MEDIA RELEASE

World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of the portfolio that includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, Iron Girl and IronKids brands, announces its partnership with John Duke for the launch of a new magazine.

With plans to appear in late summer, the magazine will feature content for the serious and committed triathlete. Initial subscribers will be participants of domestic events within the 2010 Ironman and 70.3 Series. Digital
subscriptions are planned for international participants.


The new magazine called LAVA, which takes its name from the chain of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean where Ironman and the sport began, will take readers into the fiery center of triathlon.

While the Ironman World Championship hails as the pinnacle of the sport, athletes who value the regular and hard-core multisport experience will be the target for the magazine.

John Duke will oversee content for the brand and will serve as the magazine’s publisher and advertising director. Duke spent 14 years as publisher of Triathlete Magazine and most recently was Senior Vice President of the Print Media Division for Competitor Group.

“I could not imagine a better team to create the world’s leading triathlon publication,” says Duke. “Our team is excited to build a magazine for people who feel triathlon is not just a hobby, but rather a lifestyle. We are all looking forward to utilizing our first-hand racing experience, journalistic backgrounds and passion within the pages of LAVA.”

The team will consist of Susan Grant-Legacki, former editor of Inside Triathlon, along with Jay Prasuhn, who served as tech editor at Triathlete Magazine for 10 years.

Creative will be led by Erica Krystek, the former art director of Inside Triathlon, who was responsible for the redesign of Inside Triathlon’s re-branding in 2008.

The sales and advertising effort will be led by 11-time winner of the national track cycling championships, Sean Watkins, who was also the vice president of sales and event marketing for Triathlete Magazine.

Heather Gordon, who started at Triathlete Magazine 11 years ago and rose to the position of associate publisher rounds out the team.

Barry Siff reports on two of the latest inductees to the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame

Add one more accolade to the long list of deserved honors bestowed upon eight-time Ironman World Champion, Paula Newby-Fraser.

On Feb. 13, Newby-Fraser was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, along with four others including the former owner and race director of the Ironman World Championship, Valerie Silk. Other inductees included the founders of the U.S. Triathlon Series (which paved the way for the Olympic Distance triathlon in the early 80’s), Jim Curl and Carl Thomas, along with Olympian and perennial podium finisher, Barb Lindquist.

Silk was unable to attend the sold out banquet at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs as she is caring for her elderly parents, but she did provide her appreciation of the award through a written statement read by none other than “The Voice of the Ironman,” Mike Reilly.

While noting her appreciation for the award and recognition, she spent the vast majority of her comments applauding her fellow inductees. On Newby-Fraser, for example: “I still remember your grace under pressure, your poise, your kind and generous comments towards your fellow competitors and your easy smile for everyone.”

Newby-Fraser spent much her acceptance speech recognizing her fellow inductees. In particular she recalled that her first race in the U.S., after relocating here from her native South Africa, was at the Houston stop of Curl & Thomas’ U.S. Triathlon Series in 1986.

“What I remember from that race was that the swim buoys were being blown, and nobody realized it, so, the 1,500 meter swim turned into a 2.4 mile swim, taking about an hour. But I loved it. You just rolled with it back then.” Newby-Fraser acknowledged Curl, Thomas and Silk as “the first real race directors.”

Newby-Fraser also recalled the money and status of the sport in the 80’s vs. today. Pros like herself and the “big four” – Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Scott Tinley and Scott Molina – were making “some pretty good money,” living the sport full-time, fairly comfortably; but, as Newby-Fraser points out: “I raced a lot. I usually raced at least 20 times a year; and my first real job in the States was at a travel agency just so I could get a good deal to fly to all the races, as I followed the whole USTS circuit for quite a number of years.”

Newby-Fraser has already been inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame and the Triathlete Magazine Hall of Fame; but, “as I have lived over half my life in the United States, to be considered part of the history here, I was actually a bit overwhelmed when Skip (Gilbert, USAT CEO) called me to say I had won the award, because I looked to so many of the athletes of that era – Linda Buchanan, Colleen Cannon, the Puntous sisters … to me they were so iconic.”

Newby-Fraser, with her unequaled eight Ironman World Championships, 24 total Ironman career wins, an Ironman world record that stood for nearly 15 years and her 11th place overall finish in Kona in 1998, possibly the greatest ever achievement in endurance sports history, is now appropriately recognized as one of triathlon’s legends in the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.

Today, at 47, Paula Newby-Fraser is no longer actively racing, but is intricately involved with the sport, working full-time with the World Triathlon Corp, wearing two hats: Director of the Ironman Foundation (focusing upon the support of the communities in which the Ironman takes place), and working on “new development programs;” most notably, Newby-Fraser has helped develop, from the ground up, Ironman’s anti-doping program, which is in place today.

“We were probably running 4-5 tests a day running into Kona. The program is at a strong level today.”

Footnote: The first class of inductees into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame were: Jon Gray Noll, Verne Scott, Judy Flannery, Sheila Taormina, and Karen Smyers.

(Barry Siff was master of ceremonies at this year’s USAT Hall of Fame Banquet. He is a regular contributor to Ironman.com; and lives and trains with his wife Jodee and dog Jackpot, in Boulder, Colo.)

The start of the 2009 Ironman World Championship in Kona. (Photo courtesy of Ironman)

Kevin Mackinnon can’t figure out why the Ironman World Championship doesn’t get as much hype as the Super Bowl

Someone needs to explain this to me. On Sunday about 100 million people will tune in to the Super Bowl, where they will watch 47 members of the Indianapolis Colts take on 47 members of the New Orleans Saints actually play for a grand total of – are you ready for this – 12.5 minutes.

There’s no comparison between that and the Ironman World Championship in Kona, where you get to watch almost 1,800 athletes compete for anywhere from eight to 17 hours. What gives?

It’s not just the actual amount of physical exertion that puts Ironman way ahead of the Super Bowl when it comes to cool sporting events. Here’s my (very biased) list of how the Ironman World Championship is considerably more entertaining than the Super Bowl:

Women

About 30 percent of the participants at the Ford Ironman World Championship field are women. Seen any female players on the field at an NFL game recently? (OK, you’ve got me on the cheerleader thing … but I’ll choose to ignore that and respectfully move on.)

Venue

South Florida is nice. No two ways about it. Hawaii? Nicer. Hands down.

Cost

An upper level end zone seat at the Super Bowl goes for about $2,590, while a lower level 50 yard line seat goes for $6,590. Even then the only way you’ll really get really close to the action is through a pair of binoculars. Compare that to Kona, where you actually have to work hard to not get sprayed with sweat by athletes as they bike and run by.

The cost for that privilege? Nada. Zilch. Zero. (OK, I hear you. Yes, you’ve got your air fare and hotel bill to take care of and, yes, I am fully aware that tickets to Hawaii are a bit more than tickets to Miami. Once again, I’m going to ignore that and move on.)

Even watching the Super Bowl at home seems to cost a fair amount. Those 100 million Super Bowl watchers will spend, on average, about $53. Get a load of these numbers from selfdirectedinvestor.com:

The vast majority of spending (71.4%) will be on food and beverages, so it’s no surprise Super Bowl Sunday is the most important snack-purchasing day of the entire year, followed by the day before the big game.

And of course, football and beer go hand in hand – Super Bowl is ranked eighth on the list of highest beer-selling occasions for the year, with over 52 million cases sold during the two-week period surrounding the 2008 Super Bowl (Nielsen). No wonder Anheuser Busch buys the most ad time every year and plans 5 full minutes of spots this year!

It’s hard to eat that much during the Kona coverage – seeing how lean and fit everyone is makes you want to skip the next four or five meals, let alone reaching into the bowl for another handful of chips or cracking open another cold one.

Volunteers

The Ironman World Championship happens because of the hard work of about 5,000 volunteers. The Super Bowl requires about 6,000 volunteers. Here’s where we’ve got them beat, though … Super Bowl volunteers don’t get tickets to the game.

Our volunteers? They’re right in on the action. Many of them get to be right out on the course, baking in the sun for anywhere from eight to 12 hours. Some even work so hard on the event that they hardly get any sleep during race week. They get to carry sweaty bodies around after they collapse at the finish line. They get to clean up after …

OK – maybe the Super Bowl volunteer thing isn’t so bad, after all. I’ll just ignore that and … well, maybe I’ll just call this one a tie.

Athletes

Face it, us mortal beings can’t even begin to compare ourselves to the guys we’ll see vying for the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night. The average NFL football player is just under 6’ 2” tall (1.88 m) and weighs 245 lbs (111.36 kg). They’re huge. They’re fast. They are simply not built like the rest of us.

You can’t get inspired from Sunday night’s game, suddenly decide that you’re going to make a lifestyle change and then be able to compete at the Super Bowl in a year or two.

Countless lottery winners and Ironman qualifiers have done just that over the years in Kona. Look at the two Ironman size extremes on the men’s front: Greg Welch is, I believe, the lightest Ironman World Champion in history – well, lightest guy, anyway.

He started the race in 1994 at a whopping 132 lbs (60 kg) – who knows how far under 130 he was when he finished. I’ve owned dogs that were heavier than that. (Heck, I think my right leg weighs more than that.)

Even at 6’4” (1.95 m) and 209 lbs (95 kg), Ain Alar Juhanson, the heaviest Ironman champion I’ve ever met (Ironman Lanzarote) would probably get crushed during the first play of an NFL game. How many men fit between those two extremes? Am I safe to say “most?”

You can watch the Ironman World Championship and say “I can do that.” Unless you’ve been eating your Wheaties and living in a weight room for the past decade or so, that’s not an option when it comes to the Super Bowl. Even 300-pound Daryl Haley, who played in the Super Bowl during his eight year NFL career, managed to finish the Ironman World Championship.

Game / Race

During the 70s, the average winning margin at the Super Bowl was 11 points. In the 80s it was 22 points. The 90s saw things get a bit more exciting than the previous decade – the average winning margin was 14 points. (Which is still two touchdowns, I will point out).

Over the last 10 years things have got a bit more exciting and returned to the 11 point margin we saw during the 70s.

Not exactly nail-biting action. No wonder 51 per cent of the people watching say they’re most interested in the commercials.

While we haven’t ever seen a sprint finish for the win in Kona, I don’t think I’m too far out of line to say that even a four minute victory in a race that takes over eight hours is considerably closer than a two-touchdown win at a Super Bowl.

Here’s the other thing – when you have 25 age group categories, two pro categories and a number of physically challenged categories, at least one of them is going to be exciting. (Look, I know that you’re about to bring up the “Chrissie Wellington finished in another zip code” line I used during last year’s coverage. In case you haven’t figured all this out … I already said this was a biased look, so I’m going to ignore you yet again.)

Conclusion

The Super Bowl has nothing on the Ford Ironman World Championship. If you don’t agree … well, that’s fine. In case I haven’t been completely clear, I’ll simply ignore you and continue with my diatribe.

Now all I need to do is get Tim Tebow to help make a commercial, find the $3 million to air it and I’ll convince everyone else of that fact.

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com)

(Kevin Mackinnon catches up on the latest competition between Julie Dibens and Mirinda Carfrae)

As much as I feel that we couldn’t be much better represented by our two current world champions, Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington, there’s only one thing that we’re missing these days with their current domination of Ironman World Championship – neither are exactly renowned for their trash talking.

Can you imagine how much fun it would be to hear Chrissie actually predict that she’s going to finish two postal codes ahead of the next woman at next years race? Or for Chris Lieto to get the K-Swiss folks to put “you’re not going to catch me today, Crowie” on the back of his race singlet, and Alexander to come back with “sorry, mate, remind me again where you finished in Boise?”
(In case you aren’t quite as much of an Ironman junkie as I am, Alexander beat Lieto to the line in Boise in a sprint finish.)

Remember the good ol’ days? The days when Macca was playing head games with Normann and Faris? When reporting on the press conference in Kona was not unlike a pre-fight presser in Las Vegas? When post-race parties included shoving matches between some of the best in the sport?

Alexander isn’t one to get involved in those kind of games – I know that Chris McCormack has tried to bait his countryman in the past, without much luck. When I asked him why we didn’t see any jawing between the two, Macca said it just didn’t work.

“Crowie just tells me to shut up,” McCormack said. Hard to get much back-and-forth when the guy simply ignores you, isn’t it?

We did get a hint that Chrissie can actually do some trash talking last year – she did talk about a few guys getting “chicked” when she races. Bottom line, though, is this is a woman on her way to becoming a world-leading politician. There’s no way we’ll ever get anything too outrageous from her about her female competitors.

Luckily enough, though, we have some new players on the Ironman front who appear to be quite happy to take each other on the public stage. How competitive are Mirinda Carfrae and Julie Dibens? These two are even racing to see who can get the most followers on Twitter.

“woop woop – just made it to 900 followers – thanks for supporting people!” wrote Mirinda.

“getting close to 1000 followers. Will it just be like most of my races with @mirindacarfrae…after my strong start she pips me to the post,” tweeted Dibens.

“ha yeah right – you are like 50 up on me…. You might have too much lead on this one… But a race is a race & you are on!” replied Mirinda.

“yeah. I beat the rinsta @mirindacarfrae in our battle to 1000 followers. probably the only thing i will beat her in. But i’ll take it. 1-0,” gloated Dibens. (OK, maybe not exactly gloated, but I might as well see if I can stir up a bit more action on this front!)

“damn it!!! Might be a sign of what’s to come this year – dibens domination??? Race ya to 2000!!!” Mirinda replied. Dibens domination? She doesn’t seem to be ready to watch that happen anytime soon.

The two should follow their twitter race up with some exciting Ironman racing, too. Carfrae set a world best in winning the Foster Grant Ironman World Championship in 2007. Two years later she competed in her first Ironman in Kona, setting a marathon course record on her way to the runner up finish there.

Dibens (left) was so dominant in Clearwater last year that she was riding with the lead men’s group for a while on the bike ride. Wellington has said that when she’s riding with Dibens she often finds herself hanging on for dear life.

So right now Dibens is up 1-0. Neither gained any ground from my signing up as a follower today – I managed to move Dibens to 1,012 folllowers and keep Carfrae just 30 behind at 982.

Let the games begin! Maybe we can get Chrissie Wellington in on the action. In fact, with her right wrist in a cast right now, she probably has just the handicap she’ll need to keep things interesting.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, mackatakdad has a grand total of two followers – I’ll quite happily stay clear of Mirinda Carfrae or Julie Dibens in any sort of a race.

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com)

MEDIA RELEASE

For the 19th consecutive year the 2009 Ironman World Championship broadcast will air on NBC (Channel 8), 11:30 a.m. Saturday,  Dec. 19.

The telecast will highlight the physical and emotional journey taken by athletes during the renowned 140.6-mile triathlon. Veteran sports commentator and narrator Al Trautwig will provide the voiceover.

Athletes profiled in the Emmy-award-winning program range from professionals including Great Britain’s three-time Ironman world champion Chrissie Wellington to physically challenged athletes, military veterans, retired professionals and weight loss success stories.

In its 31st year, the Ironman World Championship start cannon sounded Oct. 10, 2009. Nearly 1,700 of the world’s fittest athletes braved the harsh elements of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in an attempt to earn the title of “Ironman.”

Temperatures on event day reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit and higher at certain times on the bike and run portions. Athletes ranging in age from 20 to 80 years competed in the 2.4-mile Pacific Ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon in a classic battle of human motivation versus sweltering heat and mental and physical fatigue.

“Each year we look to inspire our viewers with the raw power and competitive nature of the professional athletes along with the impressive stories of courage and determination demonstrated by all participants,” said Peter Henning, vice president of television production for Ironman. “The course might not change year to year, but the drama continues to intensify.”

The broadcast captures the emotion of the day and features head-to-head competition among the top male and female professionals.

The program documents Australia’s Craig Alexander as he adds a second consecutive Ironman World Championship title to his resume and Wellington, who secures her third by breaking the course record of Ironman great, Paula Newby-Fraser of Zimbabwe, with an overall time of 8:54:02.

The program also highlights the 17-hour challenges of several unique professional and age group athletes who define the meaning of inspiration and bring to life the “Anything is Possible” mentality.

Featured athletes include:

* Decorated professional and 2009 top American finisher Chris Lieto, the former surfer and college water polo player with three top-10 finishes at the Ironman World Championship

* Matt Hoover, season two winner of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” who gave it his best to be an official Ironman finisher, but crossed the finish line mere minutes after the midnight cut-off time

* Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a double-amputee with numerous world records, who completed an impressive swim but narrowly missed the cut-off after biking the 112-mile course

* Four-time Lymphoma survivor and heart transplant recipient Kyle Garlett, who was not able to complete the challenging swim within the allotted timeframe

* Mike Adamle, a former professional football running back and well-known national and Chicago-area sportscaster, who tested his strength and drive for the second time in Kailua-Kona

Ultraman champion Alexandre Ribeiro gets a hug from sons Kailani and Kaipo, and friend Jose Ponciano. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

A couple of familiar faces got to wear smiles of triumph Sunday afternoon as the men’s and women’s defending champions retained their crowns.

Brazilian Alexandre Ribeiro and Texan Shanna Armstrong had the quickest cumulative times of the three-day, 320-mile Ultraman Triathlon World Championship course.

Between the two endurance athletes, they now can claim 10 Ultraman World Championships.

However, the most remarkable stat of the day came from Ann Heaslett, who knocked an astounding 35 minutes off the women’s run course record, which had stood at 7 hours, 49 minutes and 37 seconds since 1989.

Heaslett, a doctor from Wisconsin, crossed the finish line in 7:12:07.

One relay team and 37 individual racers started; 34 athletes – ranging in age from 26 to 65 – and the team finished.

Men

Ribeiro, 44, crossed the finish line with his crew, which includes trainer Jose Ponciano and sons Kailani and Kaipo.

Former champion and 2009 fourth place finisher Peter Kotland starts his post-race routine. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

His good friend and sometime training buddy, Miro Kregar, 47, actually had the best run time at 6:20:7.

However, once officials added up their times for the 6.2-mile swim, 261.4-mile bike and 52.4-mile run, Ribeiro just pipped Kregar, 22:10:22 to 22:39:14.

Third place went to Peter Kotland who ran 6:47:49 and had a total time of 23:04:56.

Fourth place, and the highest place ever for an Australian athlete, was Mike Le Roux at 23:07:04.

The top Hawaii finisher top fifth place. Rip Oldmeadow, 40, of Kailua-Kona, finished in 24:17:15.

Kotland said it seemed a little cooler this year than previous years.

The 37-year-old professional triathlete who makes his home in South Carolina said strong headwinds toward the end of Friday’s bike leg into Volcano taxed the entire field.

“That just took more out of everybody but it’s the same for everybody,” he said. “The first 20 miles of the run was overcast and a little cooler I think. Actually I can’t think right now. Ask me five months from now and I’m sure I’ve have a different answer.”

After three Ultramans – including the 1997 world championship title – and six Ironmans, what’s the attraction for Kotland?

“I am from Czech and we do not celebrate Thanksgiving. I have nothing better to do on this weekend. I like the race,” he said. “I am crazy – why else would I do this race?”

Ribeiro’s crew member and helper Ponciano said his friend is a little ‘loco,’ too, especially after Ribiero recorded a 2:58 time for the first half of the run and cruised to the finish line under 6:40.

“The first day was OK with the swim, but very hard in the afternoon. The second day was a very bad day, cold and rainy,” he said. “But today was a great day. He was running very strong and pushing very hard in the beginning part.”

Ann Heaslett shatters the women's run record by 35 minutes. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Women

The field of 10 women managed to rewrite the record books this year.

Shanna Armstrong, who already owned three of the five fastest Ultraman times ever, missed out on the course record by less than three minutes and was eighth overall.

Armstrong, a 35-year-old massage therapist from Lubbock, Texas, was racing in her seventh Ultraman.

By weekend’s end she can say she is just the second woman ever to complete Ultraman in under 26 hours.

The only woman to come in under Armstrong’s time was Tina Bischoff in 1989. Bischoff also set the women’s run record that year.

Heaslett, 46, landed fourth on the all-time list by recording 27:18:32 in 2007, and was out to prove she could better that time.

She not only shattered the run course record, beaten on the day by only four men, but carved 37 minutes off her 2007 time and settled for the third quickest time on the list with 26:31:45.

Despite suffering from chronic high hamstring tendonitis and suffering through Ironman Wisconsin, Heaslett said she wasn’t sure what to expect this weekend.

“I was hoping to do what I did in 2007, about a 7:38,” she said. “This was a really good run.”

Kathy Winkler, a 43-year-old kindergarten teacher from California, was fast enough to be the second woman at 26:04:54 and 10th overall.

In her first Ultraman, she landed third on the all-time list.

“Ultraman seems to be an event that is more concerned about the participants than promoting itself. I was looking for an event that has less hype and more of a love of endurance racing,” she said. “I am thinking there is a lot less ego involved with more of a community/family feeling, and less of a competition to beat others.”

Trix Zgraggen, a 42-year-old homemaker from Switzerland, finished fourth at 27:13:29, and rounding out the top five was Kimmie Rouse, a 54-year-old California flight attendant, at 28:53:19.

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

Stage II was all about the weather. The Hawaii 24/7 roving correspondent Paul Aguirre said the Big Island offers up nothing but challenges for these athletes.

“First thing this morning, it was cold and wet. Then it was windy and sunny, then hot and by the time we got up toward Kohala is was cold and windy again,” Aguirre said. “These guys are just amazing.”

By the time the sun set on Saturday, the triathletes had made the Stage II stop in Hawi and hunkered down to prepare for Sunday’s 52.4-mile run back along the Kohala Coast to the finish line at Old Kona Airport.

Ultraman, celebrating its 25th anniversary, starts with a 6.2-mile swim from Kailua Pier to Keauhou and a 261.4-mile bike course that runs from Keauhou to Volcano and then from Volcano to Hawi.

With time cut offs at 5.5 hours for the swim and 12 hours for each of the other legs, Ultraman only invites the best of the best endurance athletes from around the globe.

Because this year is a milestone anniversary, the field sports only the elite. And not all of them are having a good time.

Roland Patzina, a truck driver from Germany is competing in his sixth Ultraman, didn’t even want to talk about his day.

Are you tired? No, he said. How is your race so far? I am a hard man.

Yes, he sure is.

Aguirre is serving on Patzina’s support crew and watched as the 43-year-old suffered jelly fish stings during the swim and was buffeted, like the rest of the field, by some serious head winds around South Point during Stage I.

Stage II presented more obstacles for Patzina, who typically races with the front or middle of the pack.

His bike chain stuck and he was forced to cycle uphill in the toughest gear. Patzina also had to overcome five, yes, you read that right, FIVE flat tires during Saturday’s ride from Volcano, through Hilo up to Hawi.

Some may recall Ironman champion Normann Stadler being stymied by two flat tires and a bee sting. He was reduced to tears and actually flung his bike into the lava fields when his race went horribly wrong.

Patzina, however, insists he is a “hard man from Bavaria” and would never, never quit.

Some helpful bike mechanic work from another team’s crew and Patzina was back on course, finishing well within the 12-hour cut off.

Racers will be raring to go at 6 a.m. Sunday and the first athletes are expected at Old Kona Airport sometime shortly after noon. That mean’s they’ll be running sub-4 hour marathons … both of them.

The first mens’ and womens’ finishers, the first three men and women in each age division, may receive individual recognition Monday evening at the Awards Presentation.

— Find out more:

ultraman.com

For the full roster of the 2009 athletes and their biographies, visit:

ultramanlive.com/2008-ultraman-world-championships/2009-entrant-bios/

Photography by Baron Sekiya | Hawaii 24/7

Triathletes get ready for the start Saturday morning during Stage II of the Ultraman World Championships in Volcano.

Just about ready to start of the bike race in Volcano.

The pack tries to catch the leader as they head down Volcano towards Puna. Highways were slick and rainy in the area.

The leader heads down from Volcano for Puna.

More info: ultramanlive.com

And they're off ... see ya Sunday. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

UPDATED, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27

The Hawaii 24/7 special correspondent on one of the Ultraman crews reports Stage 1 was tough on all the competitors. A strong headwind around South Point battered the cyclists and their times, with many arriving in soggy Volcano later than expected.

Two or three athletes did not make the swim cut-off.

Stage 2 takes the cyclists from their over-night stay in Volcano up through Hilo.

The 25th edition of the Ultraman World Championships got underway as dawn broke Friday over Kailua-Kona.

Thirty-seven of the world’s top athletes, plus one relay team, jumped into the water at 6:30 a.m. for the 6.2-mile swim to Keauhou, then it’s on their bikes to Volcano. Days 2 and 3 will see them continue around the island, finishing at Old Kona Airport Park sometime after noon Sunday.

Kathy Laska, 36, of Massachusetts, is competing in her first Ultraman, but she has some experience.

She served on the support crew for her dad, David Wilson, in 2001, got hooked on endurance sports, raced Ironman in Kona back in 2007 and finished two Boston marathons.

“It’s harder for him this year to watch her,” said her mom, Janet. “He’s recovering from back surgery, back he’s here for her.”

Laska’s husband, Brian, said it’s not so hard for him.

“It’s fantastic. She works out all the time, so I just get to play golf,” he said.

Compared to the very serious business that is Ironman, Janet said the Ultraman is almost calm.

“This atmosphere is so amazing,” she said. “They just want to finish and they are all here for each other. They are incredible.”

Her dad, David, didn’t admit being nervous.

“She’s done everything right. I hope she just has a good race,” he said.

“You know, when she crewed for me in 2001, she couldn’t bike or swim,” David said. “She really wasn’t an athlete. But I’ve been  doing marathons for 25 years, so I guess it’s in her. I’m so proud of her I don’t think I have the words.”

— Find out more:

www.ultramanlive.com

Oh, sure. He's smiling NOW. (Hawaii 24/7 photos by Karin Stanton)

Ultraman World Championships blasts off 6:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27 at Kailua Pier. (Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Media releases compiled by Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Contributing Editor

The 25th Anniversary Ultraman World Championships features a near-full field of former finishers for the anniversary event.

As of 2010, entrants to the Ultraman World Championships will need to be former individual finishers of either Ultraman Canada or Ultraman World Championships and have completed at least an Ironman distance race in the 18 months prior.

The 3-day, 320-mile individual ultra-endurance event runs completely around the Big Island. Entry is limited to 35 participants and is by invitation only.

* FRIDAY, Nov. 27, 2009 – Stage I start time 6:30 a.m. – 6.2-mile ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile 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.

* SATURDAY, Nov. 28, 2009 – Stage II start time 6:30 a.m. —  171.4-mile 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.

* SUNDAY, Nov. 29, 2009 – Stage III start time 6 a.m. – 52.4-mile 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. 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.

Limited to 35 athletes, and 5 relay teams, participants are expected from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, 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.

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.

Top Men’s contenders

Alexandre Ribeiro, Brazil, 44 – three time winner, defending champion

Peter Kotland, South Carolina, 37 – 1997 winner

Miro Kregar, Slovenia, 47 – 2nd in 2001, 3rd in 2208

Jochen Dembeck, Germany, 42 – 6th in 1999

Peter Mueller, Switzerland, 47 – 3rd in 2001

Mike Le Roux, Australia, 33

Gary Wang, California, 42

Rip Oldmeadow, Kailua-Kona, 40

Mark Ford, California, 47

Top Women’s contenders

Shanna Armstrong, Texas, 35 – five time winner

Ann Heaslett, Wisconsin, 45 – 2nd in 2007

Toni Barstis, Michigan, 43

Suzanna Degazon, California, representing Puerto Rico, 45 – 12th consecutive Ultraman Hawaii start

Trix Zgraggen, Switzerland, 43

Sheena Miller, Canada, 26

Top course times – Men

1998 – Holger Spiegel – 21:41:22

2004 – Jonas Colting – 21:41:49

2008 – Alexandre Ribeiro – 21:49:38

1997 – Peter Kotland – 21:52:51

2007 – Jonas Colting  - 21:59:44

Top course times – Women

1989 –  Tina Bischoff – 25:45:51

2008 – Shanna Armstrong – 26:25:03

2007 – Shanna Armstrong – 26:43:24

2007 – Ann Heaslett – 27:18:32

2003 – Shanna Armstrong – 27:31:51

— Find out more:

ultramanlive.com

MEDIA RELEASE

Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington, swept the United States Sports Academy’s Male and Female Athlete of the Month honors for October, according to a press release sent out by the academy.

Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington

Alexander, from Australia, won his second straight Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona. Running in stifling heat, Alexander completed the 140.6 mile endurance test in 8 hours, 20 minutes, 21 seconds. He became just the fourth man to win back-to-back titles.

Wellington, of the United Kingdom, captured her third consecutive Ironman. Her time of 8:54.02 smashed a course record that lasted 17 years and was only 35 minutes behind Alexander and 20 minutes ahead of the nearest female competitor.

Finishing a close second in the male category was Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee, who dominated batters during Major League Baseball’s postseason.

Taking second in the female category was American gymnast Bridget Sloan, who edged teammate Rebecca Bross to win the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics all-around championship in London. Sloan finished with 57.825 points and became the fifth American woman to win the world all-around title.

At the end of each year, the Athlete of the Month contests culminate in the Academy Athlete of the Year worldwide fan vote, hosted by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com.

Each month’s winners are automatically added to the Athlete of the Year ballot.

The United States Sports Academy is an independent, non-profit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research and service.

The role of the academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports.

— Find out more:

Ironman: www.ironman.com

United States Sports Academy: www.ussa.edu

(Kevin Mackinnon catches up with Virginia Berasategui, who finished third at this year’s Ironman World Championship)

Her podium finish at this year’s Ironman World Championship could hardly be considered a surprise, but for Virginia Berasategui the third place finish fulfilled a family dream – her father, Javier, was the first man from Spain to compete at the Ironman World Championships – needless to say he was a proud papa after his daughter’s impressive performance this year.

While it seems as though she’s been destined to compete in Ironman events, her arrival on the Ironman scene in 2004 with a win at Ironman Lanzarote came a bit earlier than expected.

Virginia Berasategui

“I have always said my dream is to win an Ironman … now I have realized my dream,” Berasategui said after the win on the Canary Island.

Berasategui had come to Lanzarote with some impressive credentials, but for many in the Ironman world she was a relative unknown. Her first top distance result came in 1997 when she finished third at the ITU World Championships in Nice.

It wasn’t until 2002 before she duplicated that feat, once again finishing third when Nice hosted the World Championships.

The real breakthrough came in Ibiza in 2003 when Berasategui flew through the bike course to a 10-minute lead and held that lead through the line to give the Spanish crowd a home-grown champion to cheer for.

After winning in Ibiza, the then-28-year-old set her sights on the Olympics. She began the difficult task of amassing enough ITU points to qualify for the 2004 ITU World Short Course Championships in Madeira, which would serve as Spain’s Olympic qualifying trials.

Things were going well on that front – she had to be in the top 125 in the ITU standings to be eligible to race on the Portuguese island, and appeared ready to do that after a series of top finishes through the fall. Then a crash at the European Championships put her back in the standings – instead of a top finish, she would end up crossing the line in 18th and lost valuable points.

Beresategui arrived in Madeira sitting 127th in the ITU standings – just two places short of a guaranteed spot in the elite field. She couldn’t get herself a “wild card” spot in the race, and suddenly found her Olympic dream dashed.

She didn’t spend much time moping, though. Having grown up watching her swim coach/ triathlete/ businessman father somehow manage to fit his own Ironman training around an insanely busy schedule, Berasategui had been dreaming of competing in an Ironman for as long as she had been racing.

Determined to follow in Javier’s footsteps – who had finished Kona in 10:54 in 1988, suddenly the lost opportunity of the Olympics became an opportunity to try to compete in Kona.

She made the decision to compete in Lanzarote less than two weeks before the race, but after a winter of hard training followed by a spring full of fast short course racing, Berasategui was perfectly prepared for her Ironman debut.

After taking a sizable lead off the bike, Berasategui was able to cruise through the run, claiming her first Ironman win in her first Ironman race.

“At this moment I must say thanks that I’m not going to the Olympics,” an ecstatic Berasategui said shortly after crossing the line. “I have always said my dream is to win an Ironman … now I have realized my dream.”

Fast forward five and a half years and you find an ecstatic Berasategui sitting through a press conference in Kona, where she is sitting next to Chrissie Wellington and Mirinda Carfrae.

After a DNF in her first Kona appearance, she had finally managed a sixth place finish in 2008.

“For me this Ironman is tougher than Lanzarote,” she said, when asked how she found the Kona course compared to the mountainous races she has typically done well at. “Coming from the Basque country, I like courses that are really hard like Lanzarote and Wildflower. So when I’m here I have to work on riding better on the flats by working on my power and my position.”

The inevitable question had to be asked – how much did her performance mean to her and her father, who had been her first coach as well as her Ironman inspiration?

“I was the boy he couldn’t have for sports, but I think it’s worked out. I was just talking with him and I know that he’s proud of me,” she said. “I could sense that there was a tear in his eye.”

(Reach Kevin Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com)

(Kevin Mackinnon catches up with the winner of this year’s Ironman XC competition in Kona)

What happens when you put a bunch of competitive corporate leaders on an Ironman course? This year’s Ironman Executive Challenge (Ironman XC) offered the answer to that question.

You get a race that features a bunch of very competitive type A personalities battling along the Queen Kaahumanu highway with lead changes and excitement to match the pro race. In the end it was David Mullaney, Edgen Murray’s Vice President of Offshore Construction, who took the title as the Ironman XC Series Champion.

David Mullaney (Photo courtesy of Ironman)

“It was fun because I got to pass two other guys during the marathon,” Mullaney, 43, from Haverford, PA, recounted of the competitive race that saw him beat Ted Herget by just over 4 minutes. This was Mullaney’s third trip to Kona for the Ironman World Championship and by far the most successful.

“The first two times were disastrous,” Mullaney said. “The last time was in 2006 – it was such a horrible experience that I didn’t do another Ironman for another year. I bonked on the bike. I thought I was prepared, but I didn’t eat or drink enough. It was just a bad day that spiralled out of control from there. It was not good.”

This year’s experience as part of the Ironman XC program certainly helped erase that bad memory. In addition to his great race, Mullaney says the XC program made things much easier, too.

“Troy Ford (the Ironman XC Director) did an phenomenal job,” Mullaney said. “He engaged all of the participants. He went out of his way to make sure everyone felt like he was working 100 percent for them. He made sure everyone’s family was taken care of. He thought of everything and also managed to keep things low key.”

Despite all that, there were still times during this year’s race when Mullaney, who had qualified for Kona through the Ironman XC program in Louisville, wasn’t convinced the day would go as well as it did.

“The bike was unbelievably hard,” he said. “Once you get off the bike, though, then you know you’re going to finish.”

Mullaney credited better training and being more “regimented with his nutrition and salt tablets” for his improved performance in Kona this year.

So how does a busy corporate executive fit in the training required to compete at the Ironman World Championship?

“Going to bed at 9 at night before my 8-year-old son and getting up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. for my workouts,” Mullaney said with a laugh. (He has two children, Jackson and Darby.) “That, and having an understanding wife (Kathryn) on Saturdays when I do my longer training days.”

While he’s traveling, Mullaney has to settle with run workouts, as swim and bike workouts are hard to fit in. When he’s at home, though, he gets in 12- to 15 hours of training each week.

All that training is now part of Mullaney’s lifestyle, but it hasn’t always been. It was at a party in 2001 when Mullaney first got introduced to triathlon – one of his friends was doing a sprint the next day and offered to lend him a bike so he could tag along.

He hadn’t swam “more than five yards in 20 years,” but somehow managed to complete the race, although he was so tired by the run that he could barely move.

Determined to improve, Mullaney started training and quickly moved up the triathlon distance ladder – he did a 70.3 distance race, then “got convinced” to do his first full-distance Ironman in Lake Placid. Now training is an integral part of his life.

“This is my vice,” he said. “A lot of my friends do Ironman as well.”

Even though the folks at work think his “vice” is crazy, his participation is making a difference – now there are enough co-workers who do triathlon that he’s working on putting a triathlon team together within Edgen Murray, a leading global distributor of specialty steel products primarily to energy infrastructure markets.

With a leader who holds the title as Ironman XC athlete of the year, how can they go wrong?

Look for the soon-to-be-finalized 2010 Ironman XC calendar at www.ironnmanxc.com

(Reach Mackinnon at kevin@ironman.com)