WhatA 3-day, 320-mile (515-kilometer) ultra-endurance event which takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. Entry is limited to 35 participants and is by invitation only. Founded in 1983 and held annually except in 1987 and 1991, Ultraman is held on Thanksgiving weekend. WhereStage I: 6.2-mile (10 km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145 km) cross-country bike ride from Keauhou Bay around the southern tip of the island via Route 11 to finish at Namakani Paio Park in the Volcanoes National Park. Vertical climbs total 6,000 feet. Stage II: 171.4-mi (276 km) bike ride, from Volcanoes National Park (Route 11) to Keeau, then turning east with a counter-clockwise loop through Kalapana, Kapoho and Pahoa, then on through the City of Hilo. From Hilo, the route continues north along the Hamakua Coast (Route 19) to Waimea, and over the Kohala Mountains to finish at the Kohala Village Inn on Hawi Road, just above its junction with Route 270. Vertical climbs total 4,000 feet. Stage III: 52.4-mile (84 km) double-marathon run from Hawi to Kawaihae (Route 270), then on to Kailua-Kona (via Route 19) and finishing on the beach at the Old Airport State Park. Time Limits: Each stage must be completed in 12 hours or less. The swim should be completed in 5-1/2 hours or less. Participants not reaching the respective finish lines within the 12 hour limits will be disqualified. WhoLimited to 35 athletes, participants are expected from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Puerto Rico, Sweden and the United States. 50% of the field will have participated in at least one previous ULTRAMAN. Each must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two persons over the entire course. Many of these team members volunteer from the Big Island community each year. The event attracts individuals who not only thrive on personal challenge and enjoy the thrill of victory, but who come to understand, as did the ancient Hawaiians, the importance of aloha (love), ohana (family), and kokua (help). Individual resources, mental, physical, and spiritual, are shared in an atmosphere where everyone who completes the course is a winner, and the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road. Visit the ultramanlive.com website to read biographies of all the participants! Ultraman Race Reports and Slideshows by Chris Kostman
Earth Journey: An Ultraman-Distance Event in VermontI originally founded and produced the Earth Journey three day triathlon stage race in British Columbia in 1991, but it's been produced under license by Steve Hare of Vermont Sun Sports and Fitness in and around Middlebury, Vermont, ever since. Day One is a 5.5 mile swim or 13 mile paddle, followed by a 95 mile bicycle race; Day Two is a 168 mile bicycle race; Day Three is a 51 mile double marathon run. Like the Ultraman event on the Big Island which inspired its creation, Earth Journey is a three day stage triathlon for individuals and teams, but it goes beyond sport and racing. Earth Journey is a fantastic real life human adventure through the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont.
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