IRONMAN 2011

Neal and I had the most amazing opportunity to be volunteers for the IRONMAN competition. St. George hosted their 2nd annual Ironman. This race is ridiculous. Each contestant swims 2.4 miles, bikes 112 miles, and then runs 26.2 miles.... an entire marathon!

My company sponsored a running aid station. We stood on the sidelines of the marathon route and handed the runners water, gatorade, coke, ice, power gels, and fresh fruit. It was unbelievable to watch these athletes pass us as they ran by. They had already swam around Sand Hollow Reservoir and then biked 112 miles. At one point, there is a 13% grade during the bike route!!! It's just unbelievable what these people are capable of doing. We will never forget that day and we can not wait until next year comes around!

Here are some of the highlights from this year! :)

"Ford Ironman St. George offers a signature course in the epic beauty of St. George, Utah. The swim is held at Sand Hollow Reservoir, and the bike and run courses offer spectacular views. In its first year, the race earned a reputation as one of the best venues and most supportive communities on the Ironman circuit. Pre and post-race surveys from more than 1,300 athletes verify this sentiment. When asked their opinion of the event, 98 percent of athletes gave Ford Ironman St. George the highest possible rating. The St. George area and the community were also given the highest possible rating by 98 percent of those polled." (ironmanstgeorge.com)
"The St. George course is quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most challenging and most scenic on the Ironman circuit. “The feeling in the triathlon community is that this is a signature course with epic beauty,” said Lewis. “It’s a photographers dream,” he said. “I overheard several photographers talking about how enjoyable their day was and one quipped: “You can point a camera anywhere and get a good shot.”

“Who would know?” said Paula Newby-Fraser, eight-time Ironman World Champion, and Vice President of Development for Ironman. “You’ve got the red rocks, you’ve got the lava fields, the vistas – it’s just spectacular.

On race day, thousands of spectators followed the athletes as they made their way through the 140 mile course. St. George officials estimate nearly 25-thousand spectators gathered at the finish line from 3:00 pm to midnight. “What an exciting way to showcase our incredible surroundings to people from around the globe,” said Lewis. “It’s a remarkable event – the only one I’ve seen where spectators cheer louder for the last person across the finish line than they do for the first. It was everything we hoped for and we can’t wait to do it again.”

“For the community, the benefits of hosting a successful event like this go well beyond race week,” said Lewis. ”Ironman introduced thousands of people to this area, and according to the survey, most of them plan to visit again.” 52% of the athletes indicated that Ironman was their first introduction to the St. George. 68% said they planned to return to the area for a vacation, while 38% said they would return to train." (ironmanstgeorge.com)