I still remember when qualifying for Kona meant showing up, giving everything you had on the day, and hoping your age group had enough slots to go around. You could have the race of your life and still miss out—not because you didn’t earn it, but because your age group wasn’t big enough or the roll-down didn’t reach far enough.
Those days are behind us. Ironman has officially shifted to a performance-based qualification system that applies to both Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championship slots starting with the 2026 qualifying season. And whether you’re chasing a Kona slot, trying to PR, or lining up for your very first long-course race, this changes how you approach training and race strategy.
Let’s break it down. But first, if you are looking to dial in your training for your first or 100th triathlon and are curious about coaching. Book a free consultation call with no obligations.
How It Works Now
Every age group at every qualifying race is guaranteed one slot, which is awarded to the winner. That slot can roll down only as far as third place. After that, any remaining slots from the race are added to a Performance Pool.
This is where it gets interesting.
Slots from the Performance Pool are awarded based on age-graded finish times. That means your race is scored against a benchmark time for your age and gender—called the Kona Standard or 70.3 Standard—which represents the top 20% of finishers at World Championships over the last five years.
It’s no longer just about who finishes ahead of you on the day. It’s about how fast your race was compared to the global standard for your age group.
- IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Age Grading Table
| IRONMAN 70.3 Standard | ||
| Age Group | Men | Women |
| 18-24 | 1.000 | 0.9921 |
| 25-29 | 0.9929 | 1.0000 |
| 30-34 | 0.9655 | 0.9828 |
| 35-39 | 0.9500 | 0.9658 |
| 40-44 | 0.9262 | 0.9426 |
| 45-49 | 0.8978 | 0.9192 |
| 50-54 | 0.8833 | 0.9016 |
| 55-59 | 0.8565 | 0.8746 |
| 60-64 | 0.8192 | 0.8391 |
| 65-69 | 0.7640 | 0.7775 |
| 70-74 | 0.7119 | 0.7348 |
| 75-79 | 0.6419 | 0.6234 |
| 80-84 | 0.5095 | TBD* |
| 85-89 | 0.5402 | TBD* |
*Note: the Women 80-84 and 85-89 age groups are TBD because, over the past 5 years of racing the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, there have not been any finishers in these age groups. The IRONMAN 70.3 Standard will be updated when we have finishers in these age groups.
IRONMAN World Championship Normalized Age Grading Table
| Kona Standard | ||
| Age Group | Men | Women |
| 18-24 | 0.9698 | 0.8567 |
| 25-29 | 0.9921 | 0.8961 |
| 30-34 | 1.0000 | 0.8977 |
| 35-39 | 0.9895 | 0.8866 |
| 40-44 | 0.9683 | 0.8707 |
| 45-49 | 0.9401 | 0.8501 |
| 50-54 | 0.9002 | 0.8125 |
| 55-59 | 0.8667 | 0.7778 |
| 60-64 | 0.8262 | 0.7218 |
| 65-69 | 0.7552 | 0.6828 |
| 70-74 | 0.6876 | 0.6439 |
| 75-79 | 0.6768 | 0.5521 |
| 80-84 | 0.5555 | TBD* |
| 85-89 | 0.5416 | TBD* |
*Note: the Women 80-84 and 85-89 age groups are TBD because, over the past 5 years of racing the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, there have not been any finishers in these age groups. The Kona Standard will be updated when we have finishers in these age groups.
Age-Graded Time in Action
Here’s an example:
- A 42-year-old woman finishes an Ironman in 9:19:51. Her age-graded multiplier is 0.8707, giving her an adjusted time of 8:07:26.
- A 43-year-old man finishes in 8:50:31. His multiplier is 0.9683, for an adjusted time of 8:33:42.
Even though he had the faster raw time, her age-graded performance was stronger—and that’s what counts.
| Finish Time | Kona Standard | Age-Graded Finish Time | |
| Anne F40-44 | 9:19:51 | 0.8707 | 8:07:26 |
| John M40-44 | 8:50:31 | 0.9683 | 8:33:42 |
It’s a system built to compare athletes fairly across categories. It removes the luck of how big your age group is, or whether a Kona slot happens to roll down far enough. Now, the fastest and fittest performances rise to the top.
How This Changes Race Strategy
From a coaching perspective, this is huge. We can now:
✔️ Help athletes identify their target finish time based on their Kona or 70.3 Standard
✔️ Tailor a training plan that develops the power, endurance, and race execution needed to meet it
✔️ Strategically pick races that suit the athlete’s strengths—flat vs. hilly, hot vs. cool, wetsuit-legal or not
✔️ Run age-graded performance simulations to track progress and adapt the plan
✔️ Remove the guesswork that used to come with chasing podiums or hoping for a roll-down
This system rewards smart, consistent training and solid execution on race day—not just luck or timing.
Is This a Good Change?
I think that depends on where you’re coming from.
If you’ve been around the sport a while, you probably feel nostalgic for the drama of roll-down ceremonies and head-to-head battles in your age group. If you’re new to the game, this new system gives you clarity, fairness, and a clear target to aim for.
What I can say for sure is this: this change makes coaching more valuable than ever.
Instead of training with a vague hope of qualifying, we now know exactly what performance you need. That means no wasted sessions, no guessing, and no racing blind. It allows us to get laser-focused on building the right plan for you—whether that’s shaving minutes off your finish time, getting through transitions without panic, or navigating your first 70.3 with confidence.
Ready to See Where You Stand?
If you’re chasing a personal best, dreaming of Kona, or simply want to feel prepared for your first long-course race, I’d love to help you get there.
I offer free coaching consultations with no pressure and no obligation. We’ll talk about your goals, your training time, your fitness level, and where you want to go. Then I’ll show you how I can build a plan that fits your life and moves you closer to your goals.
Triathlon doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It just has to be personal.
Click the link in bio to book your free consult.