Ironman Texas offers 165 Kona slots in 2023

Ironman Texas will host the Ironman Americas Championship in 2023, the regional championship for North and South America. As a regional championship, the race, set for April 22, 2023, will offer 165 slots for the 2023 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. That’s the most ever offered at Ironman Texas.

The race will offer 100 qualifying slots for men and women age-group competitors, and, as a designated Women for Tri event, “65 of the 165 slots will be designated Women for Tri slots exclusively for women, furthering Women For Tri’s goal of growing participation and celebration of women in the sport,” according to a release from Ironman.

Set in The Woodlands, a city located 27 miles north of Houston, Ironman Texas was launched in 2011 and has hosted the Ironman North American Championship on numerous occasions.

Two other regional events in 2023 will also feature the same slot designation (100 plus 65 Women for Tri slots) including Ironman South Africa and Ironman Cairns. The Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt will offer 100 slots total – there are no Women For Tri slots designated at that event.

The race will utilize a rolling start format. “The 2.4-mile swim will take place in Lake Woodlands where the water of the freshwater lake maintains an average temperature of 82 degrees,” Ironman said in today’s release. “Once athletes exit the water, they will begin the 112-mile bike with a reputation for being flat and fast. The two-loop, out-and-back course begins in The Woodlands and heads to Northern Harris County. Once athletes reach this point, they will complete two loops on the Hardy Toll Road with minimum elevation gain. Once off the bike, athletes will start their 26.2-mile, three-lap run on one of the most spirited run courses on the circuit thanks to an incredible spectator base. This is best exhibited by Hippie Hollow, an area with tie-die banners, twinkling lights, and costumed performers that becomes even more magical after the sun sets. Runners will have stunning views of The Woodlands Waterway as they make their way towards the spectacular finish on Waterway Ave.”