Building on the success of the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing Series and in celebration of the IRONMAN World Championship®, IRONMAN has launched a five-week-long IRONMAN VR Kona Series.
The series will take athletes on a training journey that culminates in a virtual full-distance IRONMAN race, to be held as part of a week-long 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship celebration.
Keeping competition alive
For the first time, athletes will have the ability to virtually complete 140.6-miles in either seven-day, three-day or traditional 17-hour formats.
The IRONMAN VR Kona Series kicked off on 4 September and runs through 11 October.
With a binding theme of E Ola Mau, meaning ‘Keep on Living’, the five-week IRONMAN VR Kona Series followed by a week-long series of activities, will celebrate Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i and the IRONMAN World Championship through athletic participation, storytelling and community moments.
The IRONMAN VR Kona Series will cover the five key training elements that athletes focus on in preparation for a full-distance triathlon:
- Speed
- Strength
- Knowledge
- Endurance
- Preparation
A celebration of athletic achievement
At the end of the five-week training block, and anchoring the 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship Celebration week, will be the IRONMAN Virtual Club™ first full-distance IRONMAN triathlon virtual race, available to be completed over a seven-day, three-day or 17-hour timeframe.
Athletes who participate will have access to an exclusive finisher bundle that includes a finisher tee, hat and medals, including a five-piece medal set that brings together the elements of the training block, representing E Ola Mau and the IRONMAN spirit of perseverance.
The World Championship experience
The 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship celebration will feature a week of programming broadcasted on the IRONMAN Now Facebook Watch page.
Race week hallmarks, including the E Komo Mai Welcome Ceremony, Ho‘ala Swim celebration, Underpants Run and Heroes of Hawai`i cultural performance, as well as live racing competitions, professional athlete features and retrospectives will virtually come to life for a global audience through the live daily show.
Hosted by Michael Lovato, Dede Griesbauer and Greg Welch, the program will also feature special guests including IRONMAN legends, professional athletes and Master Coaches.
“While it is hard to believe that for the first time in over 40 years we will not convene in Hawai`i to crown world champions this October, we are excited to share the magic of the iconic IRONMAN World Championship to athletes around the globe with the 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship Celebration and IRONMAN VR Kona Series,” said Andrew Messick, President & CEO for The IRONMAN Group.
Building up to the Championships
Supplanting the highly successful IRONMAN VR race schedule, IRONMAN VR Kona Series kicked off on Friday, September 4 and runs from Friday to Sunday each week leading up to the 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship Celebration during the week of 5 October.
The IRONMAN VR Kona Series will also return to a single division format, the Classic division, allowing for new and seasoned athletes alike to come together.
Each Kona Series weekend will vary, offering athletes specially designed workouts tailored to building confidence and introducing the core essence of an IRONMAN that can lead to successfully completing a 140.6-mile full-distance virtual race.
The 2020 IRONMAN VR World Championship Celebration 17-hour format will also be available through more competitive Challenger division format. In addition to the IRONMAN VR Kona Series workouts, athletes can take on challenges while learning from some of the best on how to push their minds and bodies with purpose.
With challenges set by IRONMAN U™ Master Coaches, athletes will be provided with training tips and overall great workouts that will help them train smart for their next race.
Full details and specifics regarding the IRONMAN Virtual Racing Championship Series, as well as IRONMAN Virtual Club, are available on www.ironmanvirtualclub.com.
