Live Race Coverage Begins Saturday, Oct. 12, at Noon ET on NBCSN; Updates Throughout the Day on NBC & NBCSN
NBC Presents Vega IRONMAN World Championship Special Sun., December 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET
INEOS 1:59 Challenge Airs Live Saturday Morning at 2 a.m. ET on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
STAMFORD, Conn. – October 10, 2019 – Triathlon’s most iconic one-day endurance event in the world returns to NBC Sports for the 28th year on Sat., Oct. 12, when NBCSN presents live coverage of the 2019 Vega IRONMAN® World Championship from Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i. Live race coverage begins Saturday at Noon ET on NBCSN, nbcsports.com and the NBC Sports app.
The IRONMAN World Championship is the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit, with approximately 95,000 athletes competing to qualify at more than 40 global IRONMAN events each year. Since its inception in 1978 in Oahu, Hawaii, the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon has showcased the top endurance athletes in the world and has shared some of the most impactful stories of courage from the age-group athletes and everyday individuals competing alongside them.
NBCSN’s two-hour broadcast provides viewers with an all-access experience, as dozens of cameras capture the action from the air, across the barren lava fields, and under the water of Kailua Bay during the 140.6-mile challenge. Approximately 2,500 athletes will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles across rugged Hawaiian terrain.
Todd Harris (play-by-play) will offer viewers a front-row seat to the event, alongside former Olympic triathlete Greg Bennett (analyst), and Olympic silver medalist, 2006 IRONMAN champion and newly inducted IRONMAN Hall of Famer Michellie Jones (analyst). In addition, 1994 IRONMAN World Champion Greg Welch and 3-time IRONMAN Champion Michael Lovato will host from Hawai’i, joined by 3-time IRONMAN Champion Dede Griesbauer, 10-time IRONMAN finisher Matt Lieto, and 8-time IRONMAN World Champion Paula Newby-Fraser.
Live reports on NBC and NBCSN will air throughout the day on Saturday, and NBCSN’s live coverage will begin at Noon ET. Following the conclusion of the race, NBCSN will air recap coverage from Kailua-Kona on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. ET.
In addition, the Vega IRONMAN World Championship, a programming fixture on NBC since 1991, airs on NBC December 1 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The special has garnered more than 50 Emmy Award nominations and won 17 Emmys along with numerous other accolades.
Live streaming coverage will be available at nbcsports.com, the NBC Sports app, IRONMAN NowTM on Facebook Watch. Visit www.ironman.com for more information about the IRONMAN World Championship and NBC Sports’ coverage of the event.
LIVE Coverage of INEOS 1:59 Challenge
On Saturday morning, NBC Sports presents coverage of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, where marathon world record holder and reigning Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon. Kipchoge, who set the world record at 2018 Berlin Marathon (2:01:39), will run back and forth on a 4.3km (2.7 miles) course that is 90 percent straight and almost completely flat. This will be his second attempt at breaking two hours. Americans Matthew Centrowitz, Paul Chelimo, Lopez Lomong, Shadrack Kipchirchir and Bernard Lagat, along with dozens of the world’s best distance runners, will serve as pacemakers.
Live coverage of the INEOS 1:59 Challenge begins Saturday, October 12, on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA at 2 a.m. ET. NBCSN also presents coverage of the event next Monday, October 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
About the Vega IRONMAN World Championship
Since its inception in 1978 on the island of Oahu, the IRONMAN® World Championship has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikiki to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i where it continues to take place to this day. The race now sees over 2,500 athletes embark on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. In 2019, the event will be utilizing the theme `Ohana which in Hawaiian culture represents a specially bonded extended family to celebrate the greater IRONMAN community of athletes, volunteers, supporters and partners. For more information, visitwww.ironman.com/worldchampionship.
About The IRONMAN Group
As part of Wanda Sports Group, The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, IRONKIDS®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf® presented by Westpac, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with more than 235 events across 55+ countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Group
Wanda Sports Group (Nasdaq: WSG) is a leading global sports events, media and marketing platform with a mission to unite people in sports and enable athletes and fans to live their passions and dreams. Through our businesses, including Infront and The IRONMAN Group, we have significant intellectual property rights, long-term relationships and broad execution capabilities, enabling us to deliver unrivalled sports event experiences, creating access to engaging content and building inclusive communities. We offer a comprehensive array of events, marketing and media services through three primary segments: Mass Participation, Spectator Sports and Digital, Production, Sports Solutions (DPSS). Our full-service platform creates value for our partners and clients as well as other stakeholders in the sports ecosystem, from rights owners, to brands and advertisers, and to fans and athletes. Headquartered in Beijing, China, Wanda Sports Group has more than 60 offices and 1,600 employees around the world.
–NBC SPORTS–