The Ironman Triathlon is a triathlon event performed over the following distances:
3.85 km / 2.393 mi swim 180 km / 111.871 mi bike 42.195 km / 26.224 mi runThe original, and premier version of this competition is held annually in its original location on the Kona coast of Hawaii's "Big Island".
In addition to the Hawaiian event, Ironman Triathlons are held throughout the world, many of which allow athletes to qualify for "Ironman Triathlon World Championships" in Kailua-Kona.
In 2002 there were sixteen Ironman races throughout the world. These included races such as Ironman Canada (held at Penticton, British Columbia), Ironman Australia (held at Forster-Tuncurry in New South Wales), Ironman New Zealand (held at Lake Taupo), Ironman Lanzarote (held in the Canary Islands in Spain), Ironman Germany (held near Frankfurt), Ironman Austria (held in Klagenfurt) as well as races in Korea, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, Brazil and three other locations in the United States.
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In 1978 three US Marine soldiers stationed in Hawaii participated in a running race. During the awards ceremony they discussed which athlete would be more fit. One of the Marines, Navy Commander John Collins, suggests that it should be settled through a combination race between three existing competitions: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (3.85 km), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (180 km, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (42.195 km). Collins came up with the title "Ironman" to apply to the one finishing first. Of the fifteen men to start off the in early morning on February 18th, 1978, twelve completed the race and the world's first Ironman, Gordon Haller, completed in 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 58 seconds.
With no further marketing efforts, the race gathered as many as fifty athletes the following year. The race, however, was postponed a day because of bad weather conditions--only fifteen competitors started off the race Sunday morning. San Diego's Tom Warren, age thirty-five, won in 11 hours, 15 minutes, and 56 seconds. Lyn Lemaire, a championship cyclist from Boston, placed sixth overall and became the first "Ironwoman."
Collins planned on changing the race into a relay event to draw more participants, but Sports Illustrated's journalist Barry McDermott, in the area to cover a golf tournament, discovered the race and wrote a ten-page account of it. During the following year hundreds of curious participants contacted Collins.
History
The Ironman was the first major competition of its kind. Today
The Ironman format remains unchanged and is still regarded the top triathlon event worldwide. For the 25th anniversary on October 18, 2003, nearly 1500 athletes have been enlisted, many of which had to go through qualification competitions (and some through a lottery).
