What Exactly is an "Ironman"?

The term "triathlon" is pretty common place in today's vocabulary. A multi-sport event, in triathlon athletes compete in three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running. There are varying distance races making triathlon available to participants of all skill levels.

Ironman Triathlon is one of the most grueling events in the world of sports. It features a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a complete marathon (26.2 miles). Athletes have 17 hours to complete the event (from 7 am to midnight).

To suggest that completing an Ironman Triathlon is challenging would be an understatement. Perhaps that is why less than 1% of the world population has ever done so.

It can be difficult to fathom the scope of such a race. To get a feel for it, check out the attached movie from YouTube.