The 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship was held on October 11, 2008 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
It was the 32nd such Ironman Triathlon World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978.
[2] A maximum temperature of 81.6 °F (27.6 °C) made for warm racing conditions with wind gusts reaching 13.0 mph (20.9 km/h).
To enter for the 2008 World Championship race, athletes were required to qualify through performance at an Ironman or selected Ironman 70.3 race, through Hawaii residency, through a random allocation lottery, or by invitation from the WTC.
The series started with Ironman Wisconsin 2007 held on September 9, 2007, and in total 1,800 athletes qualified for the World Championship race.