It was one of the last sports highlights in 2020 that has not yet been canceled or postponed. But now the decision is made: The legendary Ironman Hawaii will not take place this year due to the corona crisis. But there is a new date.
There has hardly been any other topic in the triathlon world recently: What happens to the most traditional race on the scene? What will happen to the Ironman World Cup in Hawaii this year? Now the organizers have decided: The race on October 10, 2020 will be canceled. First reported tri-mag.de.
However, the event will not be canceled without a replacement – even though it is held annually: The starting signal for the legendary race over 3.8 kilometers swimming, 180 kilometers on a racing bike and the final marathon is always fired in Kailua-Kona in October. In 2019, Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug won two Germans for the first time.
Mythos Ironman
February 6, 2021 was scheduled as the new competition date. Since the already established regular race day for the coming year (October 9) will remain, two titles will be awarded in one year. It is the first time in Ironman Hawaii’s history that the event will be postponed.
The World Cup over half the distance, the Ironman 70.3 World Cup in New Zealand, will also be postponed. However, no new date has been set there yet.
Two winners in one year? That has happened before
The move will also extend the qualification period for the race in Hawaii. According to Ironman CEO Andrew Messick, around 1000 of the 2,500 places have been allocated so far. In the past weeks and months, several qualification competitions have already been postponed to a later date.
Triathlon giant Jan Frodeno, who has triumphed three times in Hawaii, recently said about a possible event against “Welt”: “I see my job as motivating people, but I can’t imagine it with the best will in the world. Everyone is still talking about qualification at the moment, but I think it’s very optimistic. In this situation, you just have to be honest and say: It would be a shame, but there are more important things. ”
Incidentally, there have been two Hawaii winners in one year. That was in 1982 when the race moved from its original spring date to autumn.
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