The 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship was held on October 11, 2008 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was the 32nd such Ironman Triathlon World Championship

Ironman Triathlon

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...

, which has been held annually in Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 since 1978. The champions were Craig Alexander

Craig Alexander (triathlete)

Craig Alexander is an Australian triathlete who is the 2008, 2009 & 2011 Ironman Triathlon World Champion. He is only the fourth man to win the Ironman World Championship two years in a row; the others were Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and Tim DeBoom. He is also only the fourth man to win the Ironman...

 and Chrissie Wellington

Chrissie Wellington

Christine Ann Wellington MBE , known as Chrissie Wellington, is an English triathlete and the current Ironman Triathlon World Champion...

. The championship was organised by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).

Men

Pos.	|Name	|Split times (h:mm:ss)
	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run
	8:17:45	Craig Alexander Craig Alexander (triathlete) Craig Alexander is an Australian triathlete who is the 2008, 2009 & 2011 Ironman Triathlon World Champion. He is only the fourth man to win the Ironman World Championship two years in a row; the others were Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and Tim DeBoom. He is also only the fourth man to win the Ironman...		51:43	1:41	4:37:19	2:04	2:45:01
	8:20:50	Eneko Llanos Burguera		51:39	1:48	4:33:27	2:10	2:51:49
	8:21:23	Rutger Beke Rutger Beke Rutger Beke is a retired Belgian triathlete living in Leuven. Beke competed for the Uplace Pro Triathlon Team until he announced his retirement from professional triathlon on May 31, 2011....		54:44	1:50	4:34:45	2:26	2:47:49
Source:

Women

Pos.	|Name	|Split times (h:mm:ss)
	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run
	9:06:23	Chrissie Wellington Chrissie Wellington Christine Ann Wellington MBE , known as Chrissie Wellington, is an English triathlete and the current Ironman Triathlon World Champion...		56:20	2:06	5:08:16	1:59	2:57:44
	9:21:20	Yvonne van Vlerken Yvonne van Vlerken Yvonne van Vlerken is a Dutch triathlete and duathlete, twice winner of Quelle Challenge Roth, who in 2008 set a then world record for Ironman-distance triathlon races...		1:06:49	1:50	5:05:34	2:42	3:04:27
	9:22:52	Sandra Wallenhorst Sandra Wallenhorst Sandra Wallenhorst is a professional triathlete from Germany. She competes in World Triathlon Corporation Ironman and Ironman 70.3 triathlons....		1:03:21	2:33	5:14:57	2:26	2:58:36
Source:

The championship race had a total of 1,731 athletes competing (1,256 men and 475 women) from 51 countries started the race with 1,634 finished, 94 did not finish and 3 were disqualified. A maximum temperature of 81.6 °F (27.6 °C) made for warm racing conditions with wind gusts reaching 13.0 mph (20.9 km/h).

Qualification

To enter for the 2008 World Championship race, athletes were required to qualify through performance at an Ironman or selected Ironman 70.3 race, through Hawaii residency, through a random allocation lottery, or by invitation from the WTC.

The Ironman 2008 Series consisted of 21 Ironman qualifying races plus the Ironman World Championship 2008 which was itself a qualifier for the 2009 Ironman World Championship

2009 Ironman World Championship

The 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship was held on October 10, 2009 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was the 33rd such Ironman Triathlon World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The champions were Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington...

. The series started with Ironman Wisconsin 2007 held on September 9, 2007, and in total 1,800 athletes qualified for the World Championship race.

Qualifying Ironmans

Date	Event	Location
	Ford Ironman Wisconsin	Madison, Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... , USA
	Ford Ironman World Championship 2007 Ironman World Championship The 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship was a triathlon race held on October 13, 2007 in Kailua, Hawaii County, Hawaii. It was the 31st Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The champions were Chris McCormack and Chrissie Wellington. The championship was...	Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
	Ford Ironman Florida	Panama City Beach, Florida Panama City Beach, Florida Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of "Panama City", despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City... , USA
	Ironman Western Australia	Busselton, Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
	Ironman Malaysia	Langkawi Langkawi Langkawi, officially known as Langkawi, the Jewel of Kedah is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. The islands are a part of the state of Kedah, which is adjacent to the Thai border... , Malaysia
	Ironman New Zealand	Taupo Taupo Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region.... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
	Ironman Australia	Port Macquarie, New South Wales Port Macquarie, New South Wales Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313.... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
	Ironman South Africa	Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
	Ford Ironman Arizona	Tempe, Arizona Tempe, Arizona Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale... , USA
	Ironman China	Hainan Island, China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
	Ironman Lanzarote	Puerto del Carmen Puerto del Carmen Puerto del Carmen is the main tourist town on the island of Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. It is part of the municipality of Tías. Most of Lanzarote's over 1 million visitors per year choose this town as their destination... , Lanzarote Lanzarote Lanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands... , Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
	Ironman Brazil	Florianópolis Florianópolis -Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...  Island Santa Catarina (island) Florianópolis Island is an island in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It is located on the south coast of Brazil between the south 27° latitude and west 48° longitude... , Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
	Ironman France	Nice Nice Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
	Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene	Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur... , USA
	Ironman Germany	Frankfurt Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
	Ironman Austria	Klagenfurt Klagenfurt -Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
	Ironman Switzerland	Zürich Zürich Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich... , Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
	Ironman Lake Placid	Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638.... , USA
	Ironman Canada	Penticton, British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
	Ironman Louisville	Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... , USA
	Ironman UK	Sherborne Sherborne Sherborne is a market town in northwest Dorset, England. It is sited on the River Yeo, on the edge of the Blackmore Vale, east of Yeovil. The A30 road, which connects London to Penzance, runs through the town. The population of the town is 9,350 . 27.1% of the population is aged 65 or... , Dorset Dorset Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

There were 33,769 recorded Ironman finishing times during the 2008 series, with the fastest time of 7:59:55 set by Chris McCormack in the Ironman European Championship 2008.

Men

Event	Gold	Time	Silver	Time	Bronze	Time	Reference
Wisconsin		8:52:49		9:03:22		9:06:05
World Champs 07		8:15:34		8:19:04		8:21:30
Florida		8:21:29		8:23:49		8:26:52
Western Australia		8:06:00		8:09:20		8:12:20
Malaysia		8:34:42		9:04:54		9:06:03
New Zealand		8:24:49		8:31:35		8:33:35
Australia		8:31:33		8:40:19		8:42:48
South Africa		8:18:23		8:23:09		8:33:24
Arizona		8:34:19		8:34:36		8:35:04
China		8:52:14		9:13:15		9:14:17
Lanzarote		8:59:37		9:08:15		9:08:36
Brazil		8:28:24		8:38:56		8:41:32
France		8:34:18		8:41:55		8:45:15
Coeur d'Alene		8:34:22		8:43:56		8:48:22
Germany		7:59:55		8:00:49		8:04:16
Austria		8:06:11		8:13:53		8:16:56
Switzerland		8:16:05		8:32:10		8:40:53
Lake Placid		8:43:32		8:55:20		8:56:33
Canada		8:30:12		8:34:34		8:36:08
Louisville		8:33:58		8:54:52		8:59:15
UK		8:53:58		9:04:29		9:08:24

Women

Event	Gold	Time	Silver	Time	Bronze	Time	Reference
Wisconsin
World Champs 07
Florida
Western Australia
Malaysia
New Zealand
Australia
South Africa
Arizona
China
Lanzarote
Brazil
France
Coeur d'Alene
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Lake Placid
Canada
Louisville
UK

External links

• Kona 2008 — IRONMAN.com