(BIVN) – The Ironman Triathlon World Championship reaches the 40 year mark this Saturday. The 2.4 mile swim in Kailua Bay, 112-mile bike ride along Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway to Hawi and back, and 26.2-mile marathon will test the strength and endurance of all participants, while showcasing the rugged beauty of West Hawaiʻi.

Sherry Bracken recently interviewed Diana Bertsch, Ironman’s Vice President for World Championships, for the Island Issues radio program on KKOA. Bertsch talked about the new title sponsor, online retail giant Amazon, as well as the new course route for the marathon portion of the event.

Bertsch told Bracken that 2,550 athletes will be participating in the 2018 race, which brings over 30,000 people to Kona. Bertsch also indicated that the event owners, Chinese company Dalian Wanda, have no plans to move the Ironman Championship out of Kona.