Ironman Kona Airs on NBC Televison Dec. 13, 2008
Watch the '08 Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii on TV
In 1982, when Julie Moss collapsed just short of the finish-line and crawled the last few hundred yards to finish the Ironman triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, her show of willpower cemented the event in the American consciousness. The Ironman became a symbol of the human drive to conquer difficult, even seemingly impossible physical challenges.
Ironman Triahlon Grows up
Today, 26 years later, the sport of triathlon is a booming hobby for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, many of them aspiring one day to make their way to Kailua-Kona to follow in the footsteps of thousands of athletes that have gone before them. The Ironman in Kona is a sort of pilgrimage for triathletes around the world.
Triathlon combines swimming, biking and running events of various lengths to pose an exciting and versatile challenge. At the Ironman distance, athletes are faced with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 marathon run. They must complete the task in less than 18 hours to officially finish the race.
Ironman World Championships Airs on NBCNBC’s coverage of the Ironman World Championships airs Saturday, December 13th 2008 at 2:30-4:30PM Eastern Time. Check listings for the local NBC channel.
The event in Kailua-Kona, officially dubbed the Ironman Triathlon World Championship, is now a hotly contested athletic competition. Athletes need to qualify, by placing near the top of their age division, at one of a number of sanctioned Ironman events around the world in order to gain a spot in the race.
These athletes need to be well-rounded and capable of competing for hours on end in three different sports. And to make it to the Kona, they need to make quick work of it as well. Today’s professionals can cover the course in about eight hours, running the marathon portion in less than three hours.
This year’s race was won by Craig Alexander of Sydney, Australia in 8 hours and 17 minutes. Chrissie Wellington of the United Kingdom reprised her 2007 victory, winning the women’s division in 9 hours and 6 minutes.
The Big Island of Hawaii also dishes out tough conditions for the athletes, requiring them to ride through shadeless, sun-scorched lava fields under the baking equatorial sun. The 2008 race featured hotter than normal conditions, baking athletes in the sun all day long.
Coverage much Anticipated by Athletes around the World
Many triathletes and non-triathletes alike look forward to getting a peek at the best athletes in the sport, taking on the challenge of the Ironman in the tough conditions that Hawaii supplies.
Jon Bero, President of the Portland Triathlon Club in Portland, Oregon says that he looks forward to the Ironman broadcast all year long. “It’s the one weekend each year that we get to share our sport with our friends and families. Most of the time they think we’re crazy, but when they sit down and watch people in Hawaii they understand it a little better.”
NBC’s coverage often showcases both the athletes blazing their way at the front of the race, as well as emotional and heart-warming stories. In past years, the broadcast has featured stories like that of Dick and Ricky Hoyt, with Dick pushing his disabled son Ricky in a wheel-chair for the entire length of the event.
The two-hour coverage is beautifully shot in high-definition, showcasing the Hawaiian lava fields and Pacific Ocean as much as it does the athletes moving through the beautiful landscape.
To find out more about Ironman Triathlon, visit the Ironman Live web-site by clicking here.
a Triathlete Cycles across the Lava Fields of Kona
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Rows of Bikes Wait for Riders in Kona
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Chrissie Wellington Wins Ironman Kona 2008
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Craig Alexander Wins Ironman Kona 2008
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