Ultimate Athletes

The first Ironman triathlon competition, held in Hawaii in 1978, was the result of an argument between several Navy Seals, stationed on the islands. They couldn’t agree on who were the fittest athletes in the world: swimmers, cyclists or runners. John Collins and his wife, Judy, suggested that the only way to find out was to include all three sports in a single, 17-hour race. The 15 competitors in that event swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles. Now international in scope, Ironman triathlons will be held at 18 locations this year with an expected 22,000 participants.