If you have been around any sort of triathlon group or watched enough sports than you have probably heard of an Ironman. Completing this race gives you bragging rights for the rest of your life. This race will test who you are at every level. The following is a brief introduction about what is required in order to complete one.
The full Ironman distances is a combination of three different grueling forms of transportation (swim, bike, run) that must be completed without the competitor taking a break. The swim portion is the first stage and it includes an official 2.4 miles (3.86 kilometer) swim. Each person must then climb out of the water and immediately mount a bike and ride it for 112 miles or 180.25 kilometers. The final stage of an iron man competition is a full marathon of 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometers.
Not only are the distances set, there are allowable times for the entrants to complete each stage of the race. The overall allowed time to complete this three-phase endurance race is 17 hours. It generally starts at 7am and ends at midnight of that same day.
The swim phase allowed time is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Competitors must finish the swim portion within this time. If they are not out of the water by then, they are dropped from the competition and not allowed to continue.
The bike ride must be completed in 8 hours and 10 minutes. Again the same thing can happen to a competitor that does not meet the time restriction of being disqualified and not allowed to continue.
The final stage is a marathon run in its full distance. This must be accomplished in 6 hours and 30 minutes. At midnight the race is over and competitors must stop where they are. No one is allowed to cross the finish line after this time.
To give you a little history, the Ironman competition was originally a 2-day event in Hawaii but this was changed in 1978. It was changed to accommodate the course so the bike race would end at the starting point of the marathon. The bike-riding phase was also shortened from the original 115 miles to 112 miles. The first recorded time was in 1978 when a US Navy Officer completed the course in 11 hours 46 minutes and 58 seconds. This made Gordon Haller the very first Ironman. There were 15 competitors that began the race but only 12 were able to finish it completely.
The present world record for the full Ironman competition is 8 hours, 4 minutes and 8 seconds set by Luc Van Lierde. The woman’s record holder is Paula Newby-Frasier with a time of 8 hours, 55 minutes and 28 seconds.
What is a Half-Ironman?
Today there are Ironman competitions around the world. To help expand the entries many events also offer a half Ironman event. This includes a 1.2 mile swim followed by a 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 miles running. Not every event that holds an Ironman competition offer the ½ course but many of them do.
If you plan to compete in one of the Ironman events you need to supply yourself along with a team to support your effort. The organizers do provide water, bananas, sports drinks and bars along with cookies. These items will help you complete the course faster and in better health.
The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) sets Ironman distances, and since 1978 they have not varied the distances.
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