Categorized | Multi-sport, Sports

27th Anniversary of the Ultraman World Championships Friday (Nov 25)

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

RACE # NAME AGE COUNTRY OCCUPATION
538 Giorgio Alessi 46 ITALY Phys Ed Teacher
539 Riccardo Alessi 42 TX, USA EMT / Massage Therapist
540 Laurie Beers 57 F Kona, HI, USA Beach Lifeguard
541 Duncan Cairns 42 AB, CANADA IT Business Analyst
542 Rusty Carter 36 CA, USA Dir. Product Management
543 Nino Cokan 38 SLOVENIA Event Organizer
544 Jonas Colting 38 SWEDEN Athlete/Health Consultant
545 Michael Coughlin 38 ON, CANADA Medical Physics Technician
546 Juan Craveri 43 ARGENTINA Business Owner
547 Suzanna Degazon 47 F GREAT BRITAIN PADI Scuba Instructor
548 Bertrand Dor 60 NJ, USA Perfumer
549 Christpher Draper 35 NJ. USA Registered Dietitian
550 Kelly Duhig 43 AUSTRALIA Triathlon Coach
551 Cory Foulk 53 Kona, HI, USA Architect / Scientist
552 Scott Gower 46 CA, USA Sports Shop Owner
553 Jeremy Howard 31 CT, USA Student/ Coach
554 Miro Kregar 49 SLOVENIA Telekom Technician
555 Kathy Laska 38 F MA, USA Biotech Sales
556 Consuela Lively 40 F FL, USA Endurance Coach
557 Vanuza Maciel 41 F BRAZIL Triathlon/Run Coach
558 Sergio Meniconi 46 Kona, HI, USA Unemployed
559 Amber Monforte 33 F NV, USA Registered Nurse
560 Amy Palmiero-Winters 39 F NY, USA Consultant/Mentor/Coach
561 Roland Patzina 45 GERMANY Truck Driver
562 Adam Peruta 33 NY, USA College Professor
563 Martin Raymond 49 ON, CANADA Fitness & Sports Instructor
564 Alexandre Ribeiro 46 BRAZIL Triathlete/Coach
565 Alice Robb 33 F AUSTRALIA Director/Business Owner
566 Rich Roll 45 CA, USA Writer
567 Kimberlee Rouse 56 F CA, USA Flight Attendant / Realtor
568 Mike Rouse 59 CA, USA Sports Sales
569 Susan Smith Nixon 43 F Kamuela, HI, USA District Manager – Starbucks
570 Milton de Souza 37 BRAZIL Military & Coach
571 Dan Squiller 54 CA, USA CEO
572 Drake Tollenaar 42 OR, USA Chiropractic Sports Physician
573 Andres Traslosheros 41 MEXICO Corporate Attorney
574 Gary Wang 44 CA, USA Engineering Director
575 David Wilson 65 MA, USA Engineer

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.