Just a statistic:

According to triresults.com in 2007 there finishers under 8:30:

Ironman South Africa: None
Ironman Australia: 2
Ironman Arizona: 2
Ironman Lanzarote: None
Ironman Brasil: 3
Ironman France: None
Ironman Coeur d´Alene: None
Quelle Challenge Roth: 10
Ironman Austria: 4
Ironman Germany: 8
Ironman Lake Placid: None
Ironman UK: None
Ironman Louisville: None
Ironman Canada: None
Ironman Wisconsin: None
Ironman Korea: None
Ironman Hawaii: 7
Ironman Florida: 3
Ironman Western Australia: 10

Of the other races not noted I can only see Almere having a significant number of sub 8:30ers.

So there were 49 people under 8:30 in 2007 (with possibly some double-counts) out of roughly 50000 to 60000 Ironmen.

Axel