Men's Journal (April 2006)

Ironman for Every Man

A new race series brings triathlons to the masses - and to travel hot spots

Only 15 wild-eyed fitness freaks finished the first Ironman in Oahu in 1978. Since then the 140.6-mile swim, bike, and run has become the standard of endurance sports, with 28 races annually. Of late, however, race organizers have realized there are limits to the market size for an event this masochistic. Hence their growth strategy: pushing the comparatively easy 70.3-mile Half Ironman events. This season, organizers are expanding the Ironman 70.3 series to 17 races and introducing the first ever midlength Ironman world championship (ironmanlive.com).

"They're trying to make 70.3 a real distance," says Tim DeBoom, 35, a two-time Ironman world champ who plans to race in four 70.3's this year. "You're going to have guys who specialize in the Olympic distance [32 miles] and guys who specialize in Ironman converging on this race."

It's not only pros who will benefit. The series expects more than 20,000 entries and includes six new races in top vacation locales. Given that athletes spend an average of six hours on the course, a scenic route is a huge draw: May's Baja 70.3 traces the Pacific, and August's Scandinavian 70.3 course winds through Copenhagen. During September's event in Cancun, racers will pass by Mayan ruins.

"The relief will be even greater at the finish," says Seth Heald, 31, who raced in a Half Ironman last year, and planned a two-week trip around this June's 70.3 in Hawaii. "I'll be able to enjoy myself on vacation."