Held every fall in the US city of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the Ford Ironman World Championship encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (ocean) swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride (across the Hawaiian lava desert), finishing with a 26.2 mile marathon along the coast.

Before an athlete makes it to the championship, however, a spot must be won through one of the qualifying events which take place annually around the world.

Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events are held in various locations in Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Canary Islands, South Africa and Europe.