«Iron Men»: The History of the IRONMAN Tournament

Author: Maksim Markov - participant of the IRONMAN tournament.
2015-10-16

The History of the IRONMAN Tournament

Ironman (from English "Iron Man") originated in the distant year of 1978 in Hawaii. On February 18, 1978, 15 individuals decided to find out who among them was the most enduring person on Earth. To do this, they chose the sports disciplines and distances:

Open water swim of 2.4 miles (3.86 km),
Road cycling race of 112 miles (180.25 km),
Marathon — a run of 26.2 miles (42.195 km).

In total, they needed to cover 226 km (which is why it is called Ironman 140.6 mile) without breaks for rest. The only moment interrupting the stages was the change of equipment. As a result, only 12 finished the race.

Ironman is considered the most challenging single-day competition. An athlete must be equally well-prepared in three different sports: swimming, cycling, and running. Time cutoffs are established for each stage, and if an athlete fails to meet them, they are disqualified. At certified IRONMAN events organized by The World Triathlon Corporation, the typical time limit is 17 hours. Those who finish the race within this time receive a medal, a finisher's t-shirt, and the proud title of "Ironman."

For 39 years, the Ironman format has remained unchanged, and the Hawaiian Ironman is still considered a prestigious event in triathlon worldwide. It has been granted the status of the Ironman World Championship, preceded by a series of qualifying competitions (about 20 IRONMAN events) held in various parts of the world. Competitors can be men and women aged 18 and older. There is no upper age limit, highlighting the philosophy of the "iron" distance—everyone can give it a try.

However, there are several "iron" events that stand out. They are called Xtreme Ironman:

CELTMAN (Scotland)
SWISSMAN (Switzerland)
NORSEMAN (Norway)

These events are distinguished by particularly harsh conditions for holding competitions. Although the events occur in the spring and summer, this does not make things easier for participants, who begin their struggle during the swimming stage (with an average water temperature of around 10 degrees), continue with a very hilly cycling race under pouring cold rain, and finally run a marathon, during which they tackle mountains with a total elevation gain of up to 5 kilometers. In a regular Ironman, about 2500-2700 participants start, while in extreme triathlons, only 250-300 participants—who have passed rigorous selection—are allowed, and they can have support from 2-3 people during all race stages.

Several categories of athletes participate in the competitions: professionals (men and women — typically starting earlier than the main group), amateurs (men and women), and paratriathletes (people with disabilities).

To understand the difference between PRO athletes and amateurs, let's discuss the times at which both complete the Ironman. PRO athletes complete the "iron" distance in an average of 8 hours (the record belongs to Jan Frodeno at Challenge Roth - 7 hours, 35 minutes, and 39 seconds), while amateurs have an average time around 13-15 hours.

In literary works, the most interesting pieces about the "iron" distance are the biography of Australian professional triathlete Chris McCormack, "I'm Here to Win", and the book by John Callas, "There is an Ironman in Everyone." These works reveal the specifics of training for competitions, describe the rules and regulations of the race, as well as the authors’ feelings about repeatedly completing the Ironman. From these books, anyone can gain a wealth of knowledge and insights.

There is also the brand "Half Ironman 70.3", under the jurisdiction of The World Triathlon Corporation (“World Triathlon Corporation”) — this is exactly half the "iron" distance. There are over 25 popular events worldwide for those interested in less exhausting races than the full Ironman.

IRONMAN in Russia

The development of Ironman in Russia began in 2009 with Alexey Panferov, Viktor Zhidkov, and Andrey Dobrynin, who heard stories from an American colleague about Ironman and became inspired by the idea of triathlon. Knowing very little about the sport, they signed up for a competition in San Remo in May of that year.

After barely completing the Olympic distance, these determined Russian men were motivated to do everything right and improve their results. Systematic training began, along with numerous trips to events. A year later, in August 2010, Alexey Panferov conquered the seemingly unattainable peak — Ironman in Regensburg. Meanwhile, more close acquaintances became involved in triathlon. The idea emerged to create a website where friends could post reports and photos about various sports events and interesting travels. After several months of work, the all-Russian community Trilife was created. The community began to attract triathlon enthusiasts from all over the country. An active movement formed, united by a common passion—participating in and promoting Ironman races.

However, despite the active development, there are currently only about 650-700 men and women in Russia who hold the Ironman title. Think about it—only seven hundred people out of 148 million residents. In the Krasnodar region, there are currently three men who have been able to finish a certified "iron distance" — Sergey Peredel'skiy, Alexander Brykin, and I, the author of this article, Max Markov. The small number of Russian finishers can be explained by several reasons:

Triathlon is quite an expensive sport by Russian standards. The minimum gear includes a wetsuit for open water swimming, a road or triathlon bike, a triathlon suit, and running shoes, as well as travel abroad for competitions.
Lack of awareness of this sport among the general population.
Additionally, there are challenges with the training process, as triathlon is a "southern" sport for which outdoor training is often necessary. Considering that for most of the calendar year, the weather does not favor Russian athletes, they have to improvise and find compromise solutions (indoor pools, stationary bikes, and treadmills in gyms and stadiums).

In general, 2016 should become a kind of "renaissance" for amateur triathlon. Several companies are preparing a whole line of various triathlon events where any prepared individual can test themselves before the "iron" distance — super-sprint, sprint, "Olympic," and "half-iron" distances.

In 2016, there will be 3 events for the "iron" distance in Russia under different brands: "Titan" on August 7, 2016; "A1" on August 21, 2016; and "Ironstar" on September 25, 2016, where Russian professionals and amateurs can test their endurance.

However, despite all the challenges, more and more men and women are stepping up to the starting line, overcoming 226 km on their own feet to proudly reach the finish line and hear the phrase every "iron" person dreams of - You are an Ironman!