Some athletes describe the ironman in terms of burning matchsticks. The iconic picture at the top of the post, accurately captures how close the race was. Whatever adrenaline boost they might have had from seeing their adversary next to them had been exhausted. At this point in the 1989 Kona Ironman, Mark and Dave had been next to each other in the water and on the bike for over 5 and a half hours. Marathon runners see their closest competition for just over 2 hours. Sprinters see their opponent next to them for less than 10 seconds.
This was Dave promoting one of the triathlon bikes of the late 80’s:įinally, it was time for the run. And again, there were no fancy tri-bikes in 1989. That was a reminder of the heat on this close to a 5 hour ride. Next, came a 180 km bike ride on a road that cut through lava fields. The race began with a 3.8 km open water swim (that means ocean in Kona, Hawaii). Lets also recap exactly what that event entailed so that we can get a better appreciation of a 2:40 marathon (a great time for stand-alone marathon in one of the hottest places on earth). However, despite outdated training techniques, bicycles that were just starting to take the shape of today’s aerodynamic rockets, and the lack of fancy glucose gels, they set a running pace unmatched to this day. And, with as fast as the evolution in sports nutrition and training practices have gone, it might as well have been the time of dinosaurs. It is worth repeating that this was 1989, the dawn of triathlons. Allen’s time of 2:40:04 and Scott’s 2:41:03 are still the first and second fastest marathons ever run in Ironman Hawaii. Their finishing time was more than 20 minutes better than the previous record, and, their run times were out of this world. They are legends, and the 1989 Ironman was a setting of their epic battle where they moved the goal posts in the sport ( very well documented in the book Iron War). Through the 80’s and into the 90’s their rivalry helped elevate triathlon to the thriving sport it is today. They both have won the Kona Ironman Championship six times. There is no way that dude is faster than me.” Sometimes it’s a runner who looks like they are of comparable ability, sometimes it’s a grandma on a bicycle, no matter who it is, the bait is irresistible, we turn it on.ĭave Scott and Mark Allen know a little bit about competition. Whether it’s in an official race, or when you’re out for your regular nightly jog, a little voice speaks to you “That guy just passed me.
This is a story about two runners and the power of competition. We’ve all felt it. “There is a special mystique about the marathon, for example, because of its length-but that’s just the bit you do at the end of an Ironman” – Chrissie Wellington
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