Ultraman (endurance challenge)
The Ultraman World Championship is a three-day, 320 mile (515-km) annual endurance race held on the Big Island of Hawaii. The race is divided into three stages over three days: The first is a 6.2-mile (10-km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145-km) cross-country bike ride, with vertical climbs that total 6,000 feet. Stage two is a 171.4-mile (276-km) bike ride from Volcanoes National Park to Kohala Village Inn in Hawi, with total vertical climbs of 4,000 feet. Stage three is a 52.4-mile(84-km) double-marathon, which starts at Hawi and finishes on the beach at the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area. Each stage must be completed within 12 hours or less. The swim portion of stage one must be completed in 5.5 hours or less. Participants who do not reach the finish lines within the time limits are disqualified.
This event attracts athletes who seek to explore the extreme in physical and mental abilities. The race is limited to 40 athletes on an invitation-only basis and attracts participants from around the world, including Brazil, Canada, Italy, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia and the United States. Racers must have reached their 20th birthday prior to the start of stage one. Each racer must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two people over the entire course. Many support team members are volunteers from the Big Island community.
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[edit] History
The first Ultraman Triathlon was held in 1983 and organized by Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will. Among the group Curtis Tyler served as original race director with the goal of having more than just a competition but an event which focused on the guiding principles of Hawaiian culture.... "aloha" (love), "ohana" (family), and "kokua" (help). In 1992 Tyler turned over Ultraman to Jane Bockus on the condition that there never be prize money. Jane Bockus often referred to as "Ultra Mom", has kept the event the same with the exception of a course change in the years 2001 & 2002 with a start and finish in Kailua-Kona instead of the around the Big Island format. Popularity of the previous format won over and things have changed little since.
In 1993 a second Ultraman was organized in Canada (Penticton, British Columbia) which now serves as a qualifier event to gain entrance to Ultraman World Championships. A third event Ultraman United Kingdom began in 2011 and is held in Wales.
| “ | We came together as strangers, competed as friends, we part as brothers and sisters. | ” |
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— Gerry van de Wint
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[edit] Results
| Year | Gender | Place | Athlete | Age | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Men | 1 | Kurt Madden | 28 |  United States |
21:41:02 |
| Women | 9 (overall) | Ardis Bow | 27 | United States |
26:57:45 | |
| 1984 | Men | 1 | Scott Molina | 24 |  New Zealand |
24:49:01 |
| Women | 13 (overall) | Lyn Brooks | 36 | United States |
33:15:24 | |
| 1985 | Men | 1 | Kurt Madden | 30 | United States |
22:11:04 |
| Women | 3 (overall) | Ardis Bow | 29 | United States |
25:44:51 | |
| 1986 | Men | 1 | Jim Freim | 40 | United States |
25:43:21 |
| Women | 23 (overall) | Sherri Wellis | 38 | United States |
33:31:19 | |
| 1988 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 33 | United States |
24:42:01 |
| Women | 18 (overall) | Manako Mizuntani | 28 |  Japan |
35:41:14 | |
| 1989 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 34 | United States |
23:14:56 |
| Women | 8 (overall) | Tina Bischoff | 31 | United States |
25:45:51 | |
| 1990 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 35 | United States |
22:19:16 |
| Women | 25 (overall) | Angelika Castaneda | 47 | United States |
31:27:45 | |
| 1992 | Men | 1 | Don Newman | 33 | United States |
26:20:23 |
| Women | - | - | -- | --:--:-- | ||
| 1993 | Men | 1 | Hans-Juergen Schle | 37 |  Germany |
25:50:38 |
| Women | 13 (overall) | Hiroe Fukushima | 25 | Japan |
34:19:52 | |
| 1994 | Men | 1 | Daniel Schallmo | 37 | Germany |
23:50:34 |
| Women | - | - | -- | --:--:-- | ||
| 1995 | Men | 1 | Kevin Cutjar | 29 |  Canada |
23:19:39 |
| Women | 22 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 25 | Canada |
32:25:37 | |
| 1996 | Men | 1 | Erik Seedhouse | 32 | Canada |
22:51:36 |
| Women | - | - | -- | ---:--:-- | ||
| 1997 | Men | 1 | Peter Kotland | 25 | United States |
21:52:51 |
| Women | 14 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 27 | Canada |
34:08:00 | |
| 1998 | Men | 1 | Holger "Holgie" Spiegel | 26 | Germany |
21:41:22 |
| Women | 19 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 28 | Canada |
30:53:03 | |
| 1999 | Men | 1 | John Nickles | 35 | United States |
23:24:56 |
| Women | 17 (overall) | Linda Bialla | 36 | United States |
29:19:00 | |
| 2000 | Men | 1 | Uros Velepec | 34 |  Slovenia |
22:15:08 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Monica Fernandez | 33 |  Brazil |
28:08:09 | |
| 2001 | Men | 1 | Uros Velepec | 34 | Slovenia |
22:44:30 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Monica Fernandez | 33 | Brazil |
27:56:54 | |
| 2002 | Men | 1 | Gordo Byrn | 33 | New Zealand |
23:24:56 |
| Women | 12 (overall) | Conny Dauben | 27 | Germany |
28:32:59 | |
| 2003 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 38 | Brazil |
22:20:26 |
| Women | 6 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 29 | United States |
27:31:51 | |
| 2004 | Men | 1 | Jonas Colting | 31 |  Sweden |
21:41:49 |
| Women | 16 (overall) | Lauren Fithian | 46 | United States |
32:03:16 | |
| 2005 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 40 | Brazil |
24:32:28 |
| Women | 4 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 31 | United States |
28:03:34 | |
| 2006 | Men | 1 | Jeff Landauer | 39 | United States |
24:30:47 |
| Women | 9 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 32 | United States |
28:13:11 | |
| 2007 | Men | 1 | Jonas Colting | 34 | Sweden |
21:59:44 |
| Women | 8 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 32 | United States |
26:43:24 | |
| 2008 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 43 | Brazil |
21:49:38 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 34 | United States |
26:25:03 | |
| 2009 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 44 | Brazil |
22:10:12 |
| Women | 7 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 35 | United States |
25:48:46 | |
| 2010 | Men | 1 | Mike Le Roux | 34 |  Australia |
21:55:57 |
| Women | 5 (overall) | Amber Monforte | 32 | United States |
24:07:11 | |
| 2011 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 46 | Brazil |
21:55:57 |
| Women | 6 (overall) | Amber Monforte | 33 | United States |
24:42:02 |
[edit] Qualifying events
As of 2011, there are three existing Ultraman Triathlons:
- Ultraman Hawaii, held on the big island of Hawaii held annually each Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November; Started in 1983.
- Ultraman Canada, held in the Penticton area of British Columbia; Started in 1993.
- Ultraman United Kingdom, held in Wales; Started in 2011.
