The Big Island has become known as the premier destination for triathlon events, most notably the Ironman World Championships.
The Big Island has become known as the premier destination for triathlon events, most notably the Ironman World Championships.
But for the handful of athletes not satisfied with the 140.6-mile trek of Ironman, the Ultraman World Championships is the event of choice.
Triathlons are relentless by nature and test the boundaries of human endurance, but Ultraman is widely accepted as one of the most challenging the sport has to offer.
The three-day, 320-mile athletic odyssey takes participants around the island and boasts an elite field of invite-only participants from all over the world.
“If we hear someone is not nice or has cheated in another race, they will not be invited,” said Race Director Jane Bockus. “The event is small enough to really have that ohana spirit. Everyone here really supports each other — from the athletes to the support crews.”
The event — now in its 30th year — started Friday with a 6.2-mile swim from the Kailua Pier to Keauhou Bay, with a 90-mile bike ride tacked on to conclude Day 1.
Tim Sheeper — who finished 3rd in 2007 — finished Day 1 at the front of the pack with a time of 8:19:04.
The women’s leader and second overall athlete was Hillary Biscay, a professional triathlete from Tucson, Ariz., who finished with a time of 8:40:10.
Biscay — who has 29 Ironman-distance top-five finishes — dominated the swim, coming out of the water with a time of 2:37:46, nearly 10 minutes faster than any other athlete.
Defending champion Alexandre Ribeiro of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, finished Friday in third place with a time of 8:49:44.
Ribeiro, an eight-time finisher and six-time winner of the event, is looking to set the record for most Ultraman World Championships — which would be the perfect farewell for the 48-year-old, who has said this year’s event will be his last.
On the women’s side, three-time defending champion and current women’s course record holder Amber Monforte finished Stage I with a time of 9:45:50.
With one hour left before the bike cutoff and 15 athletes still on the course, things got tense as the end of the day neared. Nearly a half-dozen of those athletes earned the dreaded “did not finish” distinction.
“This was one of the more difficult iterations of Day 1,” Jim Gourley of Lava Magazine said. “The most DNFs we have seen in a single day is 10. Today we had five and that was caused by a combination of factors. The current was pretty bad and the athletes who got held up by that current got caught by heavy winds and rains on the bike. Cold, wet and tired is never a good combination.”
Three local athletes are among the field of the 31 remaining athletes. Laurie Beers, who is competing in her fifth Ultraman, finished with a time 11:52:19, while race rookies Dene Sturm and Jason Nixon finished with times of 11:45:01 and 10:25:04, respectively.
Today, the athletes will bike 171.4 miles from Volcanoes National Park to the Stage II finish line at Kamehameha Park in Kapaau.
“One thing I have come to find about this race is that you should expect the unexpected,” Gourley said. “Stage II will feature a fast descent — up to 40 mph, with the grand finale being in the Kohala Mountains. Winds there are traditionally stiff, but variable.”
The race wraps up Sunday with a 52.4-mile double-marathon run from Hawi to Old Kona Airport Park.
For live updates on the race, visit ultramanlive.com.