Ahh yes. The Ironman. The toughest one day event in world. It’s lure has grown to the point that has been inserted into everyday conversation. If someone endures in any facet of life, they are often referred to as an “Ironman”. Timex has made a fortune on their watch by the same name. It all started in a bar back in the late 70′s. An argument began over who the fittest athletes were. Naval Officer John Collins suggested settling the argument by combining the Wikiki Rough Water Swim with the Round the Island Bike Race. If they knocked 3 miles off of the ride it would put them at the start of the Honolulu Marathon. The Ironman was born. After a couple of years the race grew too big for its urban location, so the event was moved to the big island.
The course is the stuff of legend. It’s a open water swim in the Pacific Ocean. The bike takes you north up the island across the lava fields and through some of the toughest winds anywhere, which have reached upwards of 60 mph and have blown people right off their bike. The run starts along the coast and then moves back out into the heat and isolation of the black lava fields. The suffering ends back where you started at Kailua Bay for the finish down Alii Drive. Read More
