In a nutshell, it's a triathlon gone mad and, arguably, the world's toughest one-day endurance event (more people complete marathons each year than have ever completed an Ironman). Most significantly, it blows away just about any other race or challenge in terms of the dedication, training and preperation required just to survive, not to mention excel.
In 1977, a group of elite US servicemen (all amazing athletes) in Hawaii were discussing which sportspeople were the fittest overall. To settle the argument, Commander John Collins suggested a 'super triathlon' that combined Hawaii's biggest three endurance races: the 3.8km Waikiki Roughwwater Swim, the 185km Around Oahu Bike Race, and the Honolulu Marathon.
"Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life," said Collins.
Today, there are many Ironman (and popular Half Ironman) races across the globe, although Kona, Hawaii, remains the venue for the Ironman World Championship, which every triathlete - amateur or pro - dreams of one day qualifying for.
Regardless of where it's help, every Ironman race consists of:
- A 3.8km open water sea swim (or, if you prefer, 150 lengths of your local swimming pool but facing currents and without the option of resting at either end);
- A 180km bike (or London to Birmingham);
- A full 26.2 mile marathon.
This is done back-to-back and the clock keeps ticking as you transition between one discipline and the next, plus there's a 17 hour time limit. Come in on 17.01 and you've failed.
A famous triathlete recently described her first Ironman experience as a mix between "pregnancy, childbirth, a death march and a very, very dark place."
