The inaugural KONA™ race was conceptualized in 1978 as a way to challenge athletes who had seen success at endurance swim, cycling, and running events. Honolulu-based Navy couple Judy and John Collins proposed combining the three toughest endurance races in Hawai’i—the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112 miles of the Around-O’ahu Bike Race and the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon—into one event.