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History

The IRONMAN Story

The single-day endurance event now known as IRONMAN was the brainchild of Judy and John Collins, a couple who moved from California to Hawai'i in 1975. The Collins family had participated in the Mission Bay Triathlon in San Diego on 25 September 1974. That event now marks the start of modern triathlon in the U.S.

In 1977, the Collins' involvement in organizing a sprint run-swim competition in Honolulu helped plant the seed of an idea to put on a triathlon event the following year. Their goal was to create something for the endurance athletes—those who favored events such as the Waikiki Roughwater Swim and the Honolulu Marathon over short sprint events. But where would the bike leg be? The answer came to them early in 1977, when John thought of using a local bicycling club route. Judy and John said to each other, "If you do it, I'll do it," and John famously added "...whoever finishes first we'll call him the Iron Man."

At the Waikiki Swim Club banquet in October, 1977, Judy and John announced their Around the Island Triathlon, to take place the following year. When John described the three triathlon legs, the swimmers laughed. The couple's dream was that many would enjoy swimming, bicycling and running non-stop for 140.6 miles. They dreamed that their triathlon would become an annual event in Hawai'i. On February 18, 1978, Judy and John Collins saw their dream come true with the first-ever Hawaiian Iron Man Triathlon. Little did they know then what a phenomenon their race would become, and how many lives it would impact.

In 1980 founders John and Judy Collins give ABC's "Wide World of Sports" permission to film the event, bringing worldwide recognition to IRONMAN. Only two years later college student Julie Moss collapses just yards from the IRONMAN World Championship finish line. She is passed for the title, but does not give up; she crawls to the finish line, unknowingly creating one of the most iconic moments in IRONMAN history. 

With the recognition of the Physically Challenged Athletes in 1997, Australian John MacLean  becomes the first athlete to power a hand cycle bike and wheelchair to an official IRONMAN World Championship finish. Today, hundreds of thousands of triathletes from around the world have challenged themselves to prove to friends, loved ones, and even just themselves that "Anything is Possible.” 

Hawaiian Beginnings