1978
During the awards ceremony for a Hawaii running race, a debate ensues among competitors about who is more fit – swimmers, runners or other athletes. One of the participants, Navy Commander John Collins and his wife Judy, dream up a race to settle the argument. They propose combining three existing races together, to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles).
“Whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman,” says Collins. Fifteen men participate in the initial event held on February 18; 12 complete the race, led by the first Ironman, Gordon Haller. His winning time: 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds.
Triathlete competing in Ironman Event
These days, competing in an Ironman event is regarded as the pinnacle for any aspiring triathlete. Having competed in 3 Ironman events myself, I have an appreciation for the effort and sacrifice an athlete endures during the months of preparation. Making the decision to enter Ironman requires some careful consideration. Even as an amateur it’s a full time commitment and family and work commitments cannot be ignored.
The problem with Ironman is that it’s addictive! Do one and see for yourself…afterwards you’ll spend hours contemplating and scheming how you can shave off a few seconds here, or perhaps a few minutes there…perhaps train smarter, or maybe the wind won’t be such a factor next time, or…next thing you know you’ve entered another!
In the days that lead up to the event, worrying about the logistics of getting your bike to and from the race is the last thing an athlete should concern him/herself with. Redline has been offering a safe and secure logistics solution to this problem for the past 10 years.
In association with Troisport and the Chapman Hotel, Redline will see to it that your bike is transported and cared for with “kid gloves”, to and from the race.
Visit our website for details at www.redlinelogistics.co.za.
Good luck to all the guys and girls who have jumped on board to do Ironman SA 2012. We wish you many hours of safe and injury free training. See you in April…
Ironman Competitor in Action
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