Ultraman (endurance challenge) facts for kids
The Ultraman is a super tough, three-day race that covers a huge distance of 515 kilometers (320 miles)! It's a multisport race, meaning athletes do different sports one after another. The most famous Ultraman race happens every year on the Big Island of Hawaii. This original race is now called the Ultraman World Championship. Other "Ultraman" races around the world are connected to this main event.
This amazing race is split into three parts over three days:
- Day 1: Athletes start with a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) ocean swim. They swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay. After the swim, they immediately get on their bikes for a 145-kilometer (90-mile) ride across the land. This bike ride includes climbing hills that add up to 6,000 feet!
- Day 2: This day is all about biking. Competitors ride 276 kilometers (171.4 miles) from Volcanoes National Park to Hawi. They climb another 4,000 feet during this part.
- Day 3: The final day is a super long run, like running two marathons back-to-back! It's 84 kilometers (52.4 miles) long. The run starts in Hawi and finishes right on the beach at the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area.
Each day, athletes must finish their part of the race within 12 hours. The swim on Day 1 has an even stricter time limit: 5.5 hours. If an athlete doesn't finish on time, they are disqualified. But they are still encouraged to keep going each day just for the experience! This race attracts athletes who want to push their bodies and minds to the absolute limit. Only 40 athletes are invited to compete, and they come from all over the world. Some countries that have sent athletes include Canada, Brazil, Spain, and the United States. To join, racers must be at least 20 years old. Every racer also needs a support team of at least two people to help them throughout the entire course. Many of these support team members are volunteers from the local Hawaiian community.
History of Ultraman
The very first Ultraman Triathlon took place in 1983. It was created by Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will. Curtis Tyler was the first race director. He wanted the event to be more than just a competition. He wanted it to follow the important Hawaiian ideas of "aloha" (love), "ohana" (family), and "kokua" (help).
In 1992, Curtis Tyler passed the leadership of Ultraman to Jane Bockus. He had one rule: there should never be prize money. Jane Bockus, often called "Ultra Momma," kept the race mostly the same. There were small changes to the course in 2001 and 2002. In 2017, "Ultra Momma" handed over the job to Sheryl Cobb, who became the new Race Director with her husband, David.
The race course stayed popular for many years. But in 2018, the Kilauea volcano erupted. Lava covered part of the race course, especially a favorite section called "Red Road." Because of this, the 2018 race course had to be changed. For 2019, Day 1 of the race went back to its original route. Day 2 had to be slightly changed because of the lava, but it still started in Volcano and ended in Hawi. Day 3 stayed the same.
The Ultraman race became so popular that other events were started around the world. In 1993, a second Ultraman race began in Canada (in Penticton, British Columbia). This race was a way for athletes to qualify for the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii until 2014. Ultraman United Kingdom started in 2011 in Wales. Ultraman Florida began in 2014, and Ultraman Australia launched in 2015. Ultraman Canada returned in 2019, and Ultraman Arizona started in 2022.
We came together as strangers, competed as friends, we part as brothers and sisters.
—Gerry van de Wint
Ultraman Race Results
Here are some of the past winners of the Ultraman World Championship:
| Year | Sex | Place | Athlete | Age | Nationality | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Men | 1 | Kurt Madden | 28 |  United States |
21:41:02 |
| Women | 9 (overall) | Ardis Bow | 27 | United States |
26:57:45 | |
| 1984 | Men | 1 | Scott Molina | 24 | United States |
24:49:01 |
| Women | 13 (overall) | Lyn Brooks | 36 | United States |
33:15:24 | |
| 1985 | Men | 1 | Kurt Madden | 30 | United States |
22:11:04 |
| Women | 3 (overall) | Ardis Bow | 29 | United States |
25:44:51 | |
| 1986 | Men | 1 | Jim Freim | 40 | United States |
25:43:21 |
| Women | 23 (overall) | Sherri Wellis | 38 | United States |
33:31:19 | |
| 1988 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 33 | United States |
24:42:01 |
| Women | 18 (overall) | Manako Mizuntani | 28 |  Japan |
35:41:14 | |
| 1989 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 34 | United States |
23:14:56 |
| Women | 8 (overall) | Tina Bischoff | 31 | United States |
25:45:51 | |
| 1990 | Men | 1 | Gary Shields | 35 | United States |
22:19:16 |
| Women | 25 (overall) | Angelika Castaneda | 47 | United States |
31:27:45 | |
| 1992 | Men | 1 | Don Newman | 33 | United States |
26:20:23 |
| Women | - | - | -- | --:--:-- | ||
| 1993 | Men | 1 | Hans-Juergen Schley | 37 |  Germany |
25:50:38 |
| Women | 13 (overall) | Hiroe Fukushima | 25 | Japan |
34:19:52 | |
| 1994 | Men | 1 | Daniel Schallmo | 37 | Germany |
23:50:34 |
| Women | - | - | -- | --:--:-- | ||
| 1995 | Men | 1 | Kevin Cutjar | 29 |  Australia |
23:19:39 |
| Women | 22 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 25 |  Canada |
32:25:37 | |
| 1996 | Men | 1 | Erik Seedhouse | 32 | Canada |
22:51:36 |
| Women | - | - | -- | ---:--:-- | ||
| 1997 | Men | 1 | Peter Kotland | 25 | United States |
21:52:51 |
| Women | 14 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 27 | Canada |
34:08:00 | |
| 1998 | Men | 1 | Holger "Holgie" Spiegel | 26 | Germany |
21:41:22 |
| Women | 19 (overall) | Tracy Preston | 28 | Canada |
30:53:03 | |
| 1999 | Men | 1 | John Nickles | 35 | United States |
22:46:27 |
| Women | 17 (overall) | Linda Bialla | 36 | United States |
29:19:00 | |
| 2000 | Men | 1 | Uros Velepec | 34 |  Slovenia |
22:15:08 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Monica Fernandez | 33 |  Guatemala |
28:08:09 | |
| 2001 | Men | 1 | Uros Velepec | 34 | Slovenia |
22:44:30 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Monica Fernandez | 33 | Guatemala |
27:56:54 | |
| 2002 | Men | 1 | Gordo Byrn | 33 |  New Zealand |
23:24:56 |
| Women | 12 (overall) | Conny Dauben | 27 | Germany |
28:32:59 | |
| 2003 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 38 |  Brazil |
22:20:26 |
| Women | 6 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 29 | United States |
27:31:51 | |
| 2004 | Men | 1 | Jonas Colting | 31 |  Sweden |
21:41:49 |
| Women | 16 (overall) | Lauren Fithian | 46 | United States |
32:03:16 | |
| 2005 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 40 | Brazil |
24:32:28 |
| Women | 4 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 31 | United States |
28:03:34 | |
| 2006 | Men | 1 | Jeff Landauer | 39 | United States |
24:30:47 |
| Women | 9 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 32 | United States |
28:13:11 | |
| 2007 | Men | 1 | Jonas Colting | 34 | Sweden |
21:59:44 |
| Women | 8 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 32 | United States |
26:43:24 | |
| 2008 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 43 | Brazil |
21:49:38 |
| Women | 10 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 34 | United States |
26:25:03 | |
| 2009 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 44 | Brazil |
22:10:12 |
| Women | 7 (overall) | Shanna Armstrong | 35 | United States |
25:48:46 | |
| 2010 | Men | 1 | Mike Le Roux | 34 | Australia |
21:55:57 |
| Women | 5 (overall) | Amber Monforte | 32 | United States |
24:07:11 | |
| 2011 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 46 | Brazil |
22:09:54 |
| Women | 6 (overall) | Amber Monforte | 33 | United States |
24:42:02 | |
| 2012 | Men | 1 | Alexandre Ribeiro | 47 | Brazil |
22:51:12 |
| Women | 3 (overall) | Amber Monforte | 34 | United States |
25:29:09 | |
| 2013 | Men | 1 | Miro Kregar | 51 | Slovenia |
23:42:07 |
| Women | 3 (overall) | Hillary Biscay | 35 | United States |
24:30:50 | |
| 2014 | Men | 1 | Tobias Winnemoeller | 35 | Germany |
23:28:14 |
| Women | 7 (overall) | Yasuko Miyazaki | 37 | Japan |
25:40:49 | |
| 2015 | Men | 1 | Mike Coughlin | 42 | Canada |
21:44:18 |
| Women | 15 (overall) | Staci Studer | 42 | United States |
28:29:28 | |
| 2016 | Men | 1 | Inaki De La Parra | 33 |  Mexico |
22:34:18 |
| Women | 6 (overall) | Kate Bevilaqua | 39 | Australia |
24:44:04 | |
| 2017 | Men | 1 | Rob Gray | 41 | United States |
22:19:49 |
| Women | 9 (overall) | Steffi Steinberg | 36 | Germany |
26:02:27 |
Ultraman Races Around the World
As of June 2020, there are four main Ultraman Triathlons. Ultraman Florida, Ultraman Canada, and Ultraman Arizona are all races where athletes can qualify for the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii.
- [Ultraman World Championships]: This is the original race, held on the Big Island of Hawaii every year around Thanksgiving weekend in November. It started in 1983.
- [Ultraman Florida]: This race takes place in the central part of Florida. It began in 2014.
- Ultraman Canada: This event is held in Penticton, British Columbia. It returned as a qualifying race in July 2019. You can find course records here: new record set for Ultraman Canada.
- Ultraman Arizona: This race is held in Phoenix. It started in March 2022, after being postponed from March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gallery
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Swim escorts get ready before the Day One 6.2-mile swim at Kaiakeakua Beach.
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Day Three's 52.4-mile run is mostly on the Queen Kaahumanu "Queen K" Highway. Athletes must finish in under 12 hours.
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A swimmer with their required escort during the race.
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Leading athletes on Day Two's 171-mile bike ride, followed by a media vehicle along the Red Road.
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Participants gather in a circle with their support crews and staff before the 52.4-mile run.
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Ruth Wildman, "Ultra Momma" Jane Bockus, and Race Directors Sheryl Cobb and Dave Cobb.
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The final part of the 52.4-mile run at the old airport. Many participants finish with their family, friends, and support crew.
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The amazing feeling of finishing an Ultraman race!
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Finishers are given a lei (flower necklace) by Jane Bockus.
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Some participants have family members as their support crew, which adds to the "ohana" (family) feeling.
See also
In Spanish: Ultraman (prueba de resistencia) para niños
- Ironman Triathlon
- Ultra-Triathlon
- Long-distance swimming
- Ultramarathon
- USA Triathlon
