After premiering on Outside Watch on December 30, 2023, the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN® World Championship documentary special is now available globally on IRONMAN’s YouTube channel. The annual IRONMAN World Championship special chronicles triathlon’s pinnacle event, which for the first time in the iconic event’s 45-year history, was hosted in two separate locations when the men raced in Nice, France on Sept. 10 and the women raced in Kona, Hawai`i on Oct. 14.
Thousands of athletes from around the world crossed their finish lines in Nice and Kona, ushering in a new era of the IRONMAN World Championship. The long-form documentary is now available for free as a five part special on IRONMAN’s YouTube Channel – EP 1: The World Stage, EP 2: The Swim, EP 3: The Bike, EP 4: The Run and EP 5: The Finish Line. In culmination, the documentary special delves into the vibrant history and evolution of this iconic endurance event while also showcasing the profiles of amazing athletes that have made this annual documentary such a traditionally inspirational watch for triathletes and sports fans around the world.
Since its inception in 1978, the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon has demonstrated not only the unrivalled physical ability and enduring drive of the top endurance athletes in the world, but also some of the most inspirational and impactful stories of perseverance and resilience from the age-group athletes and everyday individuals who compete alongside them.
Below is a look at the feature stories for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship documentary special:
- Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) chases a title that has long eluded her following four previous second-place finishes at Triathlon’s pinnacle event
- Sam Laidlow (FRA) looks to improve on his runner-up performance in the 2022 edition to become the youngest winner of the IRONMAN World Championship in the event’s 40+ year history while also giving France its first world title
- Els Visser (NLD), who survived a shipwreck and went on to become a professional triathlete and two-time IRONMAN champion, looks to stamp her name at the first-ever women’s-only IRONMAN World Championship
- Cam Wurf (AUS), a seasoned professional who balances a multisport calendar split between IRONMAN racing and professional cycling with Team INEOS Grenadiers, sets ambitious goals in an effort to earn his first IRONMAN World Championship title in Nice, France
- Nadine Hunt (AUS) looks to become the first Indigenous Australian woman to compete at and finish the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawai`i
- After traveling the world, working his way through the kitchens of Gordon Ramsay and Daniel Boulud for a decade before winning the first season of “Top Chef Canada,” Dale Mackey (CAN) looks to finish the prestigious IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, France
- Cyril Del Pistoia (FRA) was diagnosed with a severe case of acute leukemia in 2012 and was given a very low chance of survival. Cyril traveled to his birthplace of Nice, France in September to take on the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon to prove that Anything is Possible
- Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Sara Whittingham (USA) who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 47, races to raise awareness and inspire others battling the disease and to show what is possible for people with Parkinson’s with a commitment to consistent exercise
The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship documentary was captured utilizing 12 handheld cameras and two underwater cameras. Providing the aerial coverage were five drones, and two helicopters. All of the 20+ cameras captured the magic of the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon to provide viewers with a front row seat to triathlon’s pinnacle event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship Documentary was filmed and produced by The IRONMAN Group Productions team.
Since the first IRONMAN World Championship documentary special in 1991, the show has earned 54 Sports Emmy nominations and 16 Sports Emmy Award wins.
