RUNNING THE KONA MARATHON: A GUIDE TO THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RUN COURSE
By Samantha Murphy of Evolve Coaching Systems
Much like the Kona bike course, the run course demands a lot out of the runner in a way that sneaks up on the athlete. What makes it so is that the course consists of a series of very different environments, each with its own physical and mental challenges, and understanding how to manage each of those will unlock your best day in Kona.
If you’re racing the IRONMAN World Championship, you’ve probably spent months, or years, thinking about the Queen K, the lava fields, the Energy Lab, and the famous finish on Aliʻi Drive. These iconic landmarks make up the run course and feature in every athlete's race.
But the key to running Kona well is not thinking about all 26.2 miles at once. Instead, just like the other disciplines, break the course up by using the famous landmarks.
Each section has a different feel and can offer an athlete a way to check off smaller portions of the marathon and not overwhelm them. Some sections are about controlling your excitement. Some are about patience. ALL are about managing heat. And some are simply about putting one foot in front of the other when your body is telling you that you’ve had enough.
Here’s how to mentally divide the Kona run course.
Don’t Start Racing Right out of T2
Racing through the final turn into T2.
Your first job is not to run fast
The marathon begins before you ever take your first running stride. You’ve just ridden 112 miles through one of the most environmentally demanding bike courses in the world. Your legs already have miles in them, your core temperature is elevated, and adrenaline is high. How you handled the demands of the bike will play a large role in how your marathon will pan out, but you can control how you mentally approach the marathon no matter what happened on the swim or bike.
Before you start the run, remind yourself that whatever has occurred up until this point is behind you, and it is now all about being present for the next several hours. When you leave T2, you are suddenly back in the energy of the crowds after many hours, and it will feel amazing. But it is easy to get caught up in the excitement: the crowd is loud, you’re surrounded by athletes, your legs may actually feel surprisingly good, and it feels so incredible to see your family, friends, and the amazing volunteers.
This is where discipline matters.
Your first job is not to run fast. Your first job is to transition to the run and get settled. Start cooling and fueling immediately. Find your rhythm. The Kona crowds can make the opening miles feel like a completely different race. Use that energy emotionally, but don’t let it dictate your pace.
Aliʻi Drive: The Part That Feels Like a Celebration
This section can be dangerous
Aliʻi Drive is one of the most iconic sections of the entire course. You’re in town, the ocean is right beside you, and spectators will be going absolutely mental for you. Add that to the fact that you are probably feeling pretty good.
This is exactly why this section can be dangerous. Now is not the time to chase a pace or worry about your time. Now is the time to focus on what you can do now to make the later miles solid.
Aliʻi Drive is rolling rather than perfectly flat, and the combination of crowds, adrenaline, and relatively early-race legs can make you run harder than planned, which can be a problem many miles later. For the opening miles on Aliʻi, do not chase pace on every little rise or downhill. Instead, make your entire focus about effort and energy savings. Pay attention to your posture, your cadence, and positive self-talk.
Use the section on the way out on Aliʻi Drive to establish your rhythm. Take in the crowds. Smile. High-five people if that’s your thing.
But stay disciplined.
The Aliʻi Drive Turnaround
Do not get drawn into the excitement
At about mile 3.5, you’ll reach the turnaround on Aliʻi Drive and begin heading back toward town. Check off this first portion of the course and remain steadfast in your cooling and fueling as you return to town and the adoring fans.
The goal is still the same: Run economically. Do not get drawn into the excitement and burn too many matches.
This section is where you want to feel like you’re settling into the marathon rather than racing it. You have three primary goals here, which will be the theme for most of the day: keep eating, keep drinking, keep cooling.
Back Through Town: Enjoy It. Like, Really Enjoy It!
This will mark a major psychological transition
As you head back toward the center of Kailua-Kona, the crowd support increases again. This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the course. It can also be one of the most deceptive. You’re still relatively early in the marathon, and the town makes the race feel easier than it might be. It is very easy to soak in the emotions of others and use them to your advantage. It is really hard to feel terrible when so many exuberant fans are calling your name and giving you all the courage you need to feel strong and proud on the run. These are all great things, but they need to be handled with care and patience.
At about mile 9, you will make the turn away from the ocean and begin heading toward Palani Road. This will mark a major psychological transition that, if you are prepared for it, will be a weapon in your arsenal as you combat the Queen K.
Palani Road: The First Big Reality Check
Know if you plan to walk some or all of it beforehand
Palani is one of the landmarks every Kona athlete knows.
Here is what makes Palani, Palani. You’re going uphill (the steepest of the day), you’ve already been running for several miles (close to 10 miles), and you know that when you reach the top, you’re heading onto the Queen K.
Don’t attack Palani.
This is not the hill where you prove how strong you are. It’s the hill where you demonstrate that you understand pacing. Your heart rate will rise, and your pace will slow. That’s okay. All you need to do is have a plan. For some, that means shortening their stride and slowing. For others, it might be walking the entire hill, and for some it could mean walking the top half. We strongly recommend that you know your plan and stick to it on Palani.
The time you might gain by attacking the hill is not worth creating unnecessary fatigue this early in the race. Know if you plan to walk some or all of it beforehand, rather than opting to do so on the fly. This can help you avoid feeling any unnecessary sense of failure.
At the top of Palani, you will take your first steps on the Queen K. While you have been here before, this is your first time as a runner today, and this part of the course is vastly different than the last 10 miles you have traversed.
Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway
The desolation can feel overwhelming
The Queen K is where the race begins to feel very different. The oceanfront energy is gone, the road opens up, the landscape becomes more exposed, and you can see a long way down the road.
The environment of the island is a major part of the challenge in the lava fields. The run course is exposed, lonely, and the desolation can feel overwhelming after the crowds in town. Fueling and cooling become increasingly important as the day progresses. This is where your aid-station strategy matters. Your only goal is to continue to use the aid stations proactively and move forward as you get closer to the Energy Lab.
Small goals make the Queen K midday very manageable.
Being able to see the black line of the Queen K stretching before you is one of the most mentally challenging parts of the day. Knowing this and knowing that it is up to you as an athlete to set the tone and find a rhythm will be to your advantage. This is also the hottest part of the course. Don’t worry about whether the athlete 50 yards ahead of you is running faster. Don’t worry about the athlete coming toward you. Don’t start calculating exactly how many miles remain.
Instead, focus on the next aid station. The aid stations are your lifeline and your best fans all wrapped into one. Your race is about right now, not about what mile you are in, but how you can stay focused, hold your form, and relax until you get to the next aid station.
The Energy Lab: The Famous Mental Test… Maybe
This can be used for a mental reboot
Right around mile 15, you’ll turn off the Queen K and head toward the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi. The Energy Lab is an iconic landmark on the course and gets a lot of attention and hype. While much of it is deserved, it can also be a needed “mental” break for an athlete if you choose to focus on the positives that the Energy Lab can offer.
The Energy Lab is often the only place after you come up Palani where you will encounter fans again, and this can be used for a mental reboot. It is also mentally nice to make a turn after so long on a straightaway. Couple that with a change in terrain and a chance to stop at Personal Needs, and you can make a mental switch from seeing the Energy Lab as a huge hurdle to seeing it more as an exciting (yes, it is still hard—you are 15 miles into a hard IRONMAN marathon!) challenge that will offer you some cheers, some terrain breaks, and also lots of ice if you need it.
Leaving the Energy Lab: The Race Starts Coming Back to You
Gradually increase your effort
When you exit the Energy Lab and return toward the Queen K, the psychological direction of the race changes. You’ve conquered the section that so many athletes think about before race day.
Now you have one job: Get back to Kona. And while you might not feel it explicitly, the return to Kona is net downhill.
This is where you can begin reassessing your effort.
If you’ve managed your pacing, fueling, and cooling well, you may find that you can gradually increase your effort. Depending on when you started the race and your speed, you might also notice a shift in weather as the sun starts to set. All of these can add to your mental boost toolbox, and you get closer to Kona. The return on the Queen K is a completely different experience from the way out. You know what’s behind you. You know you’re getting closer as the Target sign comes into view, and the finish is becoming real. As you continue to fuel and cool, you want to put your main focus on maintaining mechanics and keep your effort progressing. You do not need to feel “good” to keep moving forward well.
Palani Again: This Time You’re Going Down
Eventually you reach Palani again, and this time you’re going down. Which can be a challenge in its own right, as this is the point where you will see what your quads have left in them. However, this time you are close enough to the finish that you can feed off of the crowds and let gravity help you without allowing yourself to brake aggressively.
Kuakini and Hualālai: You’re Almost There
This is the moment that you have been waiting for
With less than one mile left, the course winds back through town toward Aliʻi Drive. This is the moment that you have been waiting for ALL day, and we suggest that before you make the final turn onto Aliʻi Drive, you begin to turn your focus to what you have accomplished. No matter how your day has unfolded, you have made it to the final mile of the most iconic IRONMAN on the planet and one that most triathletes will not have the privilege to experience. Take a moment to let that sink in.
And then it happens: you turn back onto Aliʻi Drive. The same road that felt so exciting at the beginning of the marathon now feels completely different. You’ve been through the Queen K, you’ve run through the lava fields, you’ve gone into the Energy Lab, you’ve made it back to Kona, and now you’re running toward the finish.
This is where you can finally let the emotion take over. Look around and listen to the crowd, find your people if they’re there. Once you see the famous Banyan tree and enter the finishing chute, remind yourself one last time of what it took to get to the starting line of Kona. Because Kona isn’t just about the last mile, it’s about every decision that got you there.
Pro Tips:
- Treat Ali'i Drive as your warm-up, not your race. The first out-and-back along Ali'i is loud, crowded, and fast-feeling, and athletes routinely run it too quickly. Heat stress is already building, so pace off RPE and HR ceilings rather than chasing a pace. Cardiovascular drift in Kona heat makes your normal pace targets misleading. Heart beats you bank here get paid back with interest on the Queen K.
- Respect Palani Hill. The climb up Palani, around mile 10, is short but steep, and it comes right as the crowds disappear. A controlled power-hike or short shuffle costs very little time. An HR spike at that point can derail the next 16 miles. Heading back down Palani late in the race, run with short, quick steps, because tired quads punish overstriding.
- Run the Queen K like a cooling project. The highway is fully exposed, the lava radiates heat back up at you, and the trade winds can work against you. At every aid station, repeat the same routine: ice in the hat, ice down the front of the suit, sponges on the neck, and cold fluids in. Walking the aid stations deliberately beats grabbing half of what you need on the run. Practice this sequence in training so it's automatic.
- Do not give the Energy Lab too much energy beforehand. Yes, the Natural Energy Lab section comes during the terrible teens (miles 16 to 19). Yes, it contains a climb. And yes, it can be the hottest section of the course. But you know this and can mentally prepare for it. If time allows, you can also run it prior to race day to get a feel for the hype. Go in knowing you have the power to control how you race that section of the course. Break it into chunks: reach the turnaround, collect Personal Needs, then climb back out to the Queen K. Having a pre-planned mental cue for this stretch makes a real difference.
- If you know that you will be out on the Queen K after sunset (check local times), plan for it. Once the sun sets, it is very dark on the Queen K, and the only light will be at aid stations. The ground can also be very slick from discarded ice that you will not be able to see if you are out on the Queen K in the dark.
- It is really important to note when your wave starts and how long you anticipate your race will take. Athletes who are going sub-10 will potentially have a very different weather experience than those who are closer to 13 plus hours.
Coach Samantha Murphy is the founder of Evolve Coaching Systems, one of the largest and most successful coaching groups in the Midwest. She and her team have coached hundreds of athletes to become IRONMAN finishers and reach their personal best.
