The tension and excitement in the triathlon world is beginning to build. We are a week away from the Hawaii Ironman. The World Championships of Ironman racing and a course that provides a huge challenge to any athlete lucky enough to be starting. In order to excel on this course an athlete needs optimal preparation, great tactical execution, a lot of courage, and a little dose of luck. It is a course that has a profile that does not look daunting, but any previous competitor will tell you its challenges are unique and great.

The Swim:

The Hawaii swim is very simple is design, essentially being an out and back in beautiful blue Hawaiian waters. While there are plenty of tropical fish swimming underneath the competitors, few will stop to take a glance. The professionals will begin fifteen minutes prior to the amateurs at 6.45 am local time. Many of the contenders in the men’s race usually stick together in the swim, but this year could see an interesting scenario with the addition of a few ‘super swimmers’ in the field, including 70.3 World Champion, Andy Potts. This will help the faster of the swimmers, if they are able to get away and stay in the draft of the fastest swimmers.

The swim should be a relatively simple affair, with the only hurdle becoming navigation and the large, rolling swells that sometimes occur in the bay. These move the swimmers around, but can also cause sea sickness, not an optimal feeling to have so early in a race.

The Bike:

The First Phase – onto the Queen K
After a looping, technical and busy 10 mile section through the streets of Kona, the athletes get out to the long, rolling, Queen K Highway. They will be seeing this road again on the run, but the early stages of the bike are normally relatively fast. Small rolling terrain with normally light early morning winds, allow the riders to make good progress for the first hour. This subtle beginning can cause inexperienced Kona competitors to be too eager, and they often go too hard in this first section, costing them dearly later in the bike. In contrast, the top riders may well be pressing in this early section for they understand that the winds tend to alter at around 10am. It is a nice advantage to get to the turnaround before the winds pick up and build into the riders face, but only the very fastest riders can get to the turn in time. The ‘aggression early’ tactic can reward those having a special day, but can also deal cruel consequences if the effort to get there is too much.

As the ride progresses along the queen K the rolling terrain begins to get a little more demanding. The Queen K ends with a T-junction, and it is a signal to the experienced competitors that the race is really beginning.

The climb to Hawi
The climb to Hawi is an opportunity for the stronger cyclists to make their mark. The climb begins more as a false flat and is often accompanied with a slight tail wind, pushing the athletes up the hill. Once through four to five miles they become exposed to the elements and the winds often begin to pick up. The athletes will be faced with medium to stronger cross head winds, often building in strength as the terrain begins to increase in grade toward the turnaround in the town of Hawi. Most athletes are relatively conservative climbing to Hawi, but it does represent a chance for the stronger riders to make time. Once reaching Hawi, it is a turnaround and the reward for the efforts in climbing. The descent from Hawi is the fastest section of the course, although it also provides its fair share of challenges. Despite the last two years of the race being calm by comparison, the norm is for strong crosswinds in this section. The winds can be so strong that they blow competitors across the road. It demands courage and great handling skills to stay in a straight line, and the conditions can cause a huge increase in physiological cost, as well as a decrease ability to fuel and hydrate. The increased cost, and inability to refuel, can be major contributing factors to performance decline in the later stages of the race.

Coming Home
Once at the bottom of the descent the riders are back onto the Queen K and heading home. With around 30 miles to go many athletes feel like they are close to home, but there is still a long way to go. The rollers are a challenge on the way home, and the wind is often elevated by this time of day. This last section determines if the athlete has paced their ride correctly. You can expect major time gains and losses in this innocuous last rolling section, with the strong holding steady and the weak suffering dramatic consequences.

The controversy: Drafting
One point of contention among the professional athletes is the amount of drafting that occurs in the upper ranks. There has been much discussion over the last months regarding the topic, and there will likely be a much less tolerant approach from the officials this year. While ‘legal drafting’ (a rider staying the legal length but gains a slight advantage from the accumulated effect of a line of riders in front) is a moot, nearly everyone hopes for fearless officials when considering riders staying inside the official draft zone. If the rules are strictly applied, or the winds decide to blow, do not be surprised to see some of the stronger cyclists gain some good time into the second transition, with the main ‘pack’ a little more splintered than years past.

The Run:

Alii Drive
The run begins with a ten-mile out and back along the edges of the Kona Bay. The paces are often blistering in this flat section, but so are the temperatures. The breeze is usually non-existent and competitors often extend themselves with the excitement of the huge crowds that line the residential road. The ‘real’ run has yet to begin, and caution will be employed by many of the smarter athletes along Alii. The switch from support to isolation commences at the top of Palani hill. A challenging climb, which while lined with support, can cause the competitors heart rates to spike to very uncomfortable levels.

Queen K
After the crowds of Alii drive a feeling of loneliness overcomes many athletes as they head back out onto the Queen K. Often the hardest section of the course mentally, it provides a feeling of running to nowhere, and the solitude provides too much time for the competitor to really consider how they are feeling and just what a long day it is. As a spectator you will witness a lot of walking on this section, many paying the price for earlier efforts. With a mentally challenging portion like this, the fresher runners will begin to see their strengths create rewards, but the real challenges still lay ahead.

The energy lab + back
The turnaround of this section of the Ironman course is a cruel road. The athletes take a left off the Queen K and drop down a false flat into the energy lab. At the bottom of the hill they make a sweeping right to the turnaround. There is seldom any breeze and the heat can be overwhelming. At the turnaround the athletes must climb back out and onto the Queen K and head for home. This is considered the ‘make or break’ for the top contenders and is a critical portion in deciding the final positions. Once back onto the Queen K and heading back to town the athletes can feel the finish line coming. With about 10 km to go it is the final chance for athletes to make their move. Nothing can be taken for granted in the Ironman, and there is still ample opportunity for major changes in position. Survival is often a word used to describe this phase of the race, but do not be surprised to see some head to head battles occurring among the leaders this year.

2009: What to expect

Expect the unexpected. This race never fails to provide some surprises and there will be many this year. Many believe that we are due for a lot of wind and nasty conditions this year, but the day can bring anything. The occasions I have been on the island this year the weather has been slightly different in years past. The activity of the Islands volcano this spring left cloudy conditions for most of the days, with cooler but very windy conditions. It has been some of the highest winds I have ever felt on the Big Island, but no one knows if they will be there on October 11th.

The men's race
The men’s race builds in competitive strength and this year promises the strongest field ever. Many top contenders missed out last year through sickness or injury, but no big names have dropped so far for 2008. Returning champion, Chris McCormack, remains one of the favorites with past champions Faris Al-Sultan and Normann Stadler sure to challenge. There are many more that can hold a claim at the chance at the win, not least Craig Alexander who was second last year in his first Hawaii Ironman. I suggest keeping an eye on some dark horses in the race including Marino Van Hoenacker and Eneko Llanos, as well as uber-cyclist Chris Lieto. Chris raced to an impressive 6th place in 2007, but returns this year as a better all around athlete and even fresher than last year. It will be an exciting race and I would find it close to impossible to pick a top 5 from the top contenders.

The women’s race
Last years race saw the stunning arrival of Chrissie Wellington. She returns as defending champion and a heavy favorite, with many considering the race already won. It is hard to dismiss Chrissie’s wonderful accomplishments in the last twelve months, but with achievement comes a loss of innocence, and it is going to be fascinating how she returns to the big race. Some of her top rivals have been forced out with injuries, a sad loss for the race, but this opens the way for others to make their names known. On October 11th the winner will be decided as the best athlete on that day, and it could well be someone who is less than expected. It is hard to dismiss Kate Major, Erika Csomer could well be in the hunt, and the fastest Ironman time in history was recorder this year by Yvonne Van Vlerken. But there are many who have the ability to step up on the day, and I have a feeling we will witness a ‘dark horse’ have a major impact in the race.

2008 is set to be another fascinating race in the professional fields. We are sure to have a few surprises, and some great battles. The training and racing leading up to this race are sure to leave some athletes very fit, but tired. Other will be fit and fast, and truly prepared for their best performance. We will find out who has got it right in about a week. It will be quite a day.

Stay tuned for a post race report on the events of the day and a review of both the men’s and women’s professional race.