Kona

After last year’s shocker when the first report from the 2010 Hawaii Ironman was that Wellington wasn’t going to compete, the realm of possibility seemed wide open this year.

Two past champions regained their titles as the top Ironman athletes in the world as Australia’s Craig Alexander and Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington took the wins at today’s Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

While athletes are on the 112-mile bike ride visitors will flock to stock up on cool presents from Hawaii's most ubiquitous stores.

The pros parted ways with their race rides at the bike check-in on the eve of the race. Check out the photos from Nils Nilsen.

Great Britain's Julie Dibens will be riding a Trek Speed Concept at the 2011 Ironman World Championship.

Check out Aaron Hersh's author page.

Carfrae’s coach gives insight into her preparation and wonders about how Wellington will react to a challenge.

For an athlete new to the distance, winning three Ironman races—all in a matter of 8 weeks—is quite an impressive feat. Team TBB’s Mary Beth Ellis seems to have found her calling this year, and is hoping for a Top 10 finish on Saturday.

In honor of triathlete Chrissie Wellington’s return to Kona in 2011, Brooks Running created only 200 pairs of a custom T7 Racer. Wellington wore the T7 Racer lightweight racing flats when she broke the world record at Ford Ironman Arizona last November.

Macca offers his honest inside perspective on the athletes racing for the win in his absence.

American Chris Lieto, the fastest cyclist in the sport, gives us the run down on his 2012 Trek Speed Concept.

The 1989 Ironman World Championship was the greatest race ever. In a spectacular duel that become known as the Iron War, the world’s two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles.

A look at Chris Lieto's race bike for the 2011 Ironman World Championship.

Three-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington offers “an honest evaluation” of her condition, and sounds very different than last year.

Top contenders for the 2011 Ironman World Championship gathered at the King Kamehameha hotel on Thursday for the pro press conference.

Shaved carbon, drilled holes and homemade solutions make Dirk Bockel’s bike one of a kind.

A look at Matt Reed's Fuji D6, which he'll race on in Saturday's Ironman World Championship.

Dirk Bockel turned in an 8th place finish in 2010 despite serving a blocking penalty on the bike, and this is how the ITU racer turned Ironman stud kept himself fueled from the swim start at Dig Me Beach to finish line on Ali’i Drive.

Although the Plasma 3 isn’t new, the Belgian with a 7:45 Ironman PR has made this Team Commerzbank Scott Plasma 3 his own with an assortment of rare add-ons

Seven age-group athletes racing the Ford Ironman World Championship on Saturday share their stories and goals.

Two-time Ironman world champion Craig Alexander has signed with TYR.

Two race car drivers will take on Saturday's Ironman World Championship.

The second fastest rider from last year's Ironman World Championship shares tips on getting from T1 to T2 as fast as possible.

Check out Kurt Hoy's author page.

Craig Alexander has overhauled his bike setup and his camp shared specific wind tunnel findings that work best for him.

Be a part of the action at Kona's Dig Me Beach with this photo gallery.

Specialized overhaul’s their timed race bike to create a machine specifically for triathletes.

The Keiki Dip-n-Dash, an event for the kids, took place at the Kailua-Kona Pier on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Check out the photos!

Check out Kurt Hoy's author page.

The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, which is building its reputation as a tri-friendly hotel, will be hosting two free pre-race events this week that are open to the public. You can gain last-minute tips from top pros and meet other competitors from around the globe.

With less than a week until the Ironman World Championship, Craig “Crowie” Alexander has officially (and somewhat unsurprisingly) announced his split with Orbea on Facebook today.

Luxembourg's Dirk Bockel shows off his new Blue Triad SL bike on Kona's Queen K six days out from race day.

A look at the BMC TM01 Ronnie Schildknecht will be riding in this weekend's Ironman World Championship. Schildknecht has had success in Kona, finishing fourth in 2008.

You don’t have to fly to the Big Island to check out Dig Me Beach every morning. We’ll bring you there everyday with our “Dig Me Daily” video features. This one’s from the morning of Sunday, Oct. 2.

In the following video American Chris Lieto's explains how he came up with the idea for More Than Sport and gives details on how you can get involved. Visit Morethansport.org to learn more.

Our cameras caught a few of Kona's top contenders out training. Check out image of Chrissie Wellington, Linsey Corbin, Luke Bell, Mirinda Carfrae and more.

Go along for a ride with Chris Lieto on Kona's Queen K.

In the final installment Crowie recaps his performance at the 70.3 world championships.

Trek/K-Swiss teammates Joe Gambles and Fraser Cartmell go for one last long training ride on Friday, Sept. 30 on Kona's Queen K.

Before heading over to the Big Island for pre-Kona festivities, DeBoom chatted with Triathlete.com about his 2011 racing season, his picks for Kona and what’s next for him.

Find out how the two-time Ironman world champion recovers after his hardest training session of the year. Also hear what Craig Alexander thinks about Macca's win in Kona last year in a sit down with host Bob Babbitt.

After selling out a dinner in July, The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island will be hosting an exclusive vegan dinner with one of the most well-known women in triathlon, Hillary Biscay, on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.

Australians Chris McCormack and Mirinda Carfrae posted exciting finishes at the 2010 Ironman World Championship. Here's a few images of the day's top pros.

In “The Run” Alexander finishes his 112-mile ride with a quick transition followed by 10x1 mile repeats up and down Monarch Rd. in Boulder, Colo.

Watch part three of the “Training Day with Craig Alexander” series and then check out these photos from the day.

Why Hawaii Ironman contenders make a Kona training trip a staple of their Kona preparation.

In "The Ride" Craig Alexander takes us on a 112-mile ride up Big Thompson Canyon in Boulder, Colo. for one of his toughest training dasy of the year.

You've heard of fantasy football, well now CycleOps is offering the opportunity to participate in a triathlon fantasy challenge.

How is Craig Alexander preparing for this year's Ironman World Championship? In this five-part "Training Day" series we're bringing you up close and personal with the two-time champ as he gears up for the year's biggest race.

The top Kona contender says she’ll be at the start line October 8, despite being bruised and battered.

Whether you want to race through the lava fields or relax in paradise, experience the best of the Big Island at the luxurious (and triathlete-friendly) Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows.

While you’ll see a few hundred people don boxers, briefs, bikinis and boyshorts for the annual Underpants Run during Ironman week, Kona-bound athletes (who arrive to the Big Island early enough) can partake in a new pre-Kona tradition: the K-Swiss Pau Hana Sunset 10K Run and Walk, a Benefit for the American Cancer Society.

The most exciting moments of the Ironman World Championship take place late into the night as the final finishers cross the line in Kailua-Kona. Get pumped for the 2011 Ironman World Championship with this short recap of Kona's 17th hour.

Bob Babbitt sits down with last year's Kona runner-up in Boulder, Colo.

Hachette Book Group announced today that it will publish A Life Without Limits by Chrissie Wellington, known in the triathlon world as the “queen of Ironman.”

A robot will take on the 140.6-mile course of the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

McCormack finished up the 2011 ITU World Championship season on Saturday with 31st place in the Grand Final in Beijing, and he was kind enough to answer some questions about the race and his 2011 season for Inside Triathlon editor-in-chief Courtney Baird.

Orbea-sponsored triathlete Craig Alexander won the Ironman World Championship 70.3 on an unlabeled bike that appears to be a Cervelo P4.

The World Triathlon Corporation has offered the final pros slots to the Ironman World Championship after the final weekend of racing, which included two Ironman races.

Compression apparel has entered the triathlon mainstream, with pros and age-groupers alike donning specially engineered socks, sleeves and more to aid their training, racing and recovery. But does it really work?

A new integrated front end and hidden brakes show that Cannondale is working to close the gap to bikes like Trek’s Speed Concept and Specialized’s Shiv.

New Zealand's Terenzo Bozzone has announced he will not make the start at the 2011 Ironman World Championship due to an Achilles injury he has been dealing with throughout 2011.

If you're headed to the 2011 Ironman World Championship race and you ride a Specialized bike you won't have to pay to ship your bike to Kona. In a unique program Specialized is calling "You Tri, We Fly", the bike maker is offering to pay the shipping charges associated with shipping a Specialized bike to Kona.

The reigning women’s World Champion shares a candid conversation with the woman who was Queen - an unmatched eight times over.

No wildcard entries will be given for the 2011 Ironman World Championship.

Germany's Michael Raelert has announced he will not compete in the 2011 Ironman World Championship race due to an injury that has plagued him throughout the season.

With the season in full swing, we asked several top pros how they feel about the Kona Pro Rankings systen now.

German Markus Fachbach turned in a well-rounded day to take the men's title, while American Mary Beth Ellis won her second Ironman in four weeks thanks to an impressive run.

Tim O’Donnell is believed by many to be the best hope for an American to reach the podium in Kona this October and the former short-course racer will take his first crack at the Big Island aboard the all-new Argon-18 E-118.

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) has offered 41 pro men and 27 pro women the opportunity to register for the 2011 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii based on their placement in the Kona Pro Rankings.

How do we feel about the ranking system?

After the cancellation of Ironman China in May, this Sunday’s Ironman Korea will be the only Ironman race in Asia this year.

Enjoy the following gallery of Tim O’Donnell, which features some outtakes from our photo shoot with him in Tucson, Ariz.

New Bonus Plan Specifically Targets Age-Group Triathletes at both Ironman 70.3 World Championships and Kona World Championships

IndyCar drivers Tony Kanaan and Vitor Meira to race Ironman Hawaii

Hard science, heat labs and custom gear helped one pro finally win a five-year battle against the heat and humidity of Kona.

New event will serve as Latin American Pro Championship

Inside Triathlon magazine goes behind-the-scenes and talks to Carfrae’s long-time coach, Siri Lindley.

It’s really great to being able to look forward to the world’s most prestigious Ironman again.

The Ironman Hawaii lottery winners were announced this morning.

Inside Triathlon editor-in-chief Courtney Baird breaks down what happened in the triathlon twitter world this week.

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has confirmed that he will not be racing at the 2011 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

World-famous Formula 1 driver Jenson Button traveled to Kona, Hawaii this weekend to compete in the Lavaman Triathlon at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.

See images of the damage at the Kona pier, the site of the start, transition and finish line for the Ironman World Championship in this photo gallery.