Ben Kanute is All In For Kona. So is His Ride

Ben Kanute is no stranger to the podium at IRONMAN World Championship races – he’s taken second at the 70.3 worlds a couple of times (2017 and 2022). The 2016 American Olympian moved to full-distance racing in 2022, beginning with a third-place finish at IRONMAN Arizona, then duplicating that position at Challenge Roth the following year.

Kanute made his Kona debut in 2024, learning the hard way about the challenges of racing on the Big Island and finishing 31st, one spot ahead of Lionel Sanders. His 2026 season appears to have been geared towards Saturday’s race, beginning with a runner-up finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas along with eighth in Oceanside before taking on the stacked IRONMAN Texas field. Kanute had a solid day there, finishing in 7:38:06 and 14th.

The true sense of the build came in Lake Placid, though, where Kanute posted his fastest-ever full-distance marathon (2:43), which was even more impressive considering the tough Lake Placid run course.

Kanute is typically amongst the front group in virtually any race he enters, and there’s no reason to expect that won’t be the case again here in Kona.

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