Ironman Triathlon Coming Up December 18

Ironman Triathlon

I have been a fan of the sport of Triathlon since I first saw it on TV 20 years ago or so. Triathlon is the most extreme of endurance sports with the Ironman in Hawaii as the pinnacle. These people will swim in the ocean, bike 100 miles through hot and windy volcanic fields and then run a marathon in the heat of the day. Triathlon is tough and grueling to say the least, and it is coming up this weekend!

The Ford Ironman World Championship broadcast will air for the 20^th-consecutive year on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. EST on NBC (check local listings). With innovative XDCAM-HD technology and super-slow-motion effects, the two-hour telecast will highlight the physical and emotional journey taken by athletes during the 140.6-mile triathlon. Veteran sports commentator and narrator Al Trautwig will provide the voiceover.

Those profiled in the Emmy-Award-winning program range from professional triathletes, including Ironman World Champion Chris McCormack, of Australia, to physically challenged athletes, military veterans, cancer survivors and an 80-year-old participant.

For the 32^nd year, the Ford Ironman World Championship start cannon sounded on Oct. 9 at 6:30 a.m. Nearly 1,800 of the world’s finest athletes braved the harsh elements of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, in an attempt to earn the title of “Ironman.” Temperatures on race day reached 85 degrees Fahrenheit and higher during certain portions of the bike and run courses. Participants ranging in age from 19 to 80 years competed in the 2.4-mile Pacific Ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon in a battle of human motivation versus sweltering heat and mental and physical fatigue.

The 2010 broadcast captures the emotion of the day and features head-to-head competition among the top male and female professionals. Watch McCormack and Germany’s Andreas Raelert run stride-for-stride during the last few miles of the marathon and Australian Mirinda Carfrae, last year’s second-place finisher, as she runs a blistering 2:53 marathon. The program also highlights the 17-hour challenge of several unique age group participants who define the meaning of courage and inspiration. Featured athletes include:

• Kyle Garlett, a four-time cancer survivor and heart-transplant recipient. Garlett missed the swim cutoff by seven seconds in 2009 and returns this year in an effort to complete not only the swim portion in time but also the entire 140.6-mile race.
• Lew Hollander, an 80-year-old scientist, lecturer, horseman and raconteur who returns to Kailua-Kona to attempt his 21^st Ironman World Championship.
• Kathleen Allen, a married mother of four who balances raising her children, running a household and training for Ironman. After overcoming a cycling accident that nearly took her life, Allen arrives in Kailua-Kona to prove that her Ironman career is far from over.
• Clayton Treska, a 30-year-old former Marine who received experimental chemotherapy to battle stage-IV terminal testicular cancer just one year ago. Treska, who trained for the event while undergoing treatment and living in a cancer clinic, demonstrates the Ironman mantra that “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. ^®”

Further program details and information on the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 Series can be found by visiting www.ironman.com .