Hey sports fans, we are officially one week away from the 2015 Hawaii Ironman World Championships
held in Kona.
Whether you're actually in Kona, or you're watching from home we've got some great tips
for you to make sure you don't any of the coverage that happens over the next week.
A few years ago I might have had a little bit of influence on choosing where my wife
and I went for our honeymoon.
So we were lucky enough to actually watch the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in
Kona.
Whether you're doing that, and you're in the town.
Or you're at home, there are lots of options for you over the next week.
Because there's so much to see and do we're going to go pretty fast starting right meow.
On social media the hashtag #IMKona is what everyone uses.
I particularly like the Instagram feed because it's got a lot of good pictures throughout
the week and it is just filled with coverage.
Triathlete Magazine does some great coverage on Facebook.
They've got videos, pictures, all throughout the week.
I'll link to that feed in the description below you can check that out.
My favourite coverage throughout the week are the video interviews that Bob Babbit does
called Breakfast with Bob at Huggo's on the Rock with Poncho Man playing the back playing
the ukelele.
They get pros athletes and all kinds of people involved with the event coming in for candid
interviews.
It's a lot of fun.
I'll link to that in the description below as well.
Now, I'm going to get what you can do during the week leading up to the race if you're
in Kona.
But if you're not, stick around because I'll have where you can watch the best race coverage
from home.
If you are one of those lucky people that's actually in Kona this week; I have, six things,
I have six things for you to check out when you're there.
Number One: go to the expo and get some shwag.
I kid you not my wife and I left that island with about two thousand dollars worth of gear.
It's incredible.
Every single company is there giving out free samples for you to try.
Second thing you should do: put on your favourite speedo and go to Dig Me Beech.
Swim the 4 to five hundred meters out to the coffee boat, and have an espresso and meet
some of the people that are around during the week.
The water is warm enough that you don't need a wetsuit, so just show up with your favourite
budgie smuggler and a positive attitude and it'll be a good time.
The third thing you're going to want to do, is go for a run down Ali'i Drive on course.
I think it's about five miles from start to the turnaround.
It's hotter than hell so make sure that you stop at all of the tents that companies set
up along the way.
You can try out gels, chews, bars, get to know some of the people.
If you chat with them enough you might even get into some of their private parties that
they hold throughout the week and meet some of the athletes.
You're going to see a lot of the athletes that are competing that week out on the course
so it's incredible to see the level of fitness that's out there running up and down Ali'i
Drive.
Number four: is check out the bikes at the expo.
There are so many companies out there that bring out their top end model bikes.
And if you ask the companies, a lot of them hold demo rides throughout the week, so you're
going to be able to line up a ride out to the Queen K Highway, and see what the athletes
are going to be dealing with in the isolation and the heat and the wind of Kona.
So make sure that you check that out and get to experience that.
Number five: go into the middle of town on Thursday and check out the underpants run.
Even if you're not comfortable showing off your tight whities go and check out two thousand
of the fittest people in the world running around in their gitch.
It's hilarious.
Finally, the night before the race go to Huggo's on the Rock and attend the Thank Goodness
I'm not Racing Party.
A lot of people that you never you would get to rub elbows with.
And you get to have a pile of drinks because you're not racing the next day and have a
good time.
Now, on to the race day coverage.
If you're watching from home you are going to have seventeen hours of live coverage to
choose from.
It's commentated, it's filmed by helicopters, motorbikes, people along the course.
It's awesome to watch.
When that link goes live I'll put it in the description below so you can find it here.
If you want to find any one specific athlete, I'll also put a link in the description below
to the live athlete tracker where you can see how your favourite athletes are performing
and their splits along the course.
People at home, don't go anywhere because I'm not done with you yet.
If you're at the race you're going to find out very quickly just how chaotic Kona is
the morning of the Ironman World Championships.
Finding a spot to watch the swim start is pretty tough.
Where we watched the swim start was this tucked away area in behind a coffee shop.
Right on the main strip.
So grab yourself a java, go through the hallway, they've got free wifi there, and it is a front
row seat to the swim start.
You'll get to see the helicopters, the pros going off in both waves, the washing machine
of the age group athletes.
It's really cool, that is one of the best parts of the day.
As soon as you've had your fill of the swim start, walk the two blocks to the Hot Corner
because it fills up like a college football game.
The athletes pass you, I believe it's four times in the matter of thirty five minutes
or so, so you can see why it gets so busy.
And you want to get there early to stake out a good spot.
Once you've had your fill of the Hot Corner you're done for a few hours because the athletes
are out on the Queen K Highway where you can't follow them.
But you can go almost anywhere in town and they've got the live feed of the race going
on.
About Four to five hours later the athletes are going to be back in off the bike, and
you've got two really good options to see them on the run.
The first option is if you want to be in the mix of things.
Stay right in town on Ali'i Drive and there are people everywhere.
That's where it's crazy.
But if you want to get a little bit more up close and personal with the athletes, go about
three miles down Ali'i Drive where there's less people and you can run alongside the
athletes until you get tired or until they give you a dirty look.
I did it, and they gave me a dirty look.
Once the athletes leave town, again you're done for a couple of hours because they're
out on the Queen K Highway and into the Energy Lab, and the area's controlled so it's tough
to get out there.
Again, go back watch the live feed.
The male athletes should be finishing at about 8 hours and ten minutes, and the female athletes
should be finishing at about eight hours and fifty minutes.
Go down to the finish line at about an hour be fore men finish to stake your spot right
at the finish line.
Where you can give the high fives, and you can wave in the crowd, and you can see them
go down the finish chute and you can get right up close and personal.
As long as you get there early enough you can have your nose hanging over the barrier,
it's really cool.
Finally, whether you're at home or you're in Kona you have to watch the midnight finish.
To see some of the most inspiring athletes who have been out racing in the heat, and
the humidity of Kona for seventeen hours.
And Mike Reilly yelling YOU ARE AN IRONMAN.
The finish line it turns into a party with Mike Reilly pumping everyone up and people
dancing.
The winners come back and congratulate the final finishers.
They've got a live feed of it going or if you're there in Kona go down an hour beforehand
again to get a good spot.
You have to check it out, in my opinion it is the best part of the day.
There is a lot of great coverage over the next week, so I hope you enjoy it.
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