Ironman New Zealand

What motivates someone to swim, bike and run 226kms in a single session within a 17 hour time limit? What is it about that finishing line that marks the end of a journey, the culmination and fulfilment of a dream, the achievement of a life time goal and the smashing of previously restrictive barriers?

The Ironman is special. A race for some, a right of passage for most.

For 22 years the Ironman NZ triathlon has drawn people to it, to test their will and to define their lives. Every year they come to battle the elements, their bodies and their mins, every year the race is harsh, many do not make it, but every year athletes from all over the globe come to experience the legend that is Ironman.

This year will be no different, and judgment day will be March 3rd 2007. Elites, professionals, age groupers all start at the same time and for all for both the rules are the same. Start at 7am and finish by midnight. Finish no matter what! This year many will race the 226kms not only for themselves but also for people affected by Cystic Fibrosis, the races official Charity.

The history of Ironman

The Ironman Triathlon was born on the Hawaiian island of Oahu in 1978. During the awards ceremony for a Hawaii running race, a debate ensued among competitors about who was more fit -- swimmers, runners or other athletes. One of the participants, Navy Commander John Collins and his wife Judy, created a race to settle the argument. They proposed combining three existing races together, to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event and 114 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). "Whoever finishes first we'll call the 'Ironman,'" said Collins.

Fifteen men participated in the initial event; 12 completed the race, led by the first Ironman, Gordon Haller. His winning time: 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds. The event was moved to the Big Island in 1981 to the town of Kailua-Kona. In 1982 race history occurs. Julie Moss, a college student competing to gather research for her exercise physiology thesis, steadfastly moves toward the finish line in first place despite becoming severely fatigued and dehydrated. In the homestretch, she staggers like a punch-drunk boxer. Just yards away from the finish line, she falls to the ground and is passed by Kathleen McCartney for the women's title, Moss nevertheless crawls to the finish line. Her courage and determination inspires millions as it is relayed via TV all over the world and with it creates the Ironman mantra that "just finishing is a victory." Since then the legend and legacy of Ironman grows stronger each year.

The Ironman Triathlon World Championships has always been a race that not only rewards and showcases athletic excellence, but it is a race that simultaneously allows for "ordinary" athletes to participate alongside the elite. Thousands of people apply each year for a chance to race amongst the world's greatest athletes by winning one of 200 lottery slots that will see them on the start line next to the best elite and age group winners who have qualified at various Ironman races from around the world. One of those qualifying races is the Bonita Ironman New Zealand, the oldest international Ironman race, in its 22nd year.

For Further Information visit

http://www.ironman.co.nz

http://www.ironmanlive.com

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