What is the purpose of your request for this list?
Nothing else than genuine interest Gary, believe it or not!
Initially I was just curious about the relative “age” of each existing race (hence the request to complete the list), now I thought it would be interesting to find out more about historic IM-branded races and the reason why they are not on the calender anymore. Obviously this could impact races that we today think are “safe” but might infact be gone over the next couple of years due to whatever reason.
Ironman Utah (no longer exists) 2002 & 2003?
Drowning in '02 & low numbers (not to mention Provo) hurt.
Ironman NZ: 1st International IM
IM Canada is the 2nd oldest in North America
What’s older then? I thought it predated any in the US.
I think that the Ricoh Ironman didn’t happen a 2nd year because of the tremendous cost involved. I remember hearing that they went through 500 intersections in the LA area. The water was also very cold and there was surf. This was in the day of no wetsuits, but they had a local company make up wetsuit vests for everyone. Better than nothing, but not really helpful in the 55 degree water. The surf that day was about 4ft too(10ft if you ask triathletes), so all that together lead Ricoh to pull the plug on the financing. I heard they spent well upwards of 1/2 million for their sponsorship, and i think less than 300 athletes actually raced. They had a pretty good pro field and some prize money though, so guys and gals at the front were racing it hard.
Last note, it was not the full distance though, my muddled brain says it was 2 mile/ 100 mile/ 20 mile or so, close to Nice distance back then. I think Kurt Madden won it, you will see his name in the very early ironman results.
I think there’s one in Hawaii too.
Sorry for being a skeptic, but what’s your true agenda?
No problem, please see reply to Gary. Feel free to not contribute to this thread should you not be comfortable with that reply.
Cheers
You didn’t answer my question. You’re doing research for a specific project or case.
You didn’t answer my question. You’re doing research for a specific project or case.
Well, he does seem to be some sort of financier…
Let’s not go down that route, by creating more “Occupy Slowtwich” - organisations…
Good point. If we are counting any Ironman distance race we need to include others like 1987 The Cape Cod Endurance (Ironman distance) race.
I remember this one, it moved around a few times to the Vineyard and then up to Sunapee NH. Troy Jacobsen won it in NH one year in his first attempt at the distance.
Ironman Maui ran ~1996-1999, owned by original IM John Dunbar.
Ironman Western Australia was first held on 29/11/2004.
Vineman Full
IM Canada is the 2nd oldest in North America
What’s older then? I thought it predated any in the US.
The timeline went like this:
IM Kona: 1976
IM NZ: 1982
IM Canada: 1983
What’s older?
Good work on getting a list out there.
Great for tri club trivia nights.
NZ moved from Auckland to Taupo in 1999.
Roth wanted to do waves starts to accomadate 3,000 plus people. WTC refused and then created a competing event. Early visual on thier later business model