How did they come up with the Ironman distances?

Triathlon Forum
1

So I get the run, it’s a marathon. That’s a pretty standard format, 26.2 miles. But how did they come up with 2.4 miles for a swim and 112 miles for the run. I looked on Wiki and I kind of get the bike course, but I’ve never been to Kona so it kinda makes sense, but not totally. And I have zero idea where they came up with 2.4 miles for the swim. Anyone want to enlighten me?

2

So I get the run, it’s a marathon. That’s a pretty standard format, 26.2 miles. But how did they come up with 2.4 miles for a swim and 112 miles for the run. I looked on Wiki and I kind of get the bike course, but I’ve never been to Kona so it kinda makes sense, but not totally. And I have zero idea where they came up with 2.4 miles for the swim. Anyone want to enlighten me?

The race started on Oahu and the bike was taken from the 116 mi around the island race and shortened to 112 mi. The swim is based on the Waikiki Rough-water Swim which is 2.4 miles. The race started as a bar bet to see who was the best athlete: the swimmer, biker, or runner.

3

Ya, that’s kind of what I read but I don’t understand where the 2.4 miles comes from. Is that some particular distance from one point to another? And the 116 miles, is that the total distance around the island?

I’ll never do Kona but I would at least like to go there some day.

4

Home - Waikiki RoughWater Swim

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Screenshot (123).png

5

Thanks for that. I checked out the site but they don’t have any history posted. I have to assume this race predates Ironman, though. Correct?

6

Here you go…All you need to know .
History (ironman.com)

7

Well, crap. I guess I could have done that if I had thought of it. I just did a search and landed on Wiki, which has a basic overview of the history but not much for details.

Thanks.

9

From John & Judy Collins::backhand_index_pointing_right: The nitty-gritty facts are that Judy had been discussing putting on an endurance triathlon in Hawai’i for some time. Judy had been sketching out triathlon routes in her head since 1974. The two of us had been put in charge of the February 1977 Sprint Run-Swim which was now 12 days away. Judy did not want us to be in charge of the Run-Swim again. She wanted us to volunteer to put on a long distance triathlon in February 1978. It would be for the non-sprinter runners and swimmers who did the Waikiki Roughwater and the Honolulu Marathon each year. Judy was discussing how to connect the Roughwater and Marathon legs of the triathlon with a bicycle leg. My contribution was to use most of the road bike course from the annual long-distance event of the local bike club.

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10

From John & Judy Collins::backhand_index_pointing_right: The nitty-gritty facts are that Judy had been discussing putting on an endurance triathlon in Hawai’i for some time. Judy had been sketching out triathlon routes in her head since 1974. The two of us had been put in charge of the February 1977 Sprint Run-Swim which was now 12 days away. Judy did not want us to be in charge of the Run-Swim again. She wanted us to volunteer to put on a long distance triathlon in February 1978. It would be for the non-sprinter runners and swimmers who did the Waikiki Roughwater and the Honolulu Marathon each year. Judy was discussing how to connect the Roughwater and Marathon legs of the triathlon with a bicycle leg. My contribution was to use most of the road bike course from the annual long-distance event of the local bike club.

Are you quoting from a book or article by John and Judy Collins??? Or are you John Collins??? Just curious. :slight_smile:

11

The bike is 116 Mi around the island. However they stopped four miles short at Aloha Towers because that is the start of the Honolulu Marathon. That is how 112 miles came about.

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12

I am quoting from John & Judy, it comes from one their blogs and John is making the statements, Judy is the actual course designer, separately the world ironman series created by the late Valerie Silk where Ironman New Zealand & Ironman Japan Lake Biwa in 1985 was 2 mile :person_swimming: / 100 mile :person_biking: / 20 mile :person_running: , and in 1986 Ironman Canada. 1988 all races changed 2.4 / 112 / 26. Scott Molina was the first to win an international ironman at New Zealand in1985 with 07:40:49 - 00:43:39 :person_swimming: - 04:39:33 :person_biking: - 02:17:37 :person_running:

13

Thanks Lopey. Based on the wording I figured was John talking in some way or another. Cheers, Eric.