Kailua - Kona
Home to The Ironman Triathlon

Kailua-Kona the ancient playground of Hawaiian royalty is undoubtedly the busiest part of the Big Island. It is predictably sunny and its shoreline sparkles with many appealing coves fringed by towering coconut palms. Kailua was home to King Kamahameha and the restored compound Kamekahonu, a National Historic Landmark, was were he spent his last days.

Each year nearly 1,500 competitors from all over the world come to Kona to take part in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. They come, some vying for the title "greatest male or female endurance athlete of the world", others simply to say "I have done it, I have finished the Ironman". The competion is made up of a series of grueling races, begining with a 2.4 mile ocean swim off the Kailua Pier, proceeds to a 112 mile bike course that loops around Hawi town in North Kohala, finishing at the Kona Surf Resort in Keauhou, where starts the 26.2 mile marathon run back to the Kailua Pier. The daunting distances, the volcanic topography and severe climatic conditions (average temperatures of 82 to 95 degrees in the shade), are serious obstacles to finishing this true test of ones mettle, so anyone who does finish, or even attempts to, is decidedly a Winner.