So what is an IRONMAN® Triathlon all about and what is the connection with Boulder, Colorado and IHT?
First…A little IRONMAN® History
According to Wikipedia, An Ironman® Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), a subsidiary of the Chinese Wanda Group, consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.
Most IRONMAN® events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race. The race typically starts at 7:00 a.m.; the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim is 9:20 a.m. (2 hours 20 minutes), the mandatory bike cut off time is 5:30 p.m. (8 hours 10 minutes), and the mandatory marathon cut off is midnight (6 hours 30 minutes). Any participant who manages to complete the triathlon within these timings becomes an IRONMAN®.
The name “IRONMAN® Triathlon” is also associated with the original Ironman triathlon which is now the IRONMAN® World Championship. Held in Kailua-Kona, the world championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978 (with an additional race in 1982) and is preceded by a series of qualifying Ironman events. The IRONMAN® World Championships have become known for their grueling length, harsh race conditions, and Emmy Award-winning television coverage.
Second…the Boulder connection
Boulder, Colorado is a center for year-round outdoor exercise and fitness. What better way to represent Colorado’s focus on health than to host the IRONMAN® Boulder competition that will qualify participants for 40 Age Group slots to the 2016 IRONMAN® World Championship in Hawaii.
It is an exciting 5-day event. The swim is at the Boulder reservoir, 1 lap for 2.4 miles. The cycling event starts immediately after.The 112 Mile multi-loop course is entirely within Boulder County and features amazing mountain views with some of the same roads trained on by many of our local world champion triathletes. The course has a handful of decent climbs but has a lot of fast and flat sections to keep you moving. It finishes with a 26.2 mile run.This is a two loop course with 3 out and backs on each loop. We call it the “Flux Capacitor”. This course features everything about Boulder we love. A well shaded bike path and plenty of spectator viewing points for your family and friends.
And third, so much more…IHT is an Official Sponsor of 2016 IRONMAN® Boulder
IRONMAN®
Village is located at Boulder High School and open to participants and spectators. There will be lots of eductional exhibits to help you in your quest to become a better athlete plus entertainment, food and lots of exciting opportunities to learn about Ironman. IHT will have a dispslay with a newly redesigned E700 – 17′ Endless Pools Exercise System on display and available to ty the new underwater treadmill and Endless Swim Current. Go to IHT’s IRONMAN® page for more information. We will also have a HotSpring Grandee NXT, the next generation of hot tub technology.
August 4 thru August 8 will host some of the best athletes in the country, and you are invited to attend and cheer them on. Race day is August 7.
So come to Boulder and see what all the excitement is about. For more information, go to IHT IRONMAN® and IRONMAN® Boulder.
