Ironman Triathlon

The Ironman Triathlon - In a League of its Own
By Ray Fauteux

The Ironman was born back in the 1970's when a few acquaintances were having a friendly discussion about who was the fittest athlete--a biker, a runner or a swimmer. They created a race that would include all three disciplines and the winner would be declared the "Ironman."

At the time they were not comparing the race to any other event. There simply was no event in the world like it and it has gone on to become the ultimate endurance race in the world.

It spawned events like the "eco-challenge" and even races that were twice or five times or even 10 times the Ironman distance, but yet none of them have anything in common with the Ironman Triathlon. None of them has captivated the world like the "true" Ironman.

There are several reasons for this.

When it comes to the eco-challenge, trying to compare it to an Ironman is like comparing apples and oranges. There is no similarity. The eco-challenge is more about enduring physical stress while being sleep-deprived. It also requires you to be able to co-exist with others under these conditions. It is not a race for everyone. It is not a race where the final outcome rests solely on your own ability, but is determined by the group as a unit. If you are on a team that completes an eco-challenge, there is no guarantee that you, as an individual, would do well in an Ironman.

Then along came the "double Iron" and after that someone decided to up the ante and there was a "triple iron" and now there is 5X the iron distance and even 10X the iron distance. It really doesn't matter how many times you try and increase the distance its still like comparing apples and oranges. The Ironman is still unique and competes on its own playing field.