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Triathlons - The
Challenge
What is Ironman triathlon?
Ironman History
Ironman Worldwide
The Races
What is Ironman triathlon?
Ironman
triathlon is one of the most grueling events in the world of
sport, and also one of the most inspiring. Ironman triathlon
features a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a complete
marathon (26.2 miles) all in succession. Athletes have 17
hours to complete the event (from the 7 a.m. start until
midnight).
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Ironman History
Ironman
triathlon had the humblest of beginnings, as a bunch of Navy
Seals, stationed in Hawaii were discussing who were the
fittest athletes in the world. Were swimmers, cyclists or
runners the fittest?
Navy commander
John Collins decided there was only one way to find out and
that was to do all three at once.
So on Feb. 18,
1978 15 competitors decided to put themselves to the test by
swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles.
"Whoever finishes first will be call the Ironman." Collins
said.
And thus,
Ironman triathlon was born.
Twenty years
later, Collins returned to Hawaii to race for the 20th
anniversary of the event, and what he saw was close to 1,500
racers ready to tackle a race he had started with less than
20 people only two decades before.
Since those
humble beginnings the sport of Ironman has developed into an
international phenomenon. With 15 sanctioned races
worldwide, Ironman touches all corners of the globe and has
races on all of the continents of the world except
Antarctica.
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Ironman Worldwide
With 15 races
worldwide more than 20,000 athletes competed in Ironman
events in 2000. More than 6,000 athletes competed in the
four Ironman North America events held in 2000. The growth
of Ironman has been exponential in nature. As recently as
August of 1998 there was one Ironman event in all of North
America, and none at all in the United States. Now there are
five in continental North America and four in the U.S.
Worldwide the
growth has been much the same as Ironman has grown from
eight races in 1998 to 17 in 2002.
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The Races - Here is a brief breakdown of
the Ironman North America races:
Subaru Ironman Canada - Held in
Penticton, British Columbia, Ironman Canada is the oldest
Ironman race to be held in continental North America. Held
for the 18th time in 2000, Subaru Ironman Canada featured
the largest single-wave swim start in Ironman history (1,785
athletes).
Ironman Canada
also is perhaps the most popular Ironman race in history, as
the 2000 event filled in A SINGLE DAY, forcing Ironman North
America to go to a lottery system for the 2001 event.
Penticton is a
city of 30,000 and is regarded as one of the most
athlete-friendly sites in the world. Known throughout the
world as the "Iron Army", the 4,500 Ironman volunteers in
Penticton provide support for one of the most exciting races
in the world.
Ironman World
Champions Lori Bowden and Peter Reid, who also happen to
husband and wife, claimed the 2000 Subaru Ironman titles.
Ironman USA Lake Placid - The first
Ironman race added in the continental United States, Ironman
USA Lake Placid, utilizes the beauty of the Olympic region
and the surrounding Adirondack Mountains.
A tiny village
of 3,000, Lake Placid has played host to a pair of Winter
Olympic Games (1932 and 1980) and a host of other
international competitions, and is well-known as a tourist
destination.
Despite only
having hosted an Ironman event for two years, Lake Placid is
quickly joining Penticton as one of the top triathlon
destinations around the world. Lake Placid played host to
the 2001 and 2002 USA Triathlon National Qualifiers. More
than 3,000 athletes will compete in the sport of triathlon
in the Lake Placid region in 2001.
American Cameron
Widoff (Boulder, Colo.) and Canadian Melissa Spooner claimed
the 2000 Isuzu Ironman USA Lake Placid titles.
Ironman Florida - The Ironman
Florida triathlon, held in Panama City Beach, Fla. each
November, is the first qualifier for the Ironman World
Championship for the following year.
Ironman Florida
is well known in the triathlon community as an age-group
race, and as a great race for first-time Ironman triathletes.
Utilizing the
stunning beaches of Panama City Beach, Ironman Florida
offers a great opportunity for athletes to get "their feet
wet" in Ironman events, and also provides a last competition
before the winter season sets in.
Panama City
provides a great volunteer network, as the community has
played host to the Gulf Coast Triathlon in May for the past
15 + years.
Germany's Lothar
Leder and Katja Mayer claimed the 1999 titles at the
inaugural Isuzu Ironman Florida event.
Ironman Wisconsin - One of
three new Ironman North America events in 2002, the
inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon will take place in
Madison, Wisc. on Sept. 15, 2002.
Ironman Utah - The second of the trio
is Ironman Utah. It took place in Provo on June 8, 2002.
California Half Ironman - The third and newest
Ironman North America event, the Ralph's California Half
Ironman took place in Oceanside, California on May 19, 2002.
It was the first Ironman North America event of the 2002
season.
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