With exactly one week to go until the Ironman World Championship on Kona, organizers are facing their first obstacle: an elevated risk of jellyfish in the waters off Kona has forced a course modification for the event’s initial side event. The traditional Ho’Ala Training Swim – which operates much like a race and regularly features a strong turnout of pros – scheduled for tomorrow, has been cut in half from its usual 3.8 km distance down to 1.9 km.
Jellyfish are hardly a new phenomenon in the waters surrounding the Big Island – most notably in 2018, when Daniela Ryf was stung in the face during the race itself – but the issue appears to have escalated in recent years. Tomorrow in particular is projected to see high jellyfish activity, prompting the decision to halve the swim distance. Fortunately, the forecast for October 10, the day of the actual Ironman World Championship, is looking significantly more favorable.
Athletes currently on site report that jellyfish sightings are relatively mild at the moment. Despite the shortened distance, the Ho’Ala Training Swim remains completely sold out.
