
Ironmen at Kona
Six have broken the eight-hour barrier in a 140.6-mile Ironman triathlon. But at Kona, where the 26th world championships will be held on Oct. 16, the mark remains as untouchable as the four-minute mile once was for runners. Here's a look at the top three chasing the title and an elusive record.
[This article continas a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
Peter Reid | Tim DeBoom | Simon Lessing | |
Hometown | Victoria, B.C. | Lyons, Colorado | Cape Town, South Africa |
Age | 35 | 33 | 32 |
Idol | Mark Allen | John Naber | Mark Allen |
Best Ironman time | 7:51:56 at '99 Austria | 8:08:55 at '02 Austria | 8:23:12 at '04 Lake Placid |
Best Hawaii time | 8:21:01 in '00 | 8:23:09 in '00 | N/A |
Ironman victories | 10 | 4 | 1 |
Strongest leg | Running | Swimming | Running |
Why he'll win | Three wins in last six at Kona | Two straight Kona wins from '01 to '02 | Broke Lake Placid record by 10 mins. |
Why he won't | Wilted to sixt in July at Germany | Injury prone. In '03 passed a kidney stone at mile 128 | Kona rookie |
COLOR PHOTO
FRANK WECHSEL/BONGARTS (REID)
COLOR PHOTO
BARON SEKIYA/WEST HAWAII TODAY/AP (DEBOOM)
COLOR PHOTO
PHIL COLE/GETTY IMAGES (LESSING)