30 years has gone by and for some I am sure it feels like yesterday when just a handful where standing on the line to start the 1st Ironman. It all started with an announcement at the Waikiki Swim Club Awards in 1977. To settle a "lively discussion" about who were the fittest athletes, swimmers, bikers or runners, John Collins and his wife Judy came up with the idea of combining the Waikiki Roughwater Swim, the Around-Oahu Bike Race (shortened by two miles to make for an easier transition) along with the Honolulu Marathon.
That race was won by Gordon Haller. John Collins finished in just over 17 hours, the time that has become the official cut off time for the event. A year later Tom Warren won and it was the feature on Warren and the race in Sports Illustrated that set the wheels rolling for Ironman to become a worldwide phenomenon.
So to start the week off right, leading up to the Ironman Championship Ironman has launched a special section all for KONA. You can find News, Course Maps, Race Coverage and much more, plus on Saturday, October 11th 2008 you can watch the race live on your computer. Get ready finish the season off right, in a chair watching the Ironman.
Cheers
Posts
