IRONMAN - OCTOBER 6,
2001 - SOME RACE FACTOIDS
WHO: Approximately 1,500 competitors, ages
18-82, compete from 48 countries and 50 states. Most competitors qualify
at Ironman qualifying races worldwide; nearly 50,000 annually enter
qualifiers. Another 2,000 enter the race lottery, which awards 150 slots
to U.S. citizens and 50 slots to international athletes.
WHAT: A 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike
race and 26.2-mile run. Competitors have 17 hours to finish the race;
cutoff times are applied to each segment of the race.
WHEN: October 6, beginning at 7:00 a.m to
midnight.
WHERE: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The swim
segment begins and ends at Kailua Pier. The bike race travels north on the
Kona Coast and then along the Kohala Coast to Hawi, and then returns along the
same route to the Old Airport Park transition. The marathon course
travels through Kailua-Kona to Pahoehoe Park and onto the Queen Kaahumanu to
NELHA. Contestants run back into Kailua-Kona, coming down Alii Drive to
the finish line.
COURSE Men - Luc
Van Lierde, 8:04:08 in 1996.
RECORDS: Women - Paula Newby-Fraser,
8:55:28 in 1992.
FURTHER FACTOIDS:
During the course of the race, more than 250,000 cups, 50,000 bike bottles,
125,000 pounds of ice,100,000 gallons of fluid replacement, cola, water
and soup and 600 bottles of sunscreen are used, provided by nearly 7,000
volunteers lining the 140.6-mile course. More than 100 million people
worldwide watch the event on television. http://vnews.ironmanlive.com
NOTE: Roads in and around West Hawaii are closed or have limited access
on race day (Oct 6.) In addition, many triathletes are training on Big
Island roads this week.
For more
information go to the Official Ironman Race Website: http://vnews.ironmanlive.com
