Hawaii's Own Pro Tim Marr Looks Forward to Racing Kona

Professional triathlete Tim Marr looks forward to taking his place among the Ford Ironman World Championship competitors lining the beach at the Kailua-Kona Pier in a few short months. But for Marr, the day will mean more than just being a competitor in the sport's crown jewel of races. Marr, born on Oahu and a lifelong resident of the state of Hawaii, will be competing in front of family and friends and a community that has watched him develop from a surfer and swimmer into one of the most talented triathletes in the world. Read the story »

Older Stories

Celebration of Heroes, Heart and Hope

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) will auction a prized slot to the 2008 or 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship at a gala dinner in New York City on June 18. The winning bidder can choose to race in either 2008 or 2009. Proceeds from the auction will help fund specialized equipment, training and coaching for physically challenged athletes so they can participate in the sports that many able-bodied individuals take for granted. Read the story »

Ironman Sports Medicine Conference

Royal Kona Resort on The Big Island of Hawaii October 5-9, 2008. Read the story »

Men's Age Group Kona Qualifiers

Ironman Australia is always a fun race to cover because the athletes are always super-fast and their times and performances are often mirrored in Kona. In 2007, many followed up a fast race down under with a top Kona performance, including Sam Hume (third in 30-34), Chris Stanton (tenth in 18-24), Ben Orr (second in 18-14), and Allan Jefferson (tenth in 35-39). In 2008, we had another collection of fast qualifiers. Leading this group was Australian, Dale Hemley. Read the story »

Csomor's Cosmic Rise

After impressive wins at Ford Ironman 70.3 California and Ford Ironman Arizona, Erika Csomor has quickly become a major player on the Ironman scene. Read the story »

Blinkhorn's Changing Life

Jim Blinkhorn's father died of a heart attack at 38 and his grandfather underwent triple bypass surgery in his 40s. Blinkhorn's mother was obese. High blood pressure runs throughout the family. Read the story »

2008 Lottery Winners Announced

Thanks to the vision of Ironman founder John Collins, who insisted that a system be maintained to allow the "common man" a chance to compete in this great race, 200 far-from-common age-groupers will join the rest of the 1,800 strong in Kailua Bay on October 11, 2008 for the Ford Ironman World Championship. Read the story »

Looking Forward To Kona

It's April. The ice is still thawing in parts of Canada. But it's never too early to envision the heat rays floating off the Queen K Highway pavement come October. Read the story »

MLB's Mr. Marlin to compete in Kona

Affectionately known as "Mr. Marlin," Jeff Conine of Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins, will compete in the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship. On October 11, Conine, 41, will embark on his newest athletic endeavor since his recent retirement, and join 1,800 athletes in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, for the world's most challenging and prestigious endurance event. 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 1,700 succeeded.

That means 1,700 "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 was this race, first run in 1978 as a dare by a bunch of Navy Seals that put triathlon on the world's sporting map. It is 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 DVD
This DVD includes the stories of: Brian Boyle, who died eight times on the operating table and was told he might never walk again; blind 64-year old athlete Charlie Plaskon, who competed in Kona on behalf of the C Different Foundation; Atlanta-native Scott Rigsby, who arrived in Kona with the dream of becoming the first above-the-knee double-amputee with prosthetics to finish; and a final farewell to the Ironman World Championship finisher, Jon Blais, who passed away last May after battling the incurable disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). $34.95 Available now.