October 11, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Videos by David Corrigan
The city of Kona awakens to the frenzied drums of Island Breeze, and the sights of the annual tradition of championship triathlon.
The following videos show the day of exhausting competition from start to finish.
| 4:45 a.m. – Pre Dawn Preps
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. In the darkness before the dawn, Ironman triathletes are processed, marked, and herded towards the peir where the race will begin in a few hours. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 6:00 a.m. – Meet the Wellingtons
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the Flash Player to see this player. The proud parents of 2007 champion Chrissie Wellington do an excited pre race interview. The parents of the triathlete flew in all the way from Great Britain to cheer their daughter. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 6:15 a.m. – Honu at the start line
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. As the competitors acclimate to the water, the pre race tension is broken by the appearance of a wandering sea turtle. Good luck? (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 6:45 a.m. – Swim start
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. The start of the 2008 Ford Ironman championship, in the water, as thousands of arms and legs splash simultaneously during the aquatic scramble. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 7:50 a.m. – Transition to bike
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. The pandemonium of the transition: athletes exit the water as they complete the 2.4 mile swim, and dash to their bikes in order to begin the 112 mile ride through the Kohala lava dessert. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| noon- Volunteers power race behind the scenes
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the Flash Player to see this player. Time-out to talk with 27 year race volunteer Jack Bell, who has helped hold the race together with his carpentry skills for decades. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 12:10 – Transition to run
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Volunteers duck and dive for bikes as the second transition of the race rolls in. The competitors get no rest after the 112 mile bike ride… they immediately start the 26.2 mile marathon. The first athlete to finish the bike leg: Torbjorn Sindballe. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| 3:00 p.m. – Craig Alexander wins Ironman
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Sydney, Australia athlete Craig Alexander has won the 2008 Ford Ironman Championship. He rallied from 11th place at the end of the 112-mile bicycle phase of the triathlon to win the title. It took him 8 hours, 17 minutes and 45 seconds. Alexander was a runner-up in last year’s event. Chris McCormack, the 2007 defending champion, dropped out of this year’s race after a mechanical problem stalled his bike ride. Eneko Llanos of Spain came in second place, three minutes and 5 seconds behind Alexander. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| Finish!
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Scenes of exhausted joy as 2nd place Eneko Burguera Llanos, 3rd place Rutger Beke, 4th place Ronnie Schildknecht, and 5th place Cameron Brown cross the finish line. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| Finish Line Reward: Giant Beer
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. What do you do when you finish an ironman? Chug beer, according to Faris Al-Sultan of Germany. He finished 12th. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
| Wellington repeats at Ironman 2008
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the Flash Player to see this player. Great Britain’s Chrissie Wellington has captured her second Ironman Championship title in as many tries. She finished in 9 hours, 6 minutes and 23 seconds. She finished ahead of the other women by nearly 15 minutes. Wellington’s race was not without drama. She had to stop to fix a flat tire during the bicycle portion of the triathlon, and lost her lead. With the sportsmanlike help of Australia’s Rebekah Keat, who lent a spare canister of air, Wellington regained the bike lead, and maintained with a strong marathon finish. (October 10, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii) |
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STORY SUMMARY
October 11, 2008 – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Videos by David Corrigan The city of Kona awakens to the frenzied drums of Island Breeze, and the sights of the annual tradition of championship triathlon. The following videos show the day of exhausting competition from start to finish. 4:45 a.m. – Pre Dawn Preps Get the Flash Player […]