Ironman Kona: Taylor Knibb wins world title with pass in final mile
Taylor Knibb won the 2026 Ironman World Championship in Kona after overtaking Solveig Løvseth in the final mile of the race. Vincent Luis secured the men's title in his debut and final professional Ironman race.
Why it matters
The Ironman World Championship is the pinnacle of endurance sports, and Knibb's victory marks a significant milestone for American triathletes.
Taylor Knibb overtook a struggling Solveig Løvseth in the last mile of the 140.6-mile Ironman World Championship to become the second American to win in Kona in 24 years.
Knibb, a two-time Olympic mixed-gender triathlon relay silver medalist, passed the defending champion Løvseth of Norway with seven tenths of a mile left on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Knibb became the second American woman or man to win in Kona in 24 years after Chelsea Sodaro in 2022. She’s also the first American to pair an Olympic medal with a Kona title.
2026 Ironman Kona World Championship Results Ironman Kona World Championship results from Oct. 10, 2026. Nick Zaccardi , Nick Zaccardi , Løvseth had passed Knibb with just under five miles left of the 26.2-mile marathon run, following a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in