With just more than one week until the Ford Ironman World Championship 2008 in Hawaii the pressure is on for many age group athletes and professional athletes. I don't think the event will be broadcasted on television in the UK so I will have to connect my laptop to the television and follow the championship through IronmanLive.com. 

One of the most heroic achievements, beside the moment my wife gave birth to our son, that I have seen is are the crawls of Julie Moss which must have raised the level of drama to the triathlon sport for years to come . Julie Moss was leading the race while fatigue overwhelmed her exhausted body, she dropped to the ground but was able to recover enough after every collapse to reach the finish, she found the strength to push the spectators away who were trying to help. Only a few meters before the finish line she was overtaken and ended in second place. Kathleen McCartney claimed the title in1982. See the historic moment in the following video, after swimming 2.4 mile, 112 mile on the bike followed by a Marathon distance of 26.2 mile. 

Dave Scott who is another legend has won the triathlon Ironman championship in Hawaii 6 times in a timeframe of 7 years with 3 consecutive wins between 1980 and 1987. Dave came out of retirement to claim a second place in 1994. His main rival must have been Mark Allen who won five consecutive victories between 1989 and 1993. Dave Scott's best time is 8:10:13 which is still 20 minutes slower than my all time Belgium favorite Luc Van Lierde who completed the Ironman event in a record time of 07:50:27 in 1996. This record still stands today. Coming from Belgium myself I remember this day clearly with all the newspapers having only one headline - the little Belgium guy who went and won in Hawaii one of the most grueling events on earth in a record breaking time.

An identical impressive result is last year's Chrissie Wellington who claimed victory after just started as a professional for one year and performed only her second Ironman last year whereby she won the first one as well.

She is absolutely in top shape this year with already a few impressive wins. She is very fluid and light on the feet and has been named as the top number one woman to claim victory in the Hawaii Ironman of 2008. I guess there will be a bit more pressure this year as she has written a great name for herself. But she is one of the if not the top favorite.

There are a few very impressive names on the participant list this year. Luc Van Lierde will be present, age 39, I doubt he will go over his record time from 1996 but after seeing his performance from this year and a great recovery from injury I can see him ending in a top 10 place. Rutger Beke another Belgium Ironman athlete who had trouble in the past but this seems to be in the past has claimed victory in the triathlon of Knokke this year. No doubt we have to include Chris McCormack (aka Macca) who has finished the Ironman Germany in an astonishing time of 7:59:55. Norman Stadler, from Germany, had a weird year, dropping out of Ironman Germany and Ironman Lake Placid - but if he gets his chance on the bike the others will have to dig deep on the run. After an impressive second win in the Antwerp 70.3 Ironman this year Marino VanHoenacker, from Belgium, will be another candidate for a top 10 place, after all he came in fifth position in 2007.

If you fancy participating in the Ironman Hawaii the Lottery program opens today 1^st October 2008 and closes on 28^th February 2009. Good luck. Here is the page to put your name down in the lottery.

If you fancy reading more of these impressive stories then read the book Becoming an Ironman which I have reviewed last month.