History of the Ironman

IN SPORTS, when we talk about the Ironman, we don’t mean one of Marvel’s super heroes, but what is known as the world’s toughest endurance race.

Today, the Ironman is a long distance triathlon being promoted and licensed by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). It is a race that features a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike and end with a 26.2 mile run.

The Ironman 70.3, on the other hand, otherwise known as the Half Ironman, is one of a series of middle-distance triathlon races also of the WTC. As its name suggests, athletes in this race will negotiate half the distance of all three segments found in the Ironman Triathlon. It is the qualifier for the Ironman World Championship held annually in Kona, Hawaii.

HISTORY

The Ironman actually dates back to a lively debate in the 1970s in Hawaii among members of the Mid-Pacific Road Runners and the Waikiki Swim Club, on who is more fit—the runners or the swimmers.

During the awarding of the 1977 Oahu perimeter relay, one of the participants—U.S. Navy Commander John Collins told groups of athletes that perhaps the cyclists were more fit than anyone pointing out a Sports Illustrated magazine report which said that Eddy Merckx, the great Belgian cyclist, had the highest recorded “oxygen uptake” of any athlete ever measured.

As the conversation continued, an idea was starting to form in Collins’ head of combining the three toughest endurance races of the island into one race: the 2.4 miles Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the 115 miles Around-Oahu Bike Race and the 26.219 miles Honolulu Marathon. In Collins own words “the gun will go off about 7 a.m., the clock will keep running and whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman.”

The first Ironman was held on Feb. 18, 1978 with 15 participants including Collins. Of the 15, 12 finished the race with Gordon Haller, a US Navy communications specialist, finishing first in 11 hours, 46 minutes, 58 seconds.

The next year, San Diego’s Tom Warren won that race in 11:15:56, while Lyn Lemaire, a champion cyclist from Boston, became the first “Ironwoman.”

DRAMA, COURAGE

It was this edition that brought the tough race a wider recognition. Sports Illustrated journalist Barry McDermott’s 10-page account of the Ironman sparked hundreds of curious participants to inquire about the race. ABC Sports also jumped in, wanting to cover the 1980 edition. But it was in 1982 that the Ironman really made an impact.

ABC’s telecast of San Diego college student Julie Moss’ crawling to the finish line with a little more than 20 yards to go not only won the hearts of millions of people who later saw her courageous finish on television but it also ingrained the Ironman in the memories of millions as well.

Over time, the Ironman in Kona became the Ironman World Championships. To keep the race field manageable, a qualifying system was set up. There are three ways to gain entry — earning a qualifying slot at one of the qualifying events held worldwide, by being selected in the Ironman Lottery Program or by winning a slot through the Ironman’s charitable eBay Auction.