IRONMAN Kona 2024: Chris McCormack World Championship predictions and podium picks

Chris McCormack, the five-time IRONMAN World Champion, has released his predictions for the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

McCormack has picked Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway to win the men's race and Lucy Charles-Barclay of Great Britain to win the women's race.

Blummenfelt is the reigning IRONMAN World Champion and has been in excellent form in 2023, winning the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, and the IRONMAN European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany.

Charles-Barclay is also in excellent form and has won two IRONMAN races in 2023, including the IRONMAN African Championship in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

McCormack believes that Blummenfelt and Charles-Barclay are the two strongest athletes in the world right now and that they will be difficult to beat in Kona.

Here are McCormack's full predictions for the 2024 IRONMAN World Championship:

• Men's race:
• 1. Kristian Blummenfelt (Norway)
• 2. Lionel Sanders (Canada)
• 3. Gustav Iden (Norway)

• Women's race:
• 1. Lucy Charles-Barclay (Great Britain)
• 2. Kat Matthews (Great Britain)
• 3. Laura Philipp (Germany)

The 2024 IRONMAN World Championship will be held on October 12, 2024. The race will start with a 2.4-mile swim in Kailua Bay, followed by a 112-mile bike ride along the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, and a 26.2-mile run along Ali'i Drive.