We know how tough it is to get to Kona, much less be competitive in the actual race. Here's a look at some of the more memorable athletes that have raced in the last 30 years...
Dave Scott - won the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii six times (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987). Because of his dominance in the early years of the sport, Scott is referred to as "The Man".
Dave Scott came out of 'retirement' in 1994 at age 40 to take second place at Kona, very nearly winning for a record-breaking seventh time. In 1996 at age 42, he returned again to place 5th. Running the marathon in 2:45.
Having started his impressive winning streak only two years after the first ever ironman contest, Dave Scott shaped the sport of triathlon like no other U.S. athlete.
Mark Allen - another six-time Ironman Triathon World Champion, but his success didn't come as instantly as Dave Scott's.
After competing and losing in the Ironman Triathlon Championships six times, Mark Allen emerged victorious in 1989. It would be the first of six Ironman victories for Allen, the last coming in 1995 at age 37, making him the oldest champion ever.
Over the course of his racing career, which ended in 1996, he maintained a 90% average in top-three finishes. He was named Triathlete of the Year six times by Triathlete magazine, and in 1997 Outside magazine tabbed him The World's Fittest Man.
Here's a clip of one of the Dave Scott vs. Mark Allen battles at Kona (gotta love the running shorts!):
In recent years, the top athletes have been Tim DeBoom (winner in '01 & '02), Normann Stadler ('04 & '06), Chris McCormack (2nd on '06, winner in '07) & Craig Alexander (2nd in '07 & winner in '08).
Looking forward to the big race tomorrow. I'll post the results tomorrow evening. The race isn't shown on TV (don't get me started on this!), but you can follow it live Ironman.com - race starts at 1pm EST (7am in Hawaii)
TODAY'S WORKOUT:
30 minute easy recovery run. Ran inside on the track due to the crappy weather. I didn't count the laps, but I probably went around 3.75 miles. Legs felt a little tired, looking forward to a day off tomorrow!
No comments:
Post a Comment