During the awards ceremony at the Oahu Perimeter Relay in 1977, a debate ensued among competitors about which athlete is most fit -- swimmers, runners or other athletes. One of the participants, Navy Commander John Collins and his wife Judy, dreamt up a race to settle the argument. They proposed combining three existing races together, to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). "Whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman," said Collins. Fifteen men participated in the initial event held on February 18; 12 completed the race, led by the first Ironman, Gordon Haller. His winning time: 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds.

The Ironman format remains the same – a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. The Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii is still the most prestigious competition, but over 59 Ironman events are held annually. Craig Alexander and Chrissie Wellington are the 2008 Champions, finishing in 8:17:45 and 9:6:44 respectively.

For more about Ironman Events click here. To find out more about World Triathlon Events, Maps and Calendars click below.

Who needs recovery more than an Ironman athlete? Training and competing at the Ironman level demands recovery. But you don’t have to be an endurance triathlete to feel worn down at night – lugging groceries, mowing the lawn, chasing kids, and sitting in traffic are all activities that demand recovery.

Now imagine if a bed could help your body recover overnight. This is what T3 Recovery Products – The Official Sleep Products of Ironman© embodies. Our products utilize Ironman Sleep Technology^TM to aid in recovery from the human race you run every day. Instead of waking up feeling like you’ve run a marathon – you start the day feeling healthier from head to toe.