If you want to race with the best, you better train like the best — and that'll cost you.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, more than 2,000 triathletes will participate in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. There they'll have up to 17 hours to complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

The upfront entry fee to compete at this race is $890 — and that's assuming you've qualified by placing among the best in your age group at a previous Ironman. You can also punch your ticket to this event if you've completed at least 12 Ironman races or if you've won a slot through a charitable eBay auction.

Kona-bound athletes say they've invested thousands of training hours and a small fortune over the years to get to the 2016 world championship.

"Just being involved in the sport, you don't need the fanciest bike," said Joe Abunassar, a professional basketball trainer at Impact Basketball in Los Angeles and a 15-time Ironman. "But you do need certain things to be able to train, and it's a time commitment."

Leading up to the Ironman World Championship, Abunassar has spent up to 28 hours per week training, he said. Six-hour-long bike rides are the norm as race day draws near.

Expect to spend the most time and money on your carbon horse. A triathlon bike can start at $2,000 and run up to $10,000, based on your ride's components — namely, the drive train and gear shifters. Electronic shifters, which Abunassar uses, can cost more than $2,000.

"There's value to having better components," he said. "The weight makes a difference, too; weight is important if you do a lot of climbing."

Anticipate having a special set of wheels for race day.

Jordan Blanco, a San Francisco-based former investment banker and Kona 2016 competitor, said that racing wheels can cost up to $3,000.

Elite triathletes are also data junkies, so they'll add on a power meter that can cost up to $1,500 to measure their output on a ride.

The swimming and running components have their costs as well, but those disciplines are less dependent on high-end gear. You'll need goggles and comfortable sneakers.

Blanco is a sponsored athlete, so she was able to pick up her triathlon suit from Betty Designs, an apparel manufacturer, free of charge. You might pay $200 for a similar "tri kit," which you wear throughout the entire race.

Athletes competing at Kona do not wear wet suits, as the swim in Kailua Bay is a tepid 79 degrees, but the newest models cost upward of $300.