The swim is like no other due to the quality of the field. Even getting in to the water is harder, there's a small entrance from the pier down and with so many good swimmers all wanting to get in and get ready you have to leave transition pretty early to ensure you have a chance to get up to the front.

On the start line there is no really good or bad place. By the pier is the optimum line so gets crowded but the shape of the pier means space opens up to the right quite quickly. Both edges get congested before the start as people go right for the best line and left to try and avoid the worst of the aggro.

From the gun just follow the toes in front - it's a massive pack and the draft can be huge. The water is clear which helps alot. There can be quite a swell, the water very salty. and there are always stories of people getting sea sick. Ensure you get some practise swims.

Exit the swim requires running up some carpeted steps, through showers, down tight lines of bags to change tents. Then you run to the far end of transition and then in to your bike. This is to make the transition fair but does make for slow transition times.

The start of the bike involves a pretty convoluted ride slightly out of town, up hill back into down, down the very steep Palani (Pay & Save) Hill, sharp left at the bottom onto Kuakini Highway where real care is required. People wipe out here every year. It's called hot corner - awesome report, Mike Reilly is on a PA system here for a lot of the race. U pass through this corner 4 times on the bike and 3 times on the run. Anyway... there's then a long pull up to a turnaround before right back up Palani and finally out onto the Queen K highway having now complete about 8 miles.

The first 30 miles along the Queen K involved a lot of rolling hills and this is through the infamous lava fields - it can be hot especially as there's no shade whatsoever and you are riding on black tarmac with black lava all around. None of the rollers are so steep u have to be out of the saddle but steep enough that u can if u want. The downhills are steep enough to spin out a 53 x 12 gear. The crowds completely thin out now with small groups at the junctions to various resorts along the North Kona shore. At about mile 40 you turn onto the 270 and the route continues to roll. It is along this section why the worst of the cross winds are often found. There are various little valleys and river beds you cross where the winds funnel down and can push you sharply across the road. The scenery becomes more lush as you continue and here there is often rain which is a welcome relief.

The final 7 miles to the turnaround are all uphill gaining about 500 feet before the dead turn and the monster descent back down. Back across all the rollers again. The return along the Queen K often is into a head wind so best to have kept a little something back or you could find yourself grinding to a halt.

Back into Kona and through Hot Corner - massive, shiver down the spine atmosphere here. Hop off the bike and run right round the whole of transition, through the narrow bag lines and into the change tent.

The first 10 miles of the run involve an out and back along Alii drive. There is relative shelter here, often a refreshing breeze as you run along by the sea and massive crowds. Care must be taken not to go out too fast with this great support. There are a few short climbs along this section and often people in front of their houses with hoses watering you down - be sure to shout no if u don't want a soaking.

At around about the 10 mile point you head up Pay and Save Hill (Palani Road) - this is a step rhythm robbing ascent but with great support so care must  be taken not to overcook it here. On the top you turn onto the Queen K and best focus on regaining your rhythm. The next 6 miles follow the Queen K, the crowds thin out more or less completely with cheers only coming at the aid stations. It's out and back here so you get to see the faster guys and gals coming back on the run and the slower ones coming in off the bike. This section is rolling, zero shade and can be very hot. Lots of people really start to suffer here. After  about 5 or 6 miles you turn into the infamous Natural energy lab - this is a 3 mile out and back loop with the middle (approx) mile flat. It has a reputation for sorting the men from the boys this is probably due to it's position in the race course (miles 17 to 20) rather than it being inherently harder than the rest of the Queen K. The mile up hill out of the energy lab is tough but knowing you're on the home stretch helps.

Back on to the Queen K for the rollers back to Palani and then down. This is steep and if you've had the onset of cramp be very careful down here as it can really kick it off. Crowd support becomes awesome and at the bottom u can almost see the pier but must turn left to loop round to come onto Alii drive, you are within the final mile now and should be really lapping up this amazing experience.