Thomas Garvey
Ex-Pro Ironman Triathlete, Dad. Marathon, Ultramarathon, Duathlon Champ
Marketer in Google’s Media Lab
Going back to Kona
It started with me trying (and failing) to impress Nikki at a local sprint tri over a decade ago. It escalated. Along the way I have finished 227 races and won 23 of them outright, from 5Ks to a 50K. Fifteen were Ironmans. I have gone sub-9 more than once, started multiple World Championships, and turned pro at 39, racing three seasons as a pro.
I have also been told to retire twice, once for iron deficiency anemia and once after a crash that broke my femur, tore my labrum and broke my shoulder. Still here. Next stop: I am going back to Kona in 2027 for the Ironman World Championship. This page is the road there.
The Road Back
2022: World Championships at St. George and Kona in the same year. My pro debut in 2023 ended with an iron deficiency anemia diagnosis and a lost season. A crash in 2024 broke my femur, tore my labrum and broke my shoulder, and took most of that season too.
The comeback: an Ironman PR in Arizona in 2025, a marathon PR and an overall win at Jim Thorpe in 2026, and a Kona slot at Ironman California. Next up: the New Year’s Day Half, the NYC Half in March, and Kona in October.
