THE TRI-CHRONICLES: Ironman and a Moment in Time
Image courtesty of Hemera/Thinkstock.
Steinbeck once said, “As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.”
That’s exactly what happened in 1982 when Julie Moss crossed the finish line. That moment, in my opinion, defines what it means to be an Ironman.
Every year in October, the best traithletes in the world make their way to Hawaii for the Ironman World Championships. That’s where it all began and where it continues to be the Mecca of all triathlon events.
But how did it all get started and how did it gain in popularity?
Its modest beginnings found its roots when runners and swimmers in Hawaii were debating which were the fittest. Although I couldn’t find specific references, I suspect there was also alcohol and a whole lot of testosterone involved.
As the club members of the Mid-Pacific Road Runners and the Waikiki Swim Club debated, a US Naval Commander threw cycling into the mix. He mentions a Sports Illustrated article that claimed cyclists have the highest oxygen uptake.
Not to be outdone, the groups crafted an event to test endurance in all three disciplines.
That event later became known as the Ironman. It consisted of a 140.6 mile endurance event made-up of the longest swim, bike, and running distance events they already had on the island: the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Oahu Bike Race (a 115 mile two-day event which was later reduced to 112 miles), and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles).
In 1978, the first Ironman event was born.
Here an interesting tidbit. There were only 15 participants and 13 finished. It only cost $8 to join that first event. How times have changed! Thirty years later, many Ironman races sell-out in less than 15 minutes with thousands participating and entry costs skyrocketing above $700 excluding travel costs.
Here’s another interesting tidbit. According to navyseals.com, the name Ironman came from a reference used for Navy shipyard runners who could run 20-miles at the same pace they would run two. Now, the name is synonymous with determination, perseverance, and for some, insanity!
But how did it become so popular?
Ironically, no pun intended, it took a woman named Julie Moss to shape what it means to be an Ironman today. Back in 1982, Moss, then a 23 year-old Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student, participated in the Ironman event as part of her research for an exercise physiology thesis. She trained a total of 3-months. That’s not a lot considering she really wasn’t an athlete.
There was a convergence of events that sparked the flame behind today’s legendary legend. You could call it the tipping point.
There was broader ABC coverage of sports on television. There was an unassuming college student would find herself participating and leading one of the toughest endurance events. And, the world would be riveted by what ensued in the last 10 yards of the race, a scene that continues to be replayed by triathletes and non-triathletes alike.
Vincent Mallozzi of the New York Times best described the events of that day. He recounts, “Less than a mile from the finish, Moss’s legs had turned to jelly. With a national audience on ABC’s ”Wide World of Sports” looking on, Moss collapsed several times, trying in vain to stay on her feet and hold on to victory. Less than 10 yards from the finish, she collapsed for the final time. As Moss lay writhing in the darkness, she was passed by Kathleen McCartney, who was unaware she had won the race.”
He later goes on to quote McCartney who said, ”Julie inspired thousands of people that day,” she said. ”It wasn’t about winning anymore. It was about finishing.”
Here is the video of that moment in time.
That moment continues to inspire and draw many to the sport because despite her brokenness, she persevered. Despite all the odds, she succeeded. Despite the impossible, she finished.
Those few seconds illustrate what it means to be an Ironman; that the human spirit can overcome insurmountable odds. As McCartney said so succinctly, it wasn’t about winning. It was about finishing.
We may not all aspire to cover 140.6 miles in one-day but, if you’re like me, we all long to find strength, inspiration, and hope in overcoming many insurmountable and often seemingly impossible challenges in our everyday lives.
I doubt Steinbeck knew Julie Moss but if he did I’m pretty sure this was the kind of moment he was talking about.
SamG is a middle-of-the-pack recreational triathlete. Overweight and out of shape, he got into triathlons in 2006, starting with the shorter Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons. He has since completed a number of half-iron distance (70.3 miles) and a full-ironman distance triathlon (140.6 mile).
