As the sun rises over Kailua-Kona this morning, more than 50 professional triathletes and approximately 2,400 amateurs from 85 countries will jump into Kailua Bay for the start of the VinFast Ironman World Championship.

The pros start at 6:25 a.m., followed by various age groups.

On Friday, downtown Kona was abuzz with people preparing for the big day. Triathletes brought their bikes to the transition area at Kailua Pier, some getting a last-minute fit. Workers were busy completing a variety of tasks, including erecting scaffolding and banners at the iconic finish line, installing the sound system and erecting metal barriers to keep the crowds back. Some people were last minute.

Two local residents set up a makeshift business selling chalk to race supporters who wrote messages along the final 100 meters of Aliʻi Drive to the finish line. The messages in many languages ​​will probably have been clearly blurred by the time the last pair of aching feet walks this final route 17 hours after take-off.

Unless conditions are particularly difficult, the winner will have crossed the finish line in less than 8 hours, a time unheard of more than 40 years ago when the first Ironman was held on Oahu in 1978.

Many of the pros and triathlon experts say this could be one of the closest and fastest races with one of the best fields in the championship. At the top is defending champion Sam Laidlow of France, but other favorites also include two-time world champion Patrick Lange of Germany, Norway's Kristian Blummenfelt (the 2021 world champion) and Denmark's hungry Kona winner Magnus Ditlev.

Gustav Iden, who won at a record level in Kona in 2022, said he was unable to complete the training required to win the title. But some fellow athletes believe he could sandbag.

Other contenders include three Americans: up-and-comers Matt Marquardt and Trevor Foley, as well as Rudy von Berg, who finished 2023 with a record-breaking time of 7:34:41 at the Florida Ironman.

Saturday marks the return to Kona for the men's championship race held last year in Nice, France. In 2023, the men's and women's teams began rotating their championship locations as the duos event exceeded the capacity of the small Kona community.

As always, there are inspiring stories of people who have overcome challenges to complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. This includes participants with terminal cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, cerebral palsy and no legs.

There are also 16 Big Island triathletes taking part in the race.

For information about road closures, how to watch Ironman athletes live and other things you need to know about race day, click here.

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

Editor's note: This story will be updated throughout race day.