often hit the “wall”.

The longest climb on the route occurs in this section – two miles of 1.5% grade on “Airport Hill” back to Queen K and a challenging final 10km back into town.

Is it a tougher course than Nice last year? Jenny Lucas-Hill from TRI247 gives her verdict Here.

What is the IRONMAN Pro Series?

For the first time ever, the IRONMAN World Championship will have a major impact on the season-long IRONMAN Pro Series.

It includes 20 selected IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 professional races at 18 events worldwide. The top five results count in the fight for the largest share of the $1.7 million bonus prize money, and the IMWC race in Kona offers the winner a maximum of 6,000 points, 1,000 more points than the other IRONMAN triathlons over the entire distance in the series.

Matt Hanson is currently in the lead, but Patrick Lange is well positioned to take a significant step up with a big performance.

And as far as the current daily compensation is concerned…

Prize money – what is on offer?

For the men's race in Kona, the total prize money is $375,000, with the race winner receiving $125,000 and the prize pot paid to 15th place. The allocation takes place as follows:

1st – $125,000
2nd – $65,000
3rd – $45,000
4th – $25,000
5th – $20,000
6th – $18,000
7th – $15,000
8th – $13,000
9th – $12,000
10 – $11,000
11th – $8,000
12th – $6,000
13th – $5,000
14th – $4,000
15th – $3,000