Ironman Sports Medicine Conference

Royal Kona Resort on The Big Island of Hawaii, October 3-9, 2010. Featuring speakers and participants from around the world, the Ironman Sports Medicine Conference has become an integral part of the Ford Ironman World Championship. The first medical conference associated with the event took place in 1982, and since then has been a valuable opportunity for medical personnel around the world to increase their knowledge on issues pertinent to endurance athletes and their care. The conference strives to provide state of the art reviews of the latest science regarding sports and exercise, as well as common sports related injuries and illness. It also provides great opportunities for networking and a focus on improving the personal fitness and performance of conference attendees. Read the story »

Older Stories

Men's Age Group Qualifiers

The 31st running of the Ford Ironman World Championship was completed on October 10th, 2009 and I am way behind in my qualification articles for the 2010 race. Be patient - I will do my best over the next several months to get us back on track. There are already many great stories from this year's crop of Kona qualifiers. Let's start with Joe Kurian and Brian Shelden (pictured racing in Kona) at Ironman Wisconsin. Read the story »

Adamle's Return to Kona

The one-time, overachieving NFL running back was 48 years old now. His body, once alternately muscular, lean and taut, had gone soft. Read the story »

Kona Qualifiers from Cozumel

On November 29, 2009, 2,000 athletes met up on a tropical Island off of the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula to compete at the inaugural running of Ford Ironman Cozumel. This ultimate destination location is the latest addition to the Ironman family and qualifying season. Read the story »

Kona-Bound Women from Ford Ironman Arizona

Ford Ironman Arizona is quickly becoming one of the most popular qualifying events on the circuit, primarily due to its November spot on the calendar. Aside from the group of athletes attempting the distance for the first time, this race was comprised of two distinct groups: those who had focused on this as their primary goal for most of the year and those who had just completed Kona and carried their fitness over for a few more weeks. Both groups took full advantage of the near perfect weather conditions and put on quit a show. Read the story »

Kona Bound Qualifiers from Ford Ironman Florida

This week we will be getting to know the women who qualified for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Panama City Beach at Ford Ironman Florida. Read the story »

Performances of the Year: A final look

Random thoughts (with selected opinions from others far more insightful than myself) about 2009: Read the story »

Combat Training: Commander David Haas' Ironman Journey

Train for an Ironman and there will be challenges. Injuries. Time constraints. Juggling job, family and training. Mechanical issues. Money issues. Solving the caloric-intake puzzle. Read the story »

Kona bound in 2010

It's that time of year again! With the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championships tucked away in the record books, we are turning our attention to the women who are already "Kona Bound" in 2010. This week's segment introduces you to many of the ladies who qualified at Ford Ironman Wisconsin in September. Read the story »

About the Race

Qualifier for Ford Ironman World Championship If you are a triathlete, there is no bigger day in this sport than the Ford Ironman World Championship. It is the race that defined our sport as it came of age, and continues to be the defining race in our sport for any avid triathlete.

To get to the starting line in Kona, you must either be very lucky and get yourself a spot through the lottery, or very talented, and win yourself a qualifying spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world.

Tens-of-thousands of triathletes try to get one of those coveted Ironman spots every year. Only 1,800 succeeded.

That means 1,800 "lucky" people get to test themselves on one of the biggest challenges the sports world has to offer ... 2.4-miles of swimming, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run through tough ocean waves, and challenging lava-covered terrain.

While there are thousands of triathlons around the world, it is this one that truly defines the sport. It all began at an Awards Ceremony for a relay running race in Honolulu in 1977. A group of local athletes discussed the idea of an endurance triathlon and combining three major events that already existed on the island. John Collins suggested combining them and making it a single-day event. Later that evening, Collins took the stage announcing the event and that "whoever finishes first, we will call him the IRONMAN." It has since become triathlon's Super Bowl, Wimbledon, World Series, World Cup, and Tour de France all rolled into one. What makes this event so unique is that "average" people get to compete alongside the best in the world.

Available Now from IronmanDVD

2007 Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 DVD
Relive the November 10, 2007 race with this DVD. Watch as Andy Potts, a highly decorated athlete with short-course success, sprinted to a first place 3:42:33 finish, while Australia�s Mirinda Carfrae broke the course record and claimed victory finishing at 4:07:25. In addition to the competitive professional field, more than 1,400 other triathletes ranging from 19 to 82 years old crossed the finish line, including Mark Rothbaum, manager of country music legend Willie Nelson, and Stacey Junio, who celebrated her recent weight loss in preparation for the event. $34.95 Available now.