Prior to 13th October, almost 2,000 world-class athletes will descend on the Big Island of Hawaii to compete in the latest edition of the Ironman World Championship, a triathlon contest that will require them to contend with the bright Hawaiian sun and temperatures likely to reach into the mid-90s.

(TRAVPR.COM) UK - October 3rd, 2012 - The main venue for the events making up the triathlon competition will be the Kona coastline, which has hosted the Ironman World Championship since 1981. Before that, the competition took place in Waikiki. In all, Hawaii has hosted the Ironman Triathlon World Championship 33 times previously, making this year's competition the 34th annual gathering of those who would prove their strength and courage in the strenuous events required of the competitors.

The mantra of the Ironman competition is ‘anything is possible.’ The competition itself embodies this concept, demanding that competitors complete an arduous journey of more than 140 miles in length, comprising a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of bike racing, and a 26.2 mile running race. The race has been an autumnal event since 1982 and the current record-holder for the Hawaii course was set quite recently.

It was only in 2011 when Craig Alexander, a competitor from Australia, triumphed over his peers in the men's competition with a total time of just 8 hours, 3 minutes, and 56 seconds. The record for the women's course is quite similar. Chrissie Wellington of Great Britain completed the course in 2009 in a total time of 8 hours, 54 minutes, and 2 seconds.

In addition to the men's and women's competitions, the Ironman Triathlon World Championship also features a category for the physically challenged. First started in 1997, this category requires competitors to adhere to cut-off times that are identical to those required of the non-physically challenged. The first athlete to complete the course while participating in the physically challenged category was John Maclean of Australia.

For more information on attending the event, visit http://ironmanworldchampionship.com/. 

Anyone looking to build their fitness for Triathlon competitions, or just improve their general fitness and lifestyle in general, should visit Illumanis at www.illumanis.com for a full range of health and fitness holidays and bootcamps.

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