It is Ironman time again

If you are coming to Kona in October, you are in for an unique experience. On October 10, the annual Ironman World Championship Triathlon will be held in Kona. If you have watched it on television in December, it is actually held in October. The inaugural "Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon" was conceptualized in 1977 as a way to challenge athletes who had seen success at endurance swim, running and biathlon events. Honolulu-based Navy couple Judy and John Collins proposed combining the three toughest endurance races in Hawai’i—the 2.4-mile Waikiki Roughwater Swim, 112 miles of the Around-Oʻahu Bike Race and the 26.2-mile Honolulu Marathon—into one event. On February 18, 1978, 15 people came to Waikiki to take on the Ironman challenge. Prior to racing, each received three sheets of paper with a few rules and a course description. The last page read: "Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!" In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikiki to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Along the Kona Coast, black lava rock dominates the panorama, and athletes battle the crosswinds of 45 mph, 95 degree temperatures and a scorching sun.

This year will be the beginning of a new era in the Ironman for two reasons. First the Ironman Corporation has been purchased by a Chinese conglomerate. While they say it will have no effect on the Championship being held in Kona, only time will tell. Secondly, the person who ran the Kona Championship for years has passed away. So, not only has the ownership changed but the organizers are different.

Already athletes are beginning to arrive in Kona to practice in this unique environment. If you are in the area between now and the race be aware of runners and bicyclists on the roads, who are not always aware of the Hawaiian rules of the road. In excess of 2,000 athletes from all over the world will eventually be in Kona for this race. If you are planning to come to Kona at that time be aware that rental cars will be in short supply as will be accommodations and both must be booked far ahead.

The race begins early in the morning with the 2.4 mile swim in Kailua Bay, the start of which is pure chaos. The contestants are in the water and at the sound of a cannon, the professional athletes start the swim followed shortly thereafter by another cannon shot sending the amateurs on their way. Can you imagine hundreds of people thrashing around the bay for 2.4 miles? After coming out of the water, they rinse off and then find their bike on the pier and ride for 112 miles all the way up to Hāwī and back. The participants then get off their bike and proceed to run a 26.2 mile marathon. The winners usually finish the race in less than 8 ½ hours.  As you might imagine, at the finish, every entrant is immediately taken to the medical tent for observation and treatment. It is truly painful to see these contestants walking through town the following day.

Volunteers are the heart of the race and enable it to be held every year at a lower cost. We have served our time as host and recyclers at the awards banquet on the following day as well as helped out at the bike to run transition. The local population is somewhat torn between those who volunteer every year and those who hunker down in their homes or flee the area on that day. Some of the money raised is donated to local charities to thank all the volunteers.