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The broadcaster and former racing driver will bid to conquer the pinnacle race of the triathlon landscape in October – with dreams of setting an IRONMAN World Championship record time for a double leg amputee firmly in his sights.
Billy Monger to take on an epic challenge for Comic Relief that will see him summon all of his strength and determination as he swims, cycles and runs 140.6 miles in Kailua-Kona’s soaring temperatures, open waters and barren lava fields, in a bid to cross the finish line in record time and raise vital funds for Comic Relief funded projects.
Billy is seeking to break the current IRONMAN World Championship record time for a double leg amputee athlete and aiming to become the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the course on prostetic legs
Billy’s first Comic Relief challenge back in 2021 inspired the nation, with his incredible journey – that saw him walk, kayak and cycle across England – raising over £3 million
As Comic Relief prepares to mark its 40th year, Billy is back to face a monumental challenge, taking on the world’s most iconic single day endurance event
Money raised will help vital Comic Relief funded projects provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges here in the UK and across the world. From giving children and young people the best start in life, to providing a safe place when someone needs it most, to helping families meet their basic needs.
Billy's journey will also be filmed as part of a documentary, airing on BBC One and iPlayer
Follow Billy’s journey and support him at www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge(opens in new window)
Wednesday 24 July: Broadcaster and former racing driver Billy Monger is returning to take on his biggest ever challenge for Comic Relief as he aims to break the IRONMAN World Championship record time for a double leg amputee and become the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the course.
The ultimate test of mind, body and spirit will see the sports star and TV personality take on a 140.6-mile course in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in October to raise money for Comic Relief. Requiring all of his strength and determination, Billy’s hardest ever challenge will include a 2.4-mile swim in the unfamiliar waters of the Pacific; a 112-mile cycle including sustained climbs in exposed terrains and strong crosswinds; and a 26.2-mile run across barren lava fields in intense humidity.
As if this wasn’t enough, all athletes are required to finish the 140.6 mile course in 17 hours, meaning that Billy must complete each discipline within strict cut-off times if he is to become the youngest and only the third ever double leg amputee to complete the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon. Failure to do so will see him pulled from the course altogether before finishing. No second chances. No special treatment. No guarantees.
Not content with aiming to finish, Billy – who has an insatiable appetite for breaking records – is also aiming to set a new IRONMAN World Championship record time for a double leg amputee on prosthetic legs, by completing the event in under 16 hours, 26 minutes and 59 seconds.
Preparation for the IRONMAN World Championship has been relentless and unforgiving. Once on the start line in Kailua-Kona, Billy will have completed 12 months of intensive training. Billy has had to master skills in every discipline – battling currents in open water; clamping into magnetic bike pedals to enable independent cycling; and adjusting to new running blades to see him through longer distances than he’d ever run before.
Every step of the journey so far has involved huge support including adjustments by prosthetists, ongoing guidance from nutrition experts, fine-tuning from discipline-specific coaches, and of course, the ever-present critical support of his family.
Billy Monger said: “There’s no doubt about it that this is going to push me to my physical and mental breaking points. I’ve never run a marathon before, I’ve never cycled for 7-8 hours in a row, or swam 4km in the ocean. Add the heat and humidity of Hawaii to it all and there’s just so many factors to deal with – I know this is going to take every single bit of effort that I’ve got in me to get it done.
“Even though my first challenge was so hard – it was grueling and took so much out of me – I just loved being a part of something that I knew was going to make such a difference. It’s what Comic Relief is all about and it’s why I’m back for more. I was lucky to meet people from projects supported by Comic Relief at the time, which was such an inspiration when you’re able to see how donations really do change people's lives for the better. With every mile I cover, I’m hoping to raise as much as I can for those who need it most. To everyone supporting me and cheering me on, I’m so grateful. It really does mean the world."
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Billy back to take on his second challenge for Comic Relief. Three years on from seeing him grip the nation with his unshakeable determination, he’s once again going above and beyond to help raise life changing funds for people fighting poverty and injustice here in the UK and around the world. Billy’s commitment embodies the true spirit of Comic Relief. There’s no doubt this is one of our toughest ever challenges, but if there’s anyone I’d back to see it through, its Billy."
No stranger to Comic Relief, Billy’s Big Red Nose Day challenge in 2021 saw the sports star raise an incredible £3million for Comic Relief when he walked, cycled and kayaked across England in four days. It came just four years on from suffering life-changing injuries in a near-fatal race crash that led to the amputation of his legs, aged 17. Driven by sheer determination and the unwavering support of loved ones, Billy was back behind the wheel within a year and has been unstoppable since in his pursuit of pushing boundaries in the world of sport.
As Comic Relief prepares to celebrate its 40th year, Billy is returning and going all in, having been blown away by the public support during his first challenge and seeing first-hand the difference donations can make to people’s lives.
Money raised by Billy as he takes on this monumental task will help vital Comic Relief funded projects provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges, here in the UK and across the world. From giving children and young people the best start in life, to providing a safe place when someone needs it most, to helping families meet their basic needs.
To follow the Billy Monger’s epic journey, and to support him along the way, visit www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge(opens in new window)
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners.
For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com or follow @comicrelief on X(opens in new window) (formerly Twitter), Facebook(opens in new window), Instagram(opens in new window), LinkedIn(opens in new window) and TikTok(opens in new window) for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
About Billy Monger
Few people embody triumph over adversity as much as Billy Monger.
A promising young racing driver, Billy Monger was critically injured in a high speed collision while racing in Formula 4 which left him with both legs amputated. Despite the severity of the injuries, Billy Whizz, as he is nicknamed, refused to give up on his racing career, lobbying motorsport’s governing body to allow both disabled and non-disabled drivers to race along- side each other.
On his return to racing he went on to score podiums in British F3 and win the famous Pau Grand Prix in European F3 and is currently still setting his sights on achieving his dream of racing in Formula 1.
Billy’s incredible return to motorsport after his tragic accident that left him with both legs amputated was a huge moment across the world of sport. But his dedication, irrepressible self-belief and determination, in the face of unimaginable adversity, to get back behind the wheel of a racing car has shown him to be an inspiration to all athletes, disabled and non-disabled alike.
He won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and had a BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary made about his incredible return to racing. In 2021 he completed a challenge for Comic Relief raising over £3million for charity. He is currently a presenter and pundit for Channel 4's coverage of the Formula One and Paralympics and Formula E on TNT.
About the IRONMAN World Championship
Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship® triathlon has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona in 2022 and for the first time took place as a two-day event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race continued with the two-day format but with two different host locations and dates (Nice, France in September and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i in October), to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. The cumulative event hosted over 4,000 athletes embarking on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. In 2024, the women will rotate to Nice, France while the men return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for their respective world championship host locations. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship(opens in new window).
About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group(opens in new window).
