MEDIA RELEASE

The Lance Armstrong Foundation has announced a partnership with Ironman to help raise more than $1 million for people affected by cancer.

Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, champion cyclist and the foundation’s founder and chairman, will compete as a professional athlete in several Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races including Ironman 70.3 Panama, Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Hawaii and Ironman France.

Armstrong is racing with the goal of qualifying for the Oct. 13, 2012 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, and will be competing as a member of Team Livestrong, which is adding these Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races to its endurance events series designed to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

“I am grateful to Ironman for partnering with Livestrong to raise funds and awareness for people affected by cancer,” said Armstrong. “In my career as an athlete and as a cancer advocate, I’ve learned that progress demands partnership, but it’s not without a struggle. And that’s what Team Livestrong is about – it’s about purpose; it’s about challenge and it’s about empowering survivors to fight like hell. There’s progress to be made with cancer and we invite anyone up for the challenge to join Team Livestrong.”

“At 13 years old, Lance got his start in triathlon by racing in the IronKids Series,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation. “At 16 years old, he went pro and was considered a star in our sport. At only 18, he was racing against the best triathletes in the world: Mark Allen, Dave Scott and Scott Molina. We are happy to have him return to our sport. Lance is a fierce competitor and his involvement with Ironman and Ironman 70.3 is good for triathlon.”

“Lance’s involvement at perhaps the toughest one-day event in all of sport sheds light on what surviving cancer can mean to millions around the world,” said Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion and Ironman Hall of Fame Inductee. “I remember Lance as a determined kid who channeled that competitive spirit into an amazing career as a cyclist, survivor and advocate for survivors of a horrible disease. A partnership between Livestrong and Ironman will further improve the lives of people affected by cancer. People need to realize that Lance’s foundation represents the use of sport to improve our world. There are only positive things that can come from having Lance join the Ironman family.”

“It is exciting to see Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest-ever endurance athletes, coming back to race triathlons in 2012,” said Craig Alexander, three-time Ironman World Champion and two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion.

“Lance is an exceptional athlete; he’s the type of person who wants to excel and be the best at whatever he puts his mind to,” said Chris Lieto, multiple Ironman and Ironman 70.3 champion. “I’m excited to see how his participation in our sport will draw attention to what it takes to be a triathlete and how challenging it can be. It will definitely bring triathlon more into the mainstream and I know pro athletes, including myself, will look forward to racing with him at future events.”

Team Livestrong has a limited number of entries for these events and people interested in joining Armstrong should visit: www.TeamLIVESTRONG.org

Athletes who are already registered for one of these Ironman or Ironman 70.3 events can still race as part of Team Livestrong. General entry is also still available for each of these events and can be accessed at www.ironman.com

Through this partnership, Ironman will serve as a gold-level sponsor for the Team Livestrong Challenge Series. As a sponsor, Ironman will donate four Ironman World Championship slots in 2012 and 2013 to be auctioned with proceeds going directly to Livestrong.

Livestrong is the brand of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, created in 1997 by the cancer survivor and champion cyclist to serve people living with cancer and empower communities to take action.

The foundation specializes in patient navigation services that help cancer survivors and their families overcome the insurance, financial, emotional and practical challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis. As a member of Team Livestrong, people walk, run, ride or tri in the fight against cancer in the Livestrong Challenge Series or in other major athletic events around the world.

By participating and fundraising for Team Livestrong, participants join a group of committed individuals dedicated to inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer.

To date, Team Livestrong participants have raised $82 million for Foundation programs and services.

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. The WTC portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year.

Supported by partners including Timex, PowerBar, K-Swiss and TYR, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978.

Livestrong serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world’s leading cause of death. Created as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the organization is now known publicly by its powerful brand — Livestrong — and is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today.

Originating with the iconic yellow wristband, Livestrong has become a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer around the world. Since its inception, the organization has raised $450 million for the fight against cancer.

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com
www.TeamLIVESTRONG.org
www.LIVESTRONG.org

Caroline Steffen in the women's lead on Queen Kaahumanu Highway for the 2011 Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona. Photo by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

(Kevin Mackinnon spends some time with the Swiss speedster)

Does this sound like anyone you know? She worked for the government; got into the sport from a swimming background; burst onto the scene with a podium finish in her first Ironman as a pro; quit her job to focus on the sport; started to work with Brett Sutton and has been a world-beater ever since.

OK, she might not be quite as outgoing or as well-known as Chrissie Wellington, but when it comes to racing, Caroline Steffen is the real deal.

Despite a foot injury that plagued her for the first six months of 2011, Steffen managed to win six races (including Ironman Australia, where she finished third to Chrissie Wellington and Rebekah Keat in 2009 and the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship) and put herself in a position to win in Kona before fading over the last 10 km.

After a runner-up Ironman World Championship finish in 2010, a fifth place finish might seem like a disappointment, but nothing could be further from the truth for Steffen. After struggling with the foot injury for so long, she went into Kona realizing her run training wasn’t perfect, but still went for the win. She led the race for over an hour before being passed by Wellington as the British star ran to her fourth world championship.

If Wellington chooses to make her year off from the sport a permanent retirement, Steffen might not ever have the chance to see how competitive she could be with the world champ, but she will have something to hang her hat on:

“At least I can say I was the last girl she passed in a race,” Steffen says in that awesome Swiss-English accent and with her wonderful laugh. “If she’s not coming back, I’m the last girl she had to beat.”

Over a year ago Steffen predicted that Wellington was raising the bar so high that even she would have trouble remaining ahead.

“She was the best over the last five years. All the girls wanted to beat her. I reckon that’s part of the reason she’s stopping now, because the girls are getting too close. I said that a year ago – someday there will be a girl who can beat her. She doesn’t have three legs or anything different, she’s just a really strong girl. I’m not saying that would be me, but one day there could be a girl who’s even stronger than her. Rinnie was really close this year … Chrissie had to go really hard to beat her.”

If there’s one thing Steffen could improve upon, it’s her own evaluation of her talent. In 2010, hours after she had narrowly been beaten to the finish line in Frankfurt by Sandra Wallenhorst, Steffen sat down in the bar of the Intercontinental hotel with me for a few minutes.

“So, what’s your goal for Kona?” I asked.

“I would love to stand on the stage,” she said. “Top 10 would be amazing.”

“You just forced one of the best Ironman athletes in the world to pretty much leave a lung on the side of the run course to beat you,” I said. “You better set your sites a lot higher than top 10.”

Later that year, Steffen finished second.

It turns out I’m not the first person who’s had a similar message for the 33-year-old. After meeting Australian pro David Dellow at the post-race party in Clearwater after the Ironman World Championship 70.3, Steffen ended up spending some time with him in Australia. He went to Port Macquarie to support her for that first pro Ironman race.

“After the race I was so happy,” Steffen remembers. “Chrissie won and Rebekah Keat came second and I was third. I was over the moon, I was so happy.

“You can do way more,” Dellow said. “You should be a pro.”

“I am a pro,” Steffen said.

“Maybe you have the license, but you don’t have the lifestyle,” was his come back. “There’s so much you can do. You’re still working and you can improve so many things. Why don’t you stay here in Australia and I can teach you.”

Steffen called back to Switzerland and quit her job – she had been working for the government as an engineer. A month later she returned to pack up her things and head back to Australia, explaining to her family that she was in love, and to everyone else that it was time to take a chance and pursue the athletic career she’d always dreamed of.

“This is my chance,” she told them. “It’s too late in a couple of years. I will be too old.”

Dellow became both her partner and coach initially. She approached Sutton about coaching her, but he turned her down – not once but three times. Then, in January 2010, he agreed to take her on. (Sutton now coaches Dellow, too – he joined Team TBB last year.)

“I started training with him and after one week I was so tired and emotional I was just crying all day,” she remembers. “I trained hard as a swimmer. I was on the Swiss national swim team for 10 years and I worked so hard as a cyclist (after competing successfully as an age group triathlete Steffen raced for a pro cycling team for two years), but it was completely different with Brett. I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. Every day was so big. It was all day training and moving. It took me another week and then I started to improve and realized that this was for me. I reckon Brett and I fit perfectly together.”

You think? A month after she started working with Sutton she won Ironman 70.3 Geelong. Later that year she would lead for so much of the day in Frankfurt, and then force Mirinda Carfrae to run a course record marathon in Kona to beat her there.

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that she would be in demand in Kona last October, but the ever-modest Steffen was.

“It was easy in 2010 (handling the pre-race obligations and commitments in Kona), to be honest. It was crazy last year. The pressure was all right, but all the obligations were too much. In 2010 I could walk through Kona and no one would care. I couldn’t do that in 2011.”

My guess is that it’ll be even harder in 2012. With Wellington’s hiatus, Steffen’s name suddenly becomes one to be mentioned as a potential Kona champ.

Like so many of those same contenders, Steffen would be a fantastic spokeswoman for our sport. We’ve been blessed with some pretty amazing Ironman world champions over the years – Steffen would easily fall into those shoes.

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin.mackinnon@ironma…)

MEDIA RELEASE

Four-time world champion and World Ironman Distance Record Holder, Chrissie Wellington has announced she will be taking a break from competing in Ironman during 2012 to explore other opportunities, including publication of her autobiography, “A Life Without Limits.”

Wellington, who won her fourth World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, last October and maintained her unbeaten record at Ironman distance – making it 13 victories from 13 races – made the announcement Monday, Jan. 16 in London.

“I’ve given absolutely everything to Ironman over the past five years. However, this year I’ve decided to take a break as I would like to spend more time focusing on other pursuits including dedicating more time to my chosen charities, the publication of my book and more active promotion of the sport in the UK, as well as giving myself the chance to explore and seize new opportunities within triathlon and outside,” she said.

Wellington said she believes she would not be able to pursue different goals while dedicating the energy and time needed to compete in Ironman events.

“The past five years have been absolutely incredible and I am extremely happy, proud and content with everything that I have achieved in the sport – topping it all off with the race of my life in Kona last year,” she said. “I have always seen triathlon as a part of my life, rather than the be all and end all, and am looking forward to a little more variety and balance by pursuing other interests, as well as spending more time with my family and friends.”

Wellington said she looks forward to being able to spend more time around the sport without the commitment of full time Ironman training and racing.

Ironman: Women’s season gets interesting

MEDIA RELEASE

Chrissie Wellington’s announcement that she is “taking a break from competing in Ironman during 2012 to explore other opportunities” has opened the door for some dramatic women’s racing through the 2012 season.

2010 Ironman world champion Mirinda Carfrae (the Australian runner up to Wellington in 2009 and 2011) and Kona Points Ranking leader Leanda Cave (Great Britain) now head into the 2012 season as the women to beat. Both, however, will be challenged by an unprecedented level of women’s competition.

Wellington has enjoyed an unparalleled career in the sport. She is unbeaten in all of her Ironman and full-distance events, holds the course record in Kona and also the world-best time for the full distance.

Her withdrawal from the 2010 Ironman World Championship dramatically changed the event, but also opened the door for athletes like Carfrae, Cave and Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen to gain higher profile.

Last year’s race in Kona was the closest women’s race in over a decade – due, in part, to injuries Wellington had sustained heading into the race, but also a sign of how competitive the women’s Ironman field has become.

“I didn’t grow up with childhood dreams of becoming a professional athlete, and even when I did so in 2007 I never had any aspirations of racing at, or even winning, the World Ironman Championship,” she said. “Consequently, the biggest highlight of the past five years has been the huge element of surprise. The fact that, at every step, I have somehow defied what I ever thought possible for my body and mind, to achieve. I feel so incredibly fortunate and grateful to have found a sport that I love; to have had the opportunity to make that passion my career, to have forged countless new and lasting friendships; to have experienced some of the world’s most beautiful places, and of course to have developed a platform on which I can now build. This is by no means the end, merely another chapter and i cant wait to see what the future holds!”

A look at the top-12 finishers from last year’s race in Kona shows how fast the top women are.

Another Great Britain athlete, Rachel Joyce, finished in the top-five for the second year in a row in Kona. (Karin Thuerig, the sixth place finisher from last year’s race, has announced her retirement from the sport.)

Germany’s Sonja Tajsich, seventh last year, has a number of Ironman titles to her credit and could contend for the world title this year.

Heather Wurtele (Canada) won two Ironman races in 2011 (St. George and Lake Placid) before rounding out her season with an eighth-place finish in Kona.

Fast-running Caitlin Snow (USA) is just a bike ride away from being a contender at the world championship.

Spain’s Virginia Berasategui has multiple top-five finishes in Kona, while Scotland’s Catriona Morrison has yet to show her potential in Kona after dominating Ironman wins in Lanzarote and Texas over the last few years.

Rounding out the top-12 from Kona last year was Ironman France champion Tine Deckers (Belgium).

There are two other athletes who seem destined to compete at the highest levels of the sport over the next few years. Like Wellington before her, American Mary Beth Ellis burst onto the Ironman scene with three dramatic wins in 2011, including the fastest Ironman debut with her impressive win in Austria.

Ironman 70.3 world champion Melissa Rollison also exploded into the Ironman picture (should she move to the full distance in 2012) with her dominating performance in Las Vegas.

Suffice it to say that the Ironman world will certainly miss Wellington through the 2012 season, but also has a lot to look forward to.

— Find out more:
www.chrissiewellington…
www.ironman.com

MEDIA RELEASE

This weekend’s coverage of the Ironman World Championship on NBC Channel 8 (11 a.m. Saturday, Dec 10, 2011) will honor a number of athletes who most aptly deserve to be recognized for their performances in 2011.

There will likely not be a dry eye in the house when you learn about Teri Griege, who managed to compete in Kona despite the fact that she was still undergoing chemotherapy for stage four colon cancer.

Over the last year and a half, Griege has lost 12 inches of her colon and much of her liver. To get ready for Kona it wasn’t unusual for her to do workouts with a chemotherapy infusion pump in a fanny pack.

Her inspiring story is just one of the many you’ll see during Saturday’s coverage. Over the years Peter Henning and his crew have won numerous Emmy awards for their ability to tell stories like Griege’s.

Another athlete who will be featured on Saturday’s show is Roy Riley, who entered a competition to earn himself a VIP pass at Ford Ironman Wisconsin – in it he had to explain how the Ironman motto, “Anything is Possible” reflects his life.

“Using his experiences as a Physical Education Teacher at Gerber School on the Cunningham campus, Roy reflected on the challenges his students have experienced in their young lives— abuse, neglect, and separation from their families— which they struggle with every day,” according to the Cunningham Children’s Home website. “They have taught me that anything is possible if you work hard.”

Another who will be featured is the ageless France Cokan.

Cokan got off a boat from Slovenia in 1959 with $11 in his pocket. Over the next few years he re-trained to get his internal medicine degree that would be recognized in the United States.

He started doing triathlons when he was 52 – the race in Kona was his 44th and 21st time at the Ironman World Championship. In the end he was five minutes behind and got to the line less than a minute ahead of Lyle Roberts.

Don’t miss Saturday’s show where you’ll have the chance to meet some of these incredible athletes.

Alexandre Ribeiro crosses the finish line Sunday at Old Kona Airport for his fifth Ultraman World Championships title. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

The names in the 2011 Ultraman World Championships record books will look a little familiar.

Alexandre Ribeiro, 46, of Brazil won his fifth world championship and Amber Monforte, 33, of Reno, Nev. earned her second consecutive crown Sunday in Kona.

Ribeiro had the quickest combined time over three days, crossing the finish line in 22 hours, 9 nines and 54 seconds.

Monforte was the top woman, and sixth overall, with a time of 24:15:13.

Ribeiro had to hunt down Ultraman rookie Michael Coughlin, 38, of Canada on the 52.4-mile Hawi-to-Kona run. Also in the mix heading into Day 3 was two-time former champion Jonas Colting, 38, of Sweden, who dropped out of the run with hip pain.

Ribeiro, who also won the Ultraman world titles in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2009, said he was thrilled to win again in Kona.

“To be world champion is hard to believe,” he said. “I had a great swim. I wasn’t seasick. The second day was excellent, but the wind. I’ve been here seven years and I never saw anything like that. And the run today was excellent conditions. A tailwind the whole time.”

Race director Jane Bockus said she was pleased to see Ribeiro have a good race after last year’s fourth place finish. He was hampered by an upset stomach all three days.

“Alexandre is a true gentleman, a great champion,” she said. “He loves this race so much, he calls this his second home.”

Michael Coughlin and Alexandre Ribeiro congratulate each other at the finish line. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Ribeiro agreed this year definitely stands out over last year.

“I was very happy even to finish last year,” he said. “I had to finish for my three children. It was good for them to see Daddy run through that.”

In second place, Coughlin made a remarkable debut in the Ultraman World Championships, less than 10 minutes behind Ribeiro at 22:19:08. He served as an Ultraman crew member in 2005 and was back in Kona again in 2006 to race in Ironman.

“It was incredible, a fabulous weekend. I got an inkling that this was a special place on my last two trips,” he said. “But to experience all that this island has to dish out, it’s hard to put into words. You do this race with the people you love and they get to see you when you are strong and when you are weak.”

Coughlin said he was especially appreciative of the friendly, supportive atmosphere between athletes and their crews.

“This race is an opportunity to bring out the best in each other. You squeeze a little more out of each other than if you were alone,” he said. “That bond we share is one of the most cherished things I’ll take away from this weekend.”

Third overall was Ribeiro’s friend and sometime training partner, Miro Kregar, 49, of Slovenia, who had the day’s best run time of 6:24:10. His total time was 23:33:11.

Amber Monforte had the day's eighth best run time and won the women's race by more than 4 hours. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Monforte set the all-time women’s record at the Ultraman distance last year, with 24:07:11. The time might have been slower this year, but the world crown is still hers.

“It was hard. Day 1 was awesome, but Day 2 was tough. You just had to go a lot slower, just to be safe,” she said.

“I work as a registered nurse so I know a lot of people who can’t do things like this,” Monforte said. “I think about them a lot when I’m out there. A lot of it is mental training because it hurts out there, so it helps for me to think about them.”

Although Monforte was sick and fought injuries earlier this year, she said she wouldn’t have missed the race.

“I just love the family nature of it all. My crew had a flat tire on Saturday, but the other crews jumped in and helped get them back on the road right away,” she said. “It’s amazing. It’s Ultraman. I love it.”

The second place woman was Vanuza Maciel, 41, of Brazil, at 28:30:32 and third place went to Consuela Lively, 40, of Florida, at 29:35:25.

Michael Coughlin takes a post-race cold bath in the S.S. Crampy. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Wind

Most notable during this year’s three-day 320-mile triathlon were the high winds during Saturday’s bike leg. With gusts exceeding 50 mph along the Kohala mountain road, several athletes gave up trying to ride and walked their bikes.

Not everyone, though.

“Of course not,” Ribeiro said. “There is no walking in a bike race. But it was getting dangerous. I passed Michael (Coughlin) on the uphill, but then on the downhill side, he just went by me fast. I was thinking he would crash. Michael is fantastic, unbelievable.”

Bockus conceded the conditions were insanely tough, even for the Big Island.

“The winds were horrendous. I haven’t seen it like that since 1999,” she said.

Support crews trailing the athletes in vans reported seeing bikes blown clear across two lanes and cyclists leaning over at impossible angles to compensate for the wind.

DNFs

One of the athletes who did not finish was Amy Palmiero-Winters, who was the first athlete with a below-the-knee prosthesis to attempt the Ultraman course.

Palmiero-Winters, who won the 2010 ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability, missed the cut-off time on Day 1, but continued to race and missed the Day 2 cut-off time by 7 minutes.

She attempted Sunday’s run, but had difficultly with her prosthesis and dropped out.

Before the race, Palmiero-Winters said, “I race in ultras to help others see what is possible. We all face challenges and we are all given 2 choices — give up or move on and be better in spite of — I choose to be better and help others.”

Also dropping out were Rich Roll with a fever and lung congestion and Mike Rouse, who crashed his bike early on Day 2 and suffered a broken arm.

Big Island athletes

Cory Foulk, 52, Kailua-Kona, completed his 19th Ultraman with a time of 31:17:23.

On the women’s side, Laurie Beers, 57, of Kona, completed her third Ultraman in 32:12:12.

Ultraman rookie Susan Smith-Nixon, 43, of Waimea, clocked in at 33:12:46.

(Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Background

The Ultraman World Championships cover a total distance of 320 miles (515 kilometers), around the Big Island and require each athlete to complete a 6.2 mile (10 K) open ocean swim, a 261.4 mile (421 K) cross-country bike ride, and a 52.4 mile (84K) ultra-marathon run.

Day 1 – 6.2-mile (10 km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145 km) cross-country bike ride from Keauhou Bay around the southern tip of the island via Route 11 to finish at Namakani Paio Park in the Volcanoes National Park. Vertical climbs total 7,600 feet.

Day 2 – 171.4-mi (276 km) bike ride, from Volcanoes National Park (Route 11) to Keaau, then turning east with a counter-clockwise loop through Kalapana, Kapoho and Pahoa, then on through the City of Hilo. From Hilo, the route continues north along the Hamakua Coast (Route 19) to Waimea, and over the Kohala Mountains via Route 250 to finish at the Kohala Village Inn on Hawi Road, just above its junction with Route 270. Vertical climbs total 8,600 feet.

Day 3 – 52.4-mile (84 km) double-marathon run from Hawi to Kawaihae (Route 270), then on to Kailua-Kona (via Route 19) and finishing on the beach at the Old Airport State Park.

Time Limits: Each stage must be completed in 12 hours or less. The swim should be completed in 5-1/2 hours or less. Participants not reaching the respective finish lines within the 12 hour limits will be disqualified.

The race is limited to 40 athletes, with participants this year from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. More than 50 percent of the field will have participated in at least one previous Ultraman.

Each must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two persons over the entire course. Many of these team members volunteer from the Big Island community each year.

The event attracts individuals who not only thrive on personal challenge and enjoy the thrill of victory, but who come to understand, as did the ancient Hawaiians, the importance of aloha (love), ohana (family), and kokua (help). Individual resources, mental, physical, and spiritual, are shared in an atmosphere where everyone who completes the course is a winner, and the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road.

— Find out more:
www.ultramanlive.com

(Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

Jonas Colting kept a slim lead over Michael Coughlin during Saturday’s 171.4-mile bike leg in the 27th annual Ultraman World Championships.

After Friday’s swim-bike combo, Colting had a 31 minute cushion, and after Saturday’s bike leg took the athletes from the length of the island from Volcano to Hawi, Coughlin was just 7 minutes behind.

Colting’s two-day total time is 15 hours, 24 minutes and 17 second. Coughlin sits at 15:31:21.

Colting has won the world championship twice before – in 2004 and 2007.

Conditions Saturday were described as ‘horrendous’ with wind gusts forecast up to 50 mph later in the day. Cyclists battled not only each other, but some serious winds through Hamakua and the Kohala mountains.

According to Tweets from the support crews, several of the athletes traded in their cycling shoes for running shoes and were walking their bikes for safety reasons.

There was one report – unconfirmed by Hawaii 24/7 – that Mike Rouse had to drop out after breaking a bone in a bike fall.

Alexandre Ribeiro hangs onto to third place, about 8 minutes behind Coughlin, while Nino Cokan trails Ribeiro another 31 minutes.

On the women’s side, Amber Monforte continues to steam up the course. The defending champion is in fifth place overall, with a two-day total time of 16:51:35.

Monforte has a 2 hour lead over second place woman Alice Robb, who hangs back with a time of 19:15:43.

Vanuza Maciel is third for the women at 20:04:03.

Of the 38 athletes who were invited to participate this year, six have dropped out, including Rich Roll who sat in fourth place after Day 1 but succumbed to fever and congestion in his lungs.

Sunday’s final leg run begins at 6 a.m. in Hawi. The winner is expected at the Old Kona Airport finish line around noon.

The Ultraman World Championships cover a total distance of 320 miles (515 kilometers), around the Big Island and require each athlete to complete a 6.2 mile (10 K) open ocean swim, a 261.4 mile (421 K) cross-country bike ride, and a 52.4 mile (84K) ultra-marathon run.

Day 1 – 6.2-mile (10 km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145 km) cross-country bike ride from Keauhou Bay around the southern tip of the island via Route 11 to finish at Namakani Paio Park in the Volcanoes National Park. Vertical climbs total 7,600 feet.

Day 2 – 171.4-mi (276 km) bike ride, from Volcanoes National Park (Route 11) to Keaau, then turning east with a counter-clockwise loop through Kalapana, Kapoho and Pahoa, then on through the City of Hilo. From Hilo, the route continues north along the Hamakua Coast (Route 19) to Waimea, and over the Kohala Mountains via Route 250 to finish at the Kohala Village Inn on Hawi Road, just above its junction with Route 270. Vertical climbs total 8,600 feet.

Day 3 – 52.4-mile (84 km) double-marathon run from Hawi to Kawaihae (Route 270), then on to Kailua-Kona (via Route 19) and finishing on the beach at the Old Airport State Park.

Time Limits: Each stage must be completed in 12 hours or less. The swim should be completed in 5-1/2 hours or less. Participants not reaching the respective finish lines within the 12 hour limits will be disqualified.

The race is limited to 40 athletes, with participants this year from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. More than 50 percent of the field will have participated in at least one previous Ultraman.

Each must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two persons over the entire course. Many of these team members volunteer from the Big Island community each year.

The event attracts individuals who not only thrive on personal challenge and enjoy the thrill of victory, but who come to understand, as did the ancient Hawaiians, the importance of aloha (love), ohana (family), and kokua (help). Individual resources, mental, physical, and spiritual, are shared in an atmosphere where everyone who completes the course is a winner, and the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road.

— Find out more:
www.ultramanlive.com

2011 Day Two Report

Ultraman World Championships swim start Friday, Nov. 25 at Kailua Bay. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

Jonas Colting combined a great swim and bike leg Friday to take the lead in the 27th annual Ultraman World Championships.

He was second out of the swim, with a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 23 seconds, and lit out on the bike finishing the day with a total time of 7:15:50.

Mike Coughlin, who was 11th out of the water, had the day’s fastest bike split of 4:50:19 and sits in second place overall at 7:46:58.

Alexandre Riberio sits third with Rich Roll in fourth.

Amber Monforte, who set the women’s course record last year, was first woman to complete the swim in 2:54:58 and finished the day at 8:20:31. She is the leading woman and 7th overall.

Alice Robb trails Monforte by more than 1 hour.

The Ultraman World Championships cover a total distance of 320 miles (515 kilometers), around the Big Island and require each athlete to complete a 6.2 mile (10 K) open ocean swim, a 261.4 mile (421 K) cross-country bike ride, and a 52.4 mile (84K) ultra-marathon run.

Day 1 – 6.2-mile (10 km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145 km) cross-country bike ride from Keauhou Bay around the southern tip of the island via Route 11 to finish at Namakani Paio Park in the Volcanoes National Park. Vertical climbs total 7,600 feet.

Day 2 – 171.4-mi (276 km) bike ride, from Volcanoes National Park (Route 11) to Keaau, then turning east with a counter-clockwise loop through Kalapana, Kapoho and Pahoa, then on through the City of Hilo. From Hilo, the route continues north along the Hamakua Coast (Route 19) to Waimea, and over the Kohala Mountains via Route 250 to finish at the Kohala Village Inn on Hawi Road, just above its junction with Route 270. Vertical climbs total 8,600 feet.

Day 3 – 52.4-mile (84 km) double-marathon run from Hawi to Kawaihae (Route 270), then on to Kailua-Kona (via Route 19) and finishing on the beach at the Old Airport State Park.

Time Limits: Each stage must be completed in 12 hours or less. The swim should be completed in 5-1/2 hours or less. Participants not reaching the respective finish lines within the 12 hour limits will be disqualified.

The race is limited to 40 athletes, with participants this year from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. More than 50 percent of the field will have participated in at least one previous Ultraman.

Each must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two persons over the entire course. Many of these team members volunteer from the Big Island community each year.

The event attracts individuals who not only thrive on personal challenge and enjoy the thrill of victory, but who come to understand, as did the ancient Hawaiians, the importance of aloha (love), ohana (family), and kokua (help). Individual resources, mental, physical, and spiritual, are shared in an atmosphere where everyone who completes the course is a winner, and the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road.

— Find out more:
www.ultramanlive.com

MEDIA RELEASE

On Friday, Nov. 25, 38 ultra-athletes will once again plunge into the waters of Kailua Bay to begin what is considered to be one of the world’s most demanding individual multi-sport events – the three days of the Ultraman World Championships.

This 6.2 mile swim to Keauhou Bay marks the start of the 27th annual Ultraman to be held on the Island of Hawaii.

Day One of the event is completed on Friday by 90 miles of cycling to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Each athlete is accompanied by a support crew in a well-marked vehicle. These support teams provide the vital aid each athlete will require to complete each day’s course within the cutoff time of twelve hours.

Day Two begins at dawn Saturday, Nov. 26, at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The participants will then cycle 171.4 miles to Hawi, via Kalapana, Kapoho, Pahoa, Hilo, the Hamakua Coast and Waimea, finishing at the Kohala Village Inn at the north end of the island, after the climb up and over the Kohala Mountains.

After a night’s rest, they will lace up their running shoes in Hawi and complete the Day Three double marathon of 52.4 miles on Sunday, Nov. 27, at Kailua-Kona’s Old Airport State Park.

Arrival time for the first runner could be as early as noon.

This year, the 38 Ultraman World Championship participants come from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Slovenia, and the USA.

Nine states are represented, including three athletes from the Big Island of Hawaii. These include two Kona residents, Cory Foulk, who will be participating in his 19th Ultraman, Kona lifeguard Laurie Beers, doing her third Ultraman, as well as first time UltraRookie, Susan Smith Nixon, of Kamuela.

The women’s field of 10 will include the winner of the ESPY Award for Best Female Athlete with a Disability, Amy Palmiero-Winters, who will be the first athlete with a below-the-knee prosthesis to attempt the Ultraman course.

Thirty-five of the athletes have completed at least one previous Ultraman, either in Hawaii, Canada or Great Britain, however it will be the first time for three of the athletes to experience the beauty and the challenge of circumnavigating the Island of Hawaii.

Previous participants have called this event the most difficult they have ever entered, yet feel that it is the athletic highlight of their lives. Lasting friendships develop between the athletes and crews, many of whom are volunteers from the Kona community, or are Ultraman athletes from years past.

All who complete the course within the 12 hour cut-off times each day are recognized as winners, and the trophies are the same for the first and last person to cross the finish lines.

2011 Ultraman World Championship athletes

MEDIA RELEASE

As a triathlete, you spend hours training and racing in preparation for the big race. Throughout the experience, you’ll learn more about the sport and about yourself, and make a few mistakes along the way. You’ll feel more prepared and have more confidence, discover valuable lessons and grow as a competitor.

Zeasorb, the anti-chafing and anti-fungal partner of Ironman triathlon, brings you the top racing mishaps. And while the unexpected can happen on race day, we want all Ironman athletes to feel confident and focused headed into the competition.

Sleep Is Key

Get a good night’s rest the two days before your race. Surprisingly, your rest levels two days before the race will actually affect you more than the night before. Your adrenaline will be pumping the morning of the race making it easier to get up early, especially if you’ve been training in the morning.

Wardrobe Check

Before race day, do a trial run with the clothing and gear you plan to wear. You’ll want to make sure it feels comfortable, draws away moisture and doesn’t rub. Practice applying an anti-friction product before the race, such as Zeasorb Prevention powder, to areas prone to chafing – shoulders, armpits, feet and neck – to make sure they won’t be irritated on race day.

Locate Transition Entry / Exit

Make sure you know where to bike out and run out. Sometimes the entry and exit are in different locations, which can cost you extra time (and cause embarrassment) when bikers/runners go zooming past. Identify obvious race markers or signage before the race, and look for those as you’re coming into transition to make sure you’re headed the right way.

Start on Time

Make sure to leave adequate prep time the morning of the race so you’re not late for your wave’s start. Getting your transition area organized, using the restroom or stretching are important steps, but it’s more important to start your race on time. Head to the swimming chute early and use a checklist when packing your gear the night before. It will help minimize the time spent setting up transition on race day. Click here for an example checklist.

Wait, Where’s My Timing Chip!?

Don’t panic if you lose your timing chip during the race. Somewhere between scrambling into the water zealously, sprinting back out into T1, hopping on your bike or running to the finish line, racers are bound to lose it. Usually the officials can get your race time based on your wave start, so if this happens, quickly check with an official and then keep going!

Efficient Transitions

When the clock is ticking, it’s important to be quick and smart in the transition. Make sure you cover the essentials (dry off, use clean socks, apply an anti-friction product or powder, such as Zeasorb Prevention powder) and then go! There’s no need to waste time folding a wetsuit or collecting items that get out of order.

Tip: Wear your race attire under your wetsuit; it saves a lot of time. Also, consider making a small cut around the bottom of your wetsuit. It makes the suit easier to slide off around your ankles.

Dehydration

It’s essential to be well hydrated before and stay hydrated during the race. In fact, racers tend to get really thirsty on the bike, so take proper nutrition with you on the bike and refuel as needed.

Tip: Make sure your mouth is never dry. The damage has already been done by the time you realize you’re thirsty. Drink consistently throughout the race and your body will thank you.

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com

MEDIA RELEASE

World Triathlon Corporation has announced the launch of the 2012 Ironman Lottery.

Opening Nov. 1, the Lottery will feature two enhancements, including the new Ironman Legacy Program.

One hundred general age group athletes, 100 Legacy athletes and five physically challenged athletes will be selected to compete in the 2012 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona.

“As the popularity of the sport continues to grow, qualifying for the Ironman World Championship becomes more difficult. More than 70,000 athletes are competing for only a handful of coveted slots,” said Andrew Messick, CEO of WTC. “The Ironman Lottery provides another way for athletes to enter the race and cross the finish line on Ali’i Drive.”

Beginning in 2012, athletes will have an increased chance of being selected for the Ironman Lottery based on the number of years that they have entered. For each year an athlete has registered since 2001, his or her chances increase accordingly.

For example, if an athlete registers for the 2012 Ironman Lottery and has registered for every lottery from 2001 through 2012, he or she will have 12 chances of being selected for a lottery slot into the 2012 Ironman World Championship. Passport Club membership would give that athlete an additional chance of being selected with a total of 13 lottery entries.

The newly launched Ironman Legacy Program will grant loyal Ironman athletes an opportunity to compete in Kona at least once in their lifetime. One hundred Legacy winners will be chosen by WTC and selection will be based on several criteria.

To be eligible for selection in the Legacy Program, athletes must have completed a minimum of 12 full distance Ironman-branded races, have never started the Ironman World Championship, have completed at least one full distance Ironman event in each of the 2010 and 2011 seasons and be registered for a full distance Ironman event in 2012.

“Ironman athletes are incredibly loyal to our sport and we want to continue to find ways to recognize that loyalty,” Messick said. “Kona is the symbolic and spiritual home of triathlon and people deeply involved in the sport should get the opportunity to experience that. While many serious athletes will qualify for a spot at the starting line, the Ironman Legacy Program is an equally difficult but different way for them to get there.”

Messick continued, “The new aspects of the Lottery are meant to revitalize a program that’s part of our company’s rich history – one that ensures athletes committed to living the triathlon lifestyle get their chance to follow their dream to Kona. People who are serious about the sport deserve that chance.”

A mainstay in the history of Ironman, the Ironman Lottery began in 1983 thanks to the vision of one of Ironman’s founders, John Collins, as a way to provide athletes ranging in ability the opportunity to qualify for the world’s most challenging one-day endurance event.

More than 7,000 athletes apply for the Ironman Lottery each year.

In 1990, Ironman created the Passport Club, open to athletes worldwide. In addition to other member benefits, the Passport Club gives athletes an increased chance of being selected through the lottery by offering them one additional entry.

Registration for the 2012 Ironman Lottery and the new Legacy Program will open at 6 a.m. Nov. 1, at www.ironmanworldchampi… and will close Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012.

Winners will be announced Sunday, April 15 on www.ironman.com

Team Mauna Lani Evolta Robot cheerleaders. (Photo courtesy of Mauna Lani Bay Hotel)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

The bike robot is on its way back from Hawi, and has completed more than 85 miles of the 112-mile bike leg of the Ironman triathlon course.

About 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the robot and support crew passed the Waikoloa junction on Queen Kaahumanu Highway.

And just like the real Ironman, the littlest contestant got a boost late Wednesday when staff from the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel set up an aide station along the highway.

The aide station was complete with tent, energy drinks and cheerleaders.

Among Tweets posted Wednesday:

‘Some customer at a gas service station cheered me on! Thanx!’

‘People in Hawaii who drive by me are taking pictures out of their car windows. So flattering.’

The bike robot is scheduled to hand over the three AA Panasonic rechargeable batteries to the running robot sometime on Thursday.

That robot will then take off on the 26.2-mile marathon run and is projected to make his way to the famed start / finish line at Kailua Pier later in the day on Sunday.

The Evolta Robots are taking on one of the world’s toughest Ironman courses this week, following more than 1,900 triathletes who competed earlier this month at the Ironman World Championship.

Built by Tomotaka Takahashi, the trio of robots are specifically designed to tackle each of the three triathlon disciplines. The swimmer robot finished the 2.4-mile ocean swim about 90 minutes ahead of schedule Sunday evening.

Follow the robots’ progress and check out the live streaming video at: panasonic.jp/charge/ev…

Follow the robot on Twitter: @EVOLTA_Robot

Hawaii 24/7 Staff

The Evolta Robot continued to motor along Queen Kaahumanu Highway all day Tuesday, gobbling up another chunk of the Ironman triathlon bike course.

Shortly before midnight, the little dude had powered its way through 57 miles of the 112-mile bike course, which continues to Hawi and back into Kailua-Kona.

About 11:30 p.m., he Tweeted: ‘Going smooth.’

According to the schedule, the 10-inch cycling robot should be back at Kailua Pier sometime Thursday, to hand the batteries over to the runner robot.

The Evolta Robots are taking on one of the world’s toughest Ironman courses this week, following more than 1,900 triathletes who competed earlier this month at the Ironman World Championship.

Built by Tomotaka Takahashi, the trio of robots are specifically designed to tackle each of the three triathlon disciplines. The swimmer robot finished the 2.4-mile ocean swim about 90 minutes ahead of schedule Sunday evening.

Takahashi said he wants to finish the grueling Ironman course to prove the durability of the Panasonic batteries.

The trio of robots are about 1/10th human size and are challenged with finishing the course in about 10 times the usual 17 hour cut off. So they have a goal of 168 hours – or one week – to cross the famous start/finish line at Kailua Pier.

That should be sometime Sunday afternoon.

Follow the robots progress at: panasonic.jp/charge/ev…

Follow the robot on Twitter: @EVOLTA_Robot

The Panasonic EVOLTA robot heads North on Queen Kaahumanu Highway near the Four Season Resort Hualalai as the sun hangs low in the sky Monday (Oct 24). Photo by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

Hawaii 24/7 Staff

The Evolta Robot chewed up more than 22 miles of the 112-mile bike course Monday, Oct. 24.

That puts it about 1/5th of the way through the Ironman bike leg, which takes the robot and the Panasonic crew to Hawi and back.

The crew is taking time out along the course to recharge the three AA Panasonic batteries and set the robot back in motion.

After a recharging time out Monday evening, the robot crew Tweeted: ‘I am getting to the long down hill! Speeding up.’

The Evolta Robots are taking on one of the world’s toughest Ironman courses this week, following more than 1,900 triathletes who competed earlier this month at the Ironman World Championship.

Built by Tomotaka Takahashi, the trio of robots are specifically designed to tackle each of the three triathlon disciplines. The swimmer robot finished the 2.4-mile ocean swim about 90 minutes ahead of schedule Sunday evening.

Follow the robots’ progress and check out the live streaming video at: panasonic.jp/charge/ev…

Follow the robot on Twitter: @EVOLTA_Robot

(Photo by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7)

(Photo by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7)

(Photo by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7)

Chrissie Wellington celebrates her fourth Ironman World Championship, Oct. 8, 2011 in Kailua-Kona. (Photo courtesy of Ironman)

(Kevin Mackinnon recaps Chrissie Wellington’s fourth Ironman World Championship)

It was no secret, heading into the 2011 Ironman World Championship, that Chrissie Wellington was determined to regain the title she’d seemingly owned for the last few years.

“After last year, when I didn’t start, I felt a hunger like I’ve never felt before,” she said after the race.

While Wellington did take her fourth title, it wasn’t until after the race that we learned just how difficult it was for her to get the win in Kona.

Two weeks before the Ironman World Championship, Wellington was involved in a bike crash. While the “official” word heading into the race was that she’d suffered severe road rash and bruising, Wellington was actually suffering much more than that.

“My nickname is Muppet – a person who does stupid things,” Wellington said at the post-race press conference. “Two weeks ago today I was doing my last long ride with Tom (Lowe, her boyfriend) and a couple of others. My front tire was flat and, when I took a corner, I went down and left a lot of my elbow on the pavement. Luckily nothing was broken and I knew at that point that I would be racing and that I would hurt more than I’ve hurt before.”

While Wellington didn’t have any broken bones, she had torn one of her pectoral muscles along with some intercostal muscles. She kept those injuries so secret that it wasn’t until after the race we learned just four days before the race she spent six hours in the emergency room at Kona Community Hospital after trying to swim.

All of which explains Wellington’s slow (for her) swim and her subsequent “human” bike ride on race day. For the first time in all of her appearances in Kona, she wasn’t the first onto the marathon course.

“On the bike I didn’t go out to try and chase anyone down,” she said. “I knew that Julie (Dibens) and Karin (Thuerig) would take time into me, but I knew that triathlon is three disciplines. When I came in 21 minutes behind I was a bit worried, but knew I was in sixth place. I had confidence in my run, but there was always that question mark of the impact of the accident on my body.”

Once on the run Wellington remained in a lot of pain. The bruising on her hip was one issue, but she also experienced hamstring problems, too.

“I had to dig to the deepest depths that I’ve ever known,” she said. “There’s a lot of emphasis in our sport on times. For me the time is irrelevant. I judge my success on whether or not I’ve given absolutely everything. I couldn’t have given anything more. Going into any races we all have trials and tribulations. All my races are special. This one is probably the most meaningful performance.”

Just over 24 hours after she described the pain she experienced, Wellington was on the stage at the awards ceremony, congratulating the women who forced her to work so hard to claim her fourth title.

“I hate the …damn easy route,” she said on the stage. “I hope that my win yesterday shows that I am completely human. I couldn’t have done this without my competitors – the race yesterday was a true battle. Knowing that Rinnie (Mirinda Carfrae) was there forced me to push. My victory is also their’s because they are the ones who enable me to race the way I do. Yesterday I did defy my own expectations.”

After 12 straight dominating Ironman performances, Wellington’s fourth Ironman World Championship and 13th consecutive Ironman win might very well go down in history as her best race ever – even though she “only” won by 2:49.

The day was a tribute to both her competition and her incredible tenacity and determination.

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com)

(Photo special to Hawaii 24/7)

(Kevin Mackinnon reports on the Hall of Farm induction)

I wish more people could have been there to see it. After a weekend where we saw one of Ironman’s greatest days of racing, everyone who was at the Ironman World Championship got to witness what I think is one of Ironman’s finest moments: Mike Reilly was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.

How amazing was the moment? Even Reilly, “The Voice of Ironman” was speechless.

Reilly has become an icon in the world of Ironman racing. His big booming voice, and boundless energy, help make the Ironman experience so special for all the competitors. Having “the voice” announce your name across the line is almost synonymous with becoming an Ironman finisher.

Some athletes have been known to track him down after the race if he had been on a break when they crossed.

One caught up with him in the airport a few days after an Ironman a couple of years ago. “You’ve got to say it,” the man begged Reilly, who was in the middle of a store, trying to buy a magazine. “You’ve got to say it really loud.”

Reilly obliged – getting more than a few stares from passers by, but also a few knowing smiles from other Ironman athletes heading home – they knew exactly what was going on.

Since 1989 Mike Reilly has been an integral part of the Ironman World Championship. Last March he announced his 100th Ironman event in New Zealand.

As great as that voice is, as incredible as his energy and enthusiasm are, here’s what’s most appropriate about Reilly becoming part of the Ironman Hall of Fame: what you all see at the finish line and on the awards stage is 100 percent genuine.

Reilly is kind, thoughtful, positive and endlessly enthusiastic. You see the result of all that positive energy in his family, too. He’s an incredible father (one son, Andy, was helping announce this weekend) and husband (Rose helped coordinate the surprise last night and shares Reilly’s boundless positive energy).

We all know him for his voice, but Mike Reilly is much more than that. He’s a great person to be able to call a friend and a very deserving member of the Ironman Hall of Fame.

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin.mackinnon@ironma…)

Lew Hollander becomes the oldest person to finish Ironman. He is 81. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

When you line up 1,918 triathletes to challenge themselves on the world’s toughest course, you have 1,918 amazing stories to tell.

Here a few athletes share the stories of their day:

Kate and Charlie Stannett (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Kate Stannett, 50, Ipswich

“It wasn’t as bad as I expected … except for the wind. That was horrible, horrible, horrible,” said Kate Stannett, who was competing in her first Hawaii triathlon. “The first half of the bike ride was alright, but it was lousy coming back. If anyone tells you different, they are lying.”

Stannett is captain of the Ipswich triathlon club in England and was competing in her eighth Ironman. She has never entered the lottery, preferring to qualify on her own merit.

“The only way I was going to do Kona was if I qualified for myself. I was a little disappointed in my time, but I’ve never in Kona before and I really didn’t know what to expect,” she said. “It was a bit odd to run in the dark.”

Her husband Charlie volunteered in the bike-to-run transition area and didn’t have a chance to watch her times throughout the day.

“I was a bit worried when she was on the bike, but once I sent her off on the run, I knew she’d be fine,” he said.

Stannett said she knew her bike time was noticeably slow.

“I thought Charlie would be waiting for me at the finish line and ask about the bike,” she said. “And I was ready to poke his eyes out. But he didn’t ask, so everything is alright.”

Stannett said she was most impressed with the volunteers.

“I can’t say enough about them. They were absolutely brilliant, just amazing,” she said. “I don’t think I could have done it without them. The support has just been fantastic.”

Stannett finished in 13:57:44

Team GG (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Gregg Gordon, 40, New York

Gordon arrived in Kona with a group of 10 friends and family to watch him fulfill his Ironman dream.

“We’re all very proud of him. It’s been his dream to race in Kona,” said friend Brad Olsen. “This is his fourth Ironman. He did do Ironman Germany before this, but he got in here through the lottery.”

The group gathered outside King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel to wait for him after the race, sporting matching bright orange shirts.

Most of the group was making their first visit to the Big Island.

“We haven’t seen much, but we’re very familiar now with the start/finish line area,” Karen Sohn said.

Karen Olsen said she was most impressed by how much action happened right around Kailua Pier and along Alii Drive.

“We’re from New York so we’re used to barricades all over,” she said. “But here you can walk around and see everything. It’s been great.”

It’s all about the race and the triathletes, though.

“It’s the most inspiring spectator event I have ever seen,” said Brad Olsen. “It’s much more spectator-friendly than I thought it would be. I can’t believe how many people over the age of 50 are out here doing this. It’s just very inspiring to me.”

Gordon finished in 14:14:22.

Tom and Erica Masilzewski.(Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Tom Maliszewski, 33, Detroit

“This is my first time on the island and first race in Hawaii. It was an awesome day,” he said. “The course is challenging, but it was the perfect day for me. I felt good.”

Maliszewski said the atmosphere around Kona pumped him up for the race.

“There’s a buzz. It was great. You could feel it all building up all week,” he said. “I loved it.”

His wife, Erica, said she walked back and forth along Alii Drive, taking in the spectacle.

“It’s such an inspiring thing to watch. It’s just amazing to me how many people do this and it’s so incredible to see it,” she said. “The energy here is amazing and the people are great.”

The couple, who have a 3-year-old son (and two dogs) waiting at home, plan to see some Big Island sights before making departing.

“Now it’s time to relax,” Maliszewski said. “And take it easy.”

Maliszewski finished in 9:45:57.

April Novak and Todd Allen (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Todd Allen, 41, Muscle Shoals, Ala.

“It was a good day, but it’s a very hard course with the wind and hills,” Allen said. “My time wasn’t what I wanted it to be, but I’m still a little beat up.”

Allen qualified for Kona at the Aug. 28 Louisville Ironman and, even though it was coming up quickly, he couldn’t pass on a trip to the world championship.

“There is nothing like crossing that finish line. At some point during the day, you’ll want to give up. But you don’t. You somehow just keep going and get to that finish line,” he said. “It really is amazing what the body and mind can do.”

Racing in his fifth Ironman, Allen said he’s not done yet.

“It’s usually either one-and-done or you’re in it for the long haul,” he said. “You train hard and that’s the toughest part … just getting to the starting line. It’s definitely a family affair if you are into it.”

Fiance April Novak agreed it’s a family commitment as far as training goes, but race day is another thing entirely.

“You worry. You plan your day according to when you can see him on the race course and then you just worry,” she said.

Allen said he appreciated racing with the world’s elite triathletes.

“One thing I really like about Ironman is you get a great caliber of people,” he said. “They are excited and motivated and it’s easy to get caught up in it.”

Novak is an experienced marathon runner, but does she have the desire to join Allen on the Ironman journey?

“No. Nope. None. I’ll stick to marathons,” she said. “I know what I’m good at.”

Allen finished in 11:38:47

Lew Hollander, 81, Bend, Ore.

Hollander finished Ironman for the 22nd time and became the oldest person ever to finish it.

The scientist, author and renaissance man ran his first marathon in 1980 and entered his first Ironman in Hawaii back in 1985.

His time that year was 15:47, one minute faster than his time last year.

By winning his age group last year, the father of six, grandpa to five and two great-grandpa to two, Hollander automatically qualified to come back to Kona this year.

His response: “Yeah, sure, I’ll be there. I’ll be there ’til I can’t make it any more. Yeah, I’ll give it a shot. Why not?”

With thousands of people still crammed into the finish line area and the clock counting down to midnight, the 17-hour cut-off mark, the chanting started: Lew, Lew, Lew!

Hollander finished in 16:45:55.

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com

2011 world champion Craig Alexander poses for photos at the finish line close to the midnight cut-off time. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Some statistics from the 2011 Ironman World Championship, courtesy of Marc Roy and his team from Sportstats.

Fastest Swim – Age Group Men

Place Swim Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 51:35 1657 Colpaert, Bart 30 Izegem WES BEL

2 52:55 1220 O Flaherty, Andrew 39 Johannesbu GAU RSA

3 52:58 1521 McNeese, Griffin 34 Hoboken NJ USA

4 53:05 1638 Carter, Brett 30 palm beach QLD AUS

5 53:13 1625 Gardner, Andy 31 Kingwood TX USA

Fastest Swim – Age Group Women

Place Swim Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 53:33 1876 Chura, Haley 26 Atlanta GA USA

2 54:44 1942 Holmes, Erin 22 Kennewick WA USA

3 57:31 1857 Thomas, Kathryn 28 Stephens C VA USA

4 57:32 1143 McCarty, Erin 41 San Jose CA USA

5 58:17 1420 Carpenter, Rebecca 39 Atlanta GA USA

Fastest Bike – Age Group Men

Place Bike Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 4:30:13 1226 Favre-Felix, Damien 39 marsannay YES FRA

2 4:35:17 1025 Zamboni, Andrea 41 Agarone TIC SWI

3 4:35:26 1197 Ganser, Markus 39 Stolberg NRW GER

4 4:38:13 1754 Lueddecke, Kai 29 Br¸hl BW GER

5 4:38:27 1337 Gyde, Sam 36 Destelberg O-V BEL

Fastest Bike – Age Group Women

Place Bike Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 4:58:41 1114 Goertz, Beate 42 Cologne NRW GER

2 5:05:40 1681 Hufe, Mareen 33 Wesel NRW GER

3 5:07:31 1419 Rudolf, Michaela 39 St. Pˆlten AUS AUT

4 5:09:40 1164 Donley, Shannon 40 Anchorage AK USA

5 5:10:50 1669 Wicks, Hilary 34 Papakura AUK NZL

Fastest Run – Age Group Men

Place Run Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 2:43:29 1797 Thorne, Joe 27 Austin TX USA

2 2:56:48 1337 Gyde, Sam 36 Destelberg O-V BEL
3 2:57:28 1499 Sloan, Chuck 34 Tulsa OK USA

4 2:58:09 1901 Duffy, Brian 23 West Chest PA USA
5 2:58:21 1755 Haak, Steffen 29 Karlsruhe BW GER

Fastest Run – Age Group Women

Place Run Numb Lname Fname Ag City Pro Cnt

1 3:06:25 1458 Croft, Sheila 37 Redmond WA USA
2 3:16:51 1728 Clayton, Gillian 30 Vancouver BC CAN

3 3:17:16 1178 Davis, Susanne 40 Carlsbad CA USA

4 3:18:45 1114 Goertz, Beate 42 Cologne NRW GER

5 3:20:33 1677 Pekerman, Nina 34 Nofit ISR ISR

Fastest Swim – Pro Men

Place Swim Numb Lname Fname City Pro Cnt Ag

1 49:44 29 Potts, Andy Colorado S CO USA 35

2 51:38 11 Jacobs, Pete sydney NSW AUS 30

3 51:41 48 Reed, Matty Boulder CO USA 36

4 51:43 49 Albert, Marko Tallinn HAR EST 32

5 51:44 33 Bockel, Dirk Bereldange LUX LUX 35

Fastest Swim – Pro Women

1 51:54 125 Stevens, Amanda Enid CO USA 34

2 53:54 107 Cave, Leanda Tucson AZ USA 33

3 53:56 112 Joyce, Rachel London GRE GBR 33

4 55:49 110 Williamson, Kelly Austin TX USA 34

5 55:54 128 Ellis, Mary Beth Superior CO USA 34

Fastest Bike – Pro Men

Place Bike Numb Lname Fname City Pro Cnt Ag

1 4:18:32 25 Lieto, Chris Danville CA USA 39

2 4:24:05 1 Alexander, Craig Boulder CO USA 38

3 4:24:16 19 McKenzie, Luke Bend OR USA 30

4 4:24:17 33 Bockel, Dirk Bereldange LUX LUX 35

5 4:25:46 31 Boecherer, Andi Freiburg YES GER 28

6 4:26:28 18 Twelsiek, Maik Tucson AZ USA 31

7 4:26:28 26 Lowe, Tom Ludlow SHR GBR 33

8 4:26:52 10 Raelert, Andreas Rostock MV GER 35

9 4:28:38 2 Tissink, Raynard Port Eliza EC RSA 38

10 4:29:31 5 Al-Sultan, Faris Al-Ain ABU ARE 33

Fastest Bike – Pro Women

Place Bike Numb Lname Fname City Pro Cnt Ag

1 4:44:20 105 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil LUC SWI 39

2 4:50:26 103 Steffen, Caroline Spiez BE SWI 33

3 4:56:53 102 Wellington, Chrissie Feltwell NOR GBR 34

4 4:58:41 107 Cave, Leanda Tucson AZ USA 33

5 4:58:55 113 Tajsich, Sonja Sinzing GER 36

6 4:58:57 112 Joyce, Rachel London GRE GBR 33

7 4:59:10 116 Wurtele, Heather Kelowna BC CAN 32

8 5:00:04 118 Deckers, Tine Kessel-Lo VLA BEL 33

9 5:00:29 133 Badmann, Natascha Oftringen AAR SWI 45

10 5:01:45 114 Morrison, Catriona Broxburn WES GBR 34

Fastest Run – Pro Men

Place Run Numb Lname Fname City Pro Cnt Ag

1 2:42:29 11 Jacobs, Pete sydney NSW AUS 30

2 2:44:03 1 Alexander, Craig Boulder CO USA 38

3 2:47:26 9 Bracht, Timo Eberbach BAW GER 36

4 2:47:48 10 Raelert, Andreas Rostock MV GER 35

5 2:51:56 40 Viennot, Cyril BEAUVAIS PIC FRA 29

6 2:53:04 33 Bockel, Dirk Bereldange LUX LUX 35

7 2:54:08 44 Aigroz, Mike Chateau d VD SWI 33

8 2:54:41 39 Russell, Matthew Austin TX USA 28

9 2:55:29 50 Ogden, Courtney Perth WAA AUS 39

10 2:56:20 35 Lovato, Michael Boulder CO USA 38

Fastest Run – Pro Women

Place Run Numb Lname Fname City Pro Cnt Ag

1 2:52:09 101 Carfrae, Mirinda Boulder CO USA 30

2 2:52:41 102 Wellington, Chrissie Feltwell NOR GBR 34

3 2:53:51 123 Snow, Caitlin Brockton MA USA 29

4 3:03:33 110 Williamson, Kelly Austin TX USA 34

5 3:04:47 113 Tajsich, Sonja Sinzing GER 36

6 3:06:36 107 Cave, Leanda Tucson AZ USA 33

7 3:09:55 112 Joyce, Rachel London GRE GBR 33

8 3:12:50 117 Berasategui, Virginia Bilbao BIZ ESP 36

9 3:13:18 114 Morrison, Catriona Broxburn WES GBR 34

10 3:13:31 105 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil LUC SWI 39

The close of the Ford Ironman World Championship. Video by Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7

Start of the Ironman Triathlon. Video courtesy of the Office of the Mayor, County of Hawaii.

Mobile version of slideshow here

Ford Ironman World Championship start from under Kailua Bay. Photo special to Hawaii 24/7 by Angy Chesler | vip-wedding-hawaii.com

Craig Alexander wins the 2011 Ironman World Championship and sets a new course record. Photo by PF Bentley | Special to Hawaii 24/7

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

The Ironman World Championship winners are familiar names: Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington.

Alexnder set a new course record in 8 hours, 03 minutes, 56 seconds.

The previous course record was 8:04:08 was set in 1996 by Belguim’s Luc Van Lierde.

Many Iron-watchers had predicted Van Lierde’s record may never be broken as construction and minor course changes meant the run is much tougher. The race is billed as one of the most notorious in the world and includes a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike leg through the viciously hot and windy lava fields and a full 26.2-mile marathon in and around Kona village.

Alexander, 38, of Australia, was fourth last year after two years as champion. He now owns three Ironman World Championships and two Ironman 70.3 World Championships, scooping up his second 70.3 title just last month.

“I wish I could tell you how it feels,” Alexander said. “It’s unbelievable. I wish everyone in the world could feel what I felt in that last mile. It’s the finish I’ve been dreaming of.”

The day’s second most impressive men’s race also was by an Australian. Pete Jacobs, 30, recorded 8:09:11 to finish right behind Alexander and secure the fourth fastest time ever.

The men’s podium was rounded out by Andreas Raelert, 35, of Germany, who last year was second. His time was 8:11:07.

Alexander joins Dave Scott, Mark Allen and Peter Reid as the fourth man to win the world title three times.

He also became the first person ever to earn Ironman World Championship 70.3 and Ironman World Championship titles in the same year.

2011 world champion Craig Alexander (right) and runner-up Pete Jacobs attend the post-race press conference. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Craig Alexander on his third world championship:

“It’s beyond belief really. My race today was near perfect. Getting beaten last year hurt a lot. You saw the fruits of 12 months planning today. It’s not just a physical race anymore. It’s strategy now. I wanted to race like an athlete who’d won here before, with that confidence. I think of the people who have raced here. I am aware of the history and I’m totally humbled.”

A nasty virus kept Alexander out of training for the first part of the ear and made him cough so hard he cracked a couple of ribs. He was in fine shape Saturday, however, and shaved 13 minutes off his personal best bike time.

Alexander excelled over an impressive men’s line up, including last year’s runner-up, Germany’s Andreas Raelert, as well as fellow Australian Pete Jacobs, Luxembourg’s Dirk Bockel, Germany’s Timo Bracht and American Chris Lieto.

American Andy Potts was out of the water first, but Lieto pushed ahead early on the bike to build a gap on the men’s faster runners. Lieto maintained his lead through six miles of the run when the chase pack took over and Alexander made his move for the front position.

Alexander crossed the finish line more than 5 minutes ahead of Jacobs, who ran the fastest run split of the day.

In the women’s division, Chrissie Wellington, 34, of Great Britain, had to gut it out for her fourth world title, finishing in 8:55:08.

“This race means more to me than anything. It’s the sweetest victory – I just proved that anything is possible,” she said. “I had to dig so deep today. I tried to have faith in my body. To be crowned the Ford Ironman World Champion is the greatest honor.”

Wellington took herself out of last year’s race due to illness and was determined to prove the crown rightfully belongs to her. She went into Saturday’s race still suffering from the effects of a nasty bike crash two weeks ago.

A flat tire and sharp turn during a training ride left Wellington with a nasty case of road rash all along her left side. X-rays proved she did not break anything, but she said at Thursday’s pre-race press conference, the bruising and scratches were still bothering her. Wellington also revealed she torn a pectoral muscle during a swim earlier in the week.

Wellington was sixth off the bike and ran her way to the front of the pack by mile 18.

Last year’s champ, Mirinda Carfrae, 30, of Australia, wasn’t going to let Wellington snatch back the title that easy, and was hunting her from behind.

Wellington was still at the finish line when Carfrae breezed in at 8:57:57. Carfrae set the run course record last year at 2:53:32 and lowered that time to 2:52:09.

For nearly 2 minutes, Wellington held the run record at 2:52:41. She was waiting at the finish line when Carfrae cruising in.

“My victory is also hers,” Wellington said. “I want to congratulate her on an amazing second place.”

Wellington’s time was the second fastest women’s time ever. Wellington set the course record of 8:54:02 in 2009.

(From left) Caroline Steffen, Rachel Joyce, 2011 world champion Chrissie Wellington, Mirinda Carfrae and moderator Greg Welch at the women's post-race press conference. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Wellington on her fourth world championship:

“I definitely knew I was going to toe the start line. My confidence coming in always had that asterisk after the crash. Ironman is very long day. That was definitely a true test of my mental toughness. I felt like giving up at various points. For me, the time is irrelevant. I judge success on whether I’ve give the race absolutely everything. I left every ounce of heart and soul out there today.”

Carfrae on coming back to Kona as the reigning world champion:

“It was a day out there today and it was emotional. You can’t give a champion like Chrissie a second, let alone 3 minutes. I felt horrible for the first half of the run. I thought I was in for a 3 hour marathon, but it was probably my best marathon here. She was just too fast for me today.”

Carfrae has lowered the run course record each of her three starts in Kona. Wellington held the record for 2 minutes, 49 seconds after she crossed the finish line, but Carfrae took the record straight back with her run of 2:52:09.

Karin Thuerig, of Switzerland, competing in her last Ironman, set a new bike course record at 4:44:20. Thuerig bested her own bike record 4:48:22, which she posted last year.

American Amanda Stevens was the first out of the water, followed closely by Julie Dibens, of Great Britain. Dibens maintained a sizable lead over the other women up until the beginning of the run, when a reoccurring toe injury slowed her pace and opened the door for Steffen to take the lead.

Entering into the Natural Energy Lab, Wellington passed Steffen and kept a quick pace for the remainder of the race, holding off Carfrae through the last 10 miles.

Race officials said the temperature out on Queen Kaahumanu Highway reached 135 at midday and the heat was starting to take its toll.

According to Ironman, 1,918 athletes started the race and 1,774 finished before the 17-hour cut off.

This year’s Ironman World Championship broadcast will air 10:30 a.m.-noon Dec. 10 on NBC.

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com

Chrissie Wellington’s fourth world title

Craig Alexander’s third world title

The top-15 men:
1 08:03:56 1 Alexander, Craig Boulder CO USA 51:56 4:24:05 2:44:03
2 08:09:11 11 Jacobs, Pete sydney NSW AUS 51:38 4:31:03 2:42:29
3 08:11:07 10 Raelert, Andreas Rostock MV GER 51:58 4:26:52 2:47:48
4 08:12:58 33 Bockel, Dirk Bereldange LUX LUX 51:44 4:24:17 2:53:04
5 08:20:12 9 Bracht, Timo Eberbach BAW GER 53:37 4:35:07 2:47:26
6 08:21:07 44 Aigroz, Mike Chateau d oe VD SWI 52:31 4:30:44 2:54:08
7 08:22:15 2 Tissink, Raynard Port Elizabe EC RSA 52:08 4:28:40 2:56:37
8 08:23:19 31 Boecherer, Andi Freiburg YES GER 51:49 4:25:46 3:01:44
9 08:25:42 19 McKenzie, Luke Bend OR USA 51:47 4:24:16 3:05:54
10 08:27:18 5 Al-Sultan, Faris Al-Ain ABU ARE 51:55 4:29:32 3:01:41
11 08:29:02 26 Lowe, Tom Ludlow SHR GBR 58:55 4:26:28 2:58:55
12 08:31:20 43 Fontana, Daniel settimo mila ITA ITA 51:54 4:30:59 3:04:04
13 08:35:18 49 Albert, Marko Tallinn HAR EST 51:43 4:36:43 3:02:56
14 08:35:53 27 Henning, Rasmus Tuineje ISL ESP 51:48 4:31:12 3:08:49
15 08:37:00 40 Viennot, Cyril BEAUVAIS PIC FRA 55:58 4:44:51 2:51:56
09:42

The top-15 women:
1 08:55:08 102 Wellington, Chrissie Feltwell NOR GBR 1:01:03 4:56:53 2:52:41
2 08:57:57 101 Carfrae, Mirinda Boulder CO USA 57:17 5:04:17 2:52:09
3 09:03:29 107 Cave, Leanda Tucson AZ USA 53:54 4:58:41 3:06:36
4 09:06:57 112 Joyce, Rachel London GRE GBR 53:56 4:58:57 3:09:55
5 09:07:32 103 Steffen, Caroline Spiez BE SWI 57:15 4:50:26 3:15:17
6 09:15:00 105 Thuerig, Karin Retschwil LUC SWI 1:12:19 4:44:20 3:13:31
7 09:15:17 113 Tajsich, Sonja Sinzing GER 1:06:57 4:58:55 3:04:47
8 09:17:56 116 Wurtele, Heather Kelowna BC CAN 58:43 4:59:10 3:15:29
9 09:18:11 123 Snow, Caitlin Brockton MA USA 58:47 5:20:57 2:53:51
10 09:19:52 117 Berasategui, Virginia Bilbao BIZ ESP 58:44 5:03:31 3:12:50
11 09:22:07 114 Morrison, Catriona Broxburn WES GBR 1:01:02 5:01:45 3:13:18
12 09:28:21 118 Deckers, Tine Kessel-Lo VLA BEL 1:04:53 5:00:04 3:19:09
13 09:29:08 110 Williamson, Kelly Austin TX USA 55:49 5:24:29 3:03:33
14 09:31:21 133 Badmann, Natascha Oftringen AAR SWI 1:07:04 5:00:29 3:16:44
15 09:34:06 128 Ellis, Mary Beth Superior CO USA 55:54 5:19:15 3:13:48

Here’s some course records and the complete list of Hawaii-based triathletes taking part in Saturday’s Ironman World Championship:

Complete list of Hawaii athletes:

Race #	First Name	Last Name	M/F	Age	City
1147    Ann     	Smith   	M	70	Hanalei
1174	Elke    	Lockett 	F	65	Kaneohe
1197	Markus  	Hamilton	M	60	Keauhou
1200	Patrick 	Bahurinsky	F	63	Hilo
1219	Bruno   	Rubio   	M	58	Kailua-Kona
1222	Neil    	Santos  	M	57	Honolulu
1229	Christopher	Harris  	M	56	Honolulu
1239	Alistair	Baker   	M	55	Kailua
1241	Kevin   	Kanemitsu	M	55	Mililani
1247	Shaun   	Greentree	M	55	Kailua-Kona
1268	T.J.    	Littrell	M	54	Hilo
1270	Peter   	Acheson 	M	54	Kailua-Kona
1289	Alexander	Brady   	M	51	Honolulu
1297	Allan   	Rodgers 	M	51	Arlington
1298	Jeffrey  	Dowling 	M	51	Honolulu
1303	Adam    	Herd    	M	50	Kailua-Kona
1317	Christian	Glaus   	M	50	Honolulu
1328	Luciano 	Higa-Miller	F	52	Kailua-Kona
1329	Joji    	Simmons 	F	52	Kailua (Oahu)
1344	Dale    	Herd    	F	50	Kailua-Kona
1357	Mitchell	McGain  	M	48	Paia
1358	Michael 	Nixon   	M	48	Kamuela
1359	Vladimir	Singson 	M	48	Kailua-Kona
1362	Carlos  	Price   	M	48	Mililani
1364	Markus  	Rodriguez	M	48	Kailua-Kona
1369	Assad   	Geoghegan	M	48	Honolulu
1375	Mark    	Kuwaye  	M	47	Honolulu
1376	Philip  	Curry   	M	47	Kailua-Kona
1383	Sébastien	Ferreira	M	47	Kaneohe
1390	Dalibor 	Hollinger	M	47	Kailua-Kona
1409	Todd    	Morrison	M	46	Captain Cook
1427	Cindy   	Manzano 	M	45	Honolulu
1464	Suzanne 	Sumic   	F	45	Waikoloa
1466	Alexandra	Fish    	M	44	Kaulua-Kona
1479	Jennifer	Olney   	M	44	Kailua-Kona
1484	Grada   	Dewald  	M	43	Mililani
1537	Valentino	Terada  	M	41	Redwood City
1550	Lionel  	Barcia  	M	41	Keaau
1564	Rob     	Ravaglia	M	40	Kamuela
1581	Michel  	Scheel  	F	44	Kailua-Kona
1582	Trevor  	Ottiger 	F	44	Honolulu
1584	Paul    	Racela  	F	44	Kamuela
1585	Wily    	Nixon   	F	43	Kamuela
1595	James   	Ferreira	F	42	Kaneohe
1620	David   	Ottman  	F	41	Paia
1642	Rinalds 	Henderson	M	39	Kailua-Kona
1644	Michael 	Jones   	M	39	Honolulu
1659	Tom     	Aldrich 	M	38	Honolulu
1664	Kurtis  	Yokoyama	M	38	Kapolei
1678	Carla   	Blackmore	M	37	Kihei
1741	Ana     	Simmons 	F	37	Kaneohe
1763	Travis  	Ross    	F	35	Honolulu
1784	Robert  	Branch  	M	33	Kailua
1796	Martin  	Woo     	M	32	Pearl City
1815	M. Chris	Flartey 	M	30	Kailua
1823	Michael 	Bess    	F	34	Waikoloa
1827	Johan   	Ravaglia	F	34	Kamuela
1844	Jennifer	Boll    	F	31	Honolulu
1851	Katrin  	Motloch 	F	31	Kailua-Kona
1859	Fiona   	Kaun    	F	30	Kaneohe
1876	Haley   	Williams	M	28	Honolulu
1892	Peter   	Yokoyama	M	26	Honolulu
1932	Jade    	Yannutz 	M	23	Hilo
1939	Rachel  	Perea   	M	21	Hilo

— Find out more:
www.ironman.com

(Lee Gruenfeld talks to physically challenged athletes – amputees)

I spoke with two athletes racing PC in Kona: Scott Rigsby and Andre Szucs

Scott Rigsby, 43, was the first double amputee to complete an Ironman. During his first attempt, in Coeur d’Alene, he crashed on the bike. Despite a cracked vertebra, he made it through 12 miles of the marathon before the injury overwhelmed him. A year later, in 2007, he did the “unthinkable” (which is also the title of his book) right here in Kona, finishing with 18 minutes left on the cutoff clock.

Andre Szucs, 31, was born with a malformation that required surgery at the age of nine months to allow the fitting of a prosthetic lower right leg. He’s also missing a couple of fingers and the first and second toes of his “good” left foot. Andre did Ironman Brazil in 2007 but this is his first trip to The Big One in Kona.

LG: I learned a whole new language talking to the wheelchair guys, and it looks like I have to learn another one for the PC division.

SCOTT: Oh, yeah: Singles vs. doubles, above-the-knee vs. below-the-knee…but unlike with wheelies, you can tell with one glance what the extent of the injury is.

LG: But only when you’re wearing shorts. If you’ve got long pants on, I often can’t see any sign at all that something’s missing.

SCOTT: Neither can I. A lot of that has to do with technology.

LG: André, was I hallucinating or did I see video of you surfing? And doing a lot better than I ever did?

ANDRÉ: That was me. I love the water. I was a competitive swimmer for eight years before I got into triathlon.

LG: You don’t wear a prosthetic in the water during a race, do you?

ANDRÉ: No. I leave my stump exposed or slip a liner over it.

LG: With one leg, aren’t you out of balance?

ANDRÉ: Yes, and that takes some getting used to. I also have to kick with my good leg but there’s no propulsion in it; I just do it to help me stay horizontal.

SCOTT: Propulsion is pretty much a non-issue for me, too. Even with four inches of leg below each knee, I don’t get anything out of kicking because it’s the foot that acts like a fin. So it’s just about minimizing drag by not letting your legs flail around the water.

LG: Can you wear any gear on your legs?

SCOTT: Depends on the rules of the race, but never anything that supplies propulsion. I’d like to wear something that will let me get out of the water and over to T1 more quickly but I don’t yet know what’s going to be allowed here. Part of the problem is that there’s a blanket rule against any kind of “add-on” at all. It was intended to prevent people from using things like flippers but it’s worded so broadly that it also covers things that could help you get out of the water but have no advantage while you’re still in it.

LG: Can you run or walk on your stumps?

SCOTT: Some people can but it’s tough for me, especially on a rough surface. I don’t want to start a 140.6-mile race on scratched up stumps. I also don’t want to risk tripping up athletes who might not notice me because I’m down so low.

ANDRÉ: First thing I check out at a new venue is what the water exit looks like and how far it is to T1. Are we talking stairs, ramp, sand? A cycling leg is really no good for walking but if it’s a relatively short, easy trip to transition, I can put it on right out of the water.

LG: How many legs do you have?

SCOTT: If you’re a triathlete, you’re going to have three sets: everyday walking, cycling and running.

ANDRÉ: And backups. Don’t forget those.

SCOTT: Right. One of the things I’m a little concerned about is how T1 is going to be set up for challenged athletes. We’ve got our own tent on the pier but Raj [triple-amputee Rajesh Durbal] and I alone have something like twelve legs. It’s going to look like a prosthetics factory in there on race morning.

LG: How difficult is it to get a leg on? I’m guessing you don’t just step into it like a ski boot, snap a couple of buckles and head off.

ANDRÉ: It’s a multi-step—

LG: Is that a pun?

ANDRÉ: Unavoidable. Happens all the time. Anyway, it’s a multi-step process involving silicon liners, fabric slip-ons, flexible carbon fiber, cups…

LG: So what is that actually keeps the leg attached firmly to the stump?

SCOTT: Suction. The urethane liner fits tight around the stump and up along the thigh. Then when you step into the prostheses and pull up an outer sleeve which creates a seal, the air is pumped out by an electric or mechanical pump, depending on the design, forming a vacuum seal that holds the whole thing on.

LG: What keeps the vacuum intact?

ANDRÉ: A one way valve. Every time you put pressure on your leg it forces air out through the valve but it can’t come back in.

SCOTT: The technology I use is an “elevated vacuum” system. The processor in the electric pumps sense changes in the vacuum level, and if it starts to weaken, the pump automatically restores the optimal vacuum level. The valve also expels sweat. Back in the old days—

LG: Old, like…

SCOTT: Four or five years ago. Sweat was a huge problem. In ’07 I was stopping every four miles on the run to take the leg off and pour cupfuls of sweat out. Blood, too.

LG: Blood?

SCOTT: Yep. The old style legs were pure hell on stumps. I had rings of flesh ripped off and was in agony the last three miles, and for five days afterward I was in a wheelchair.

ANDRÉ: Now there’s a whole wicking system and the valve expels sweat automatically, which was a tremendous advance. Of course, if the liner gets punctured for some reason, the vacuum is compromised and you wind up having to adjust things every few minutes.

LG: Are we talking bike or run now?

ANDRÉ: Both. Expelling sweat is as important on the bike as the run, because all of that moisture breaks down skin. By the time you get to the run you can be in real trouble.

LG: Now, is that the same system for both the cycling and running legs?

SCOTT: Yes, and walking, too. The interface between the stump and prosthetic is the same, but the prosthetic itself is completely different depending on the function. My cycling legs are an aerodynamic design. I don’t even bother with any kind of shoe. There’s just a pedal cleat at the bottom.

LG: How tough is it to get out of the pedal quickly if you need to?

ANDRÉ: A fall to my right side is a bit of a problem. It’s just not the same reflex to snap out.

LG: I imagine that the bike is much less traumatic for you than the run.

ANDRÉ: Far less. There’s a lot of rubbing but no pounding. But there’s also a balance issue for a single amputee, because one leg is working harder than the other and doing it on one side of the bike.

LG: Bike legs look relatively straightforward, but there seems to be some real intricacy to run legs.

ANDRÉ: There is, and getting everything locked in correctly is critical. I take a lot of time in T2 to make sure everything is exactly right.

LG: Looks like a lot of complex hardware there. Are you talking about adjusting all those screws and bolts?

ANDRÉ: No. There are three main section: foot, pylon and socket. You can pretty much figure out what each is.

LG: Got it.

ANDRÉ: So the most important is the socket, because that’s the “comfort point.” It’s the part that every amputee struggles with in the beginning, not only because it’s new but because the stump changes a lot before it settles down. And if you’re an athlete, it changes in the middle of the race. It gets compressed from all the pressure and pounding, and it can swell from the trauma, so you have to make adjustments in the middle of the race.

LG: Adjustments like…?

ANDRÉ: Slipping liners on and off to vary the thickness. But over time you figure things out, and the technology keeps getting better. I used to get terrible blisters that took weeks to recover from. At IM Brazil I was down on the ground with the foot off after about six miles, and had no intention of getting back up. A friend came by and urged me back up and I was able to block out the pain for a while. But with a few miles left I lied to him, told him I was fine and that he should go on, but the pain came back ten times worse.

LG: And now?

ANDRÉ: This year I got a new socket and did a 20K run that was pure heaven. Now the only thing I’m worried about in the Ironman run is myself, because I think the leg is going to be just fine. Which isn’t to say it’s going to be smooth sailing. If the stump swells and I take off the leg to get a breather, I might not be able to get it back on. You need to decide on the right liner, too: If it’s too tight, sweat will hurt you. If it’s too loose, things move around and can rub you raw. But as long as you’re not too beat up, you can stop in the middle of the race and pull liners on and off.

SCOTT: I’ve had the same problems. That run in ’07 was just awful. The advantage of the new elevated vacuum technology is that the high levels of vacuum create a stable environment that minimizes all that shrinking and swelling and trauma. Now let’s face it, I’m doing an Ironman. Even abled body athletes can’t say that they feel great after 140.6 miles. But this time I’m looking forward to being able to concentrate on just running instead of struggling with the equipment and worrying about how badly my legs are getting trashed.

LG: Has the foot part advanced much?

SCOTT: Interesting topic. There hadn’t been a major advance over the C foot in thirteen years.

LG: “C” refers to the shape of the carbon fiber arc?

SCOTT: Right, as opposed to the J. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the fiber half-circle has only one purpose, and that is to cushion the shock of each step. Other than that, there’s no “spring” like you get from your back foot when walking or running. There’s no mechanical advantage at all, and in fact it’s a deficit.

LG: You’re referring to Oscar Pistorious.

SCOTT: Sort of. I don’t really know that much about the specifics of his legs but I do know that it’s not like running on a set of springs. It’s more complicated than that. People with one good leg use the momentum it generates to swing the prosthetic leg through. If you’re missing both legs, you can’t get it that smooth.

LG: Rudy Garcia-Tolson doesn’t swing them through at all.

SCOTT: Right. He kicks his legs out in a wide arc to clear the ground. But a little while back I got a call from a company called Freedom Innovations that came up with a new idea to return a little energy to more closely mimic an able-bodied pushoff from the rear foot. They put a strip of carbon fiber across the “C” arc. It acts like a crossbow: When you step onto the foot, the strip bends and stores energy; when you release pressure, it snaps back into shape and provides a little pushoff. [see photo: “Scott-Rigsby-Catapult”]

LG: How effective is it?

SCOTT: Well, at first I kept breaking them one right after another! Took a lot of trial and error to get the right size strip for my weight and running style but I think we have it nailed now.

ANDRÉ: Stuff breaking is an issue, by the way. The foot takes a terrific beating and carbon fiber weakens and even delaminates over time. You’ve got to pay a lot of attention to make sure you spot it before it happens in a race.

SCOTT: I still don’t know if we’re even allowed to make repairs or replacements during the race. I’m hoping we find out at the race meeting.

LG: Just thought of something: Where did you guys qualify?

ANDRÉ: Interesting topic.

SCOTT: We didn’t. There’s no qualifying for PC. It’s all done by lottery.

LG: Curious. The wheelchair people have two qualifying races. Is it because the range of possible amputations is so wide? It wouldn’t really be fair to pit a double above-the-knee against a single below-the-knee with an Ironman slot hanging in the balance.

SCOTT: That’s got a lot to do with it. You’d need a whole lot of categories to make it completely fair, and that’s not practical. Not yet, anyway. But there are other ideas being discussed, like qualifying races where you can compete against people in similar condition even though you might still lump the whole category together once you get to Kona.

LG: You would need a lot of categories to cover everybody.

ANDRÉ: Compromises are inevitable. In my case, I’m missing some fingers, which makes it hard for me to brake on downhills, so I train with a time trial bike.

LG: What about shifting?

ANDRÉ: Not a problem.

SCOTT: The lottery system isn’t an unreasonable idea, but it’s frustrating because it’s so random. Everybody else can work harder and race their hearts out trying to win a slot. With us, you just roll the dice and hope.

ANDRÉ: Of course, that’s unique to Ironman. There are all kinds of other races that you can plan for in advance.

SCOTT: And don’t think I’m complaining. We’ve come a long way, baby.

A personal note:

When I first began speaking with challenged athletes in preparation for this piece, I thought I detected a little undercurrent of grumbling. There were thinly veiled references to inequities involving degrees of disability, race course rules that might not have been thought through fully, the frustrations of qualifying.

It was nothing compared to the litany of complaints you get from able-bodied competitors, but it was there, and it was surprising, at least to me.

I’d always thought that being allowed to compete alongside mainstream athletes was the acme of the challenged athlete’s ambition, and once you made it to Kona all you had to do is finish and you could ride off into the sunset, your life now complete.

Boy, was I stupid.

I’ve now done a complete 180, and if you were to ask me what I thought was the single brightest indicator of the advances made by these remarkable athletes, I’d say it was the grousing, hands down. Why?

Because it says that they’ve moved beyond the Hallmark moment and into the rarefied territory of the genuine athlete. Carlos Moleda, Scott Rigsby, Sarah Reinertsen, Rudy Garcia-Tolson and other pioneers have already proven that it can be done.

Step 1 (as André said…you can’t avoid leg puns) is over and is, like, so last year. They’ve moved beyond breaking ground and are now into breaking records. Scott came in with eighteen minutes on the clock last time.

This year? He wants to finish, take a shower and return to the pier in enough time to cheer the rest of the racers in.

Andre Kajlich wants to crack eleven hours, and so does Geoff Kennedy. (Guess which race-within-a-race I’ll be following.)

So the griping is a sign of health, of acceptance not only by the larger community but by themselves.

The morph from anomaly to athlete occurs when the question changes from “Can I finish?” to “How fast can I go?” to “Can I be the best?”

And anything that gets in the way, whether it’s a qualifying inequity or an ill-considered rule, is just another obstacle to be overcome in a lifetime of overcome obstacles.

Let the games begin…

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor

With Ironman set to take center stage Saturday, motorists are reminded of road closures and detours during the world triathlon championship.

Drivers are urged to use extra caution, be aware of runners, bikers, pedestrians and spectators, and to anticipate traffic delays.

Stretches of Queen Kaahumanu Highway between Palani Road and Kawaihae/Waimea Junction will be restricted Saturday beginning at 7 a.m.

Travelers are encouraged to head for Kona International Airport at least an hour early to make flights.

Police will tow illegally parked vehicles in and around Kona town center.

Road closures along Alii Drive:

* Kailua Pier and Kaahumanu Place will be closed 9 a.m. Thursday to noon Sunday.

* The section of road between Likana Lane and Kailua Pier will be closed 9 a.m. Thursday until noon Sunday.

* The section from Likana Lane to Hualalai Road will be closed 9 a.m. – midnight Saturday.

* The southbound lane of Alii Drive will be closed between Hualalai Road and Kahaluu Beach Park 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday.

Road closures on Hualalai Road:

* The section of road between Alii Drive and Kuakini Highway will be closed 6:30 a.m. – midnight Saturday.

Road closures on Kuakini Highway:

* The section between Palani Road and Makala Boulevard will be closed 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday; traffic won’t be allowed on the stretch between Palani and Hualalai roads 6:30 a.m. – noon with southbound lanes in the area remaining closed until midnight.

* The section of road between Palani Road heading south toward the Kahakai Estates subdivision will only be open to local traffic 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Road closures on Palani Road:

* The section between Kailua Pier and King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel will be closed 9 a.m. Thursday to noon Sunday.

* The area between the hotel and Kuakini Highway will be closed from 6 a.m. – midnight Saturday.

* The makai-bound lanes and one mauka-bound lane of Palani Road between Kuakini and Queen Kaahumanu highways will be closed 6 a.m. – midnight Saturday.

Road closures on Makala Boulevard:

* The stretch of road between Kuakini and Queen Kaahumanu highways will be closed 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Road closures on Queen Kaahumanu Highway:

* Henry Street to Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority will be closed 6:30 a.m. – midnight.

* From NELHA to Kawaihae Road, the highway will be closed 7 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Those heading to the airport Saturday should use Kaiminani Drive and those traveling to resorts should use Waikoloa Road.

* Akoni Pule Highway, between its junction with Kawaihae Road and Hawi, will be closed 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Access to Hawi is via Kohala Mountain Road from Waimea.

For further information, call the road closure hot line at 334-3400.

For road closure map, click on button below:

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