Ultraman is a three-day, 515 km (320 mile) multisport race modelled on the one held annually on the Big Island of Hawaii which is now called the Ultraman World Championship. "Ultraman" is a branding for events affiliated with the Hawaii original. Each race is divided into three stages over three days: The first is a 6.2-mile (10-km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145-km) cross-country bike ride, with vertical climbs that total 6,000 feet. Stage two is a 171.4-mile (276-km) bike ride from Volcanoes National Park to Kohala Village Inn in Hawi, with total vertical climbs of 4,000 feet. Stage three is a 52.4-mile (84-km) double-marathon, which starts at Hawi and finishes on the beach at the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area. Each stage must be completed within 12 hours or less. The swim portion of stage one must be completed in 5.5 hours or less. Competitors who do not reach the finish lines within the time limits are disqualified, but encouraged to continue racing each day as participants.
This event attracts athletes who seek to explore the extreme in physical and mental abilities. The race is limited to 40 athletes on an invitation-only basis and attracts participants from around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia and the United States. Racers must have reached their 20th birthday prior to the start of stage one. Each racer must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two people over the entire course. Many support team members are volunteers from the Big community.
History The first Ultraman Triathlon was held in 1983 and organized by Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will. Among the group Curtis Tyler served as original race director with the goal of having more than just a competition but an event which focused on the guiding principles of Hawaiian culture.... "aloha" (love), "ohana" (family), and "kokua" (help). In 1992 Tyler turned over Ultraman to Jane Bockus on the condition that there never be prize money. Jane Bockus, often referred to as "Ultra Momma", has kept the event the same with the exception of a course change in the years 2001 & 2002 with a start and finish in Kailua-Kona instead of the around the Big Island format. In 2017, Ultra Momma handed over the reins to her Assistant RD, and Sheryl Cobb took over as Race Director, with her husband David as Assistant RD. In 2018, David Cobb was added as Co-Race Director along with Sheryl.
Popularity of the previous course remained for many years, and things changed little until the 2018 Kilauea eruption. During the eruption, lava covered part of the race course in the area of "Red Road", a favorite section of the Day 2 course. The 2018 course was altered to account for this course blockage: Day 1 became an out-and-back course, ending back at T1 in Keauhou Bay; Day 2 became a challenging ride from Kona up and over the "Saddle" before meeting up with the old course, ending at Kapaa Park near Hawi; Day 3 remained unchanged, running from Hawi back to Kona. For 2019, the Day 1 course will return to the old Kona to Volcano course. Day 2 will need to alter slightly to account for the lava on Red Road, but will start in Volcano and end in Hawi as usual, and Day 3 will remain the same.
In 1993, a second Ultraman was organized in Canada (Penticton, British Columbia) this event was brought to life by Steve Brown, who after dealing with the UMWC mgt changed the original event to Ultra520 which ran until covid and 2022 which served as a qualifier event to gain entrance to Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii until 2014. A third event, Ultraman United Kingdom began in 2011 and was held in Wales for three years. Ultraman Florida launched in the Orlando region in 2014. Ultraman Australia launched in 2015 and was held in Noosa for three years. Canada returned as a qualifier in July 2019 run by Brad Sawa and he was removed by the Cobbs in 2026, and Ultraman Arizona launched in March 2022 and folded by the cobbs in 2026.
Results
Year Sex Place Athlete Age Nationality Time1983 Men 1 Kurt Madden 28 21:41:02 Women 9 (overall) Ardis Bow 27 26:57:451984 Men 1 Scott Molina 24 24:49:01 Women 13 (overall) Lyn Brooks 36 33:15:241985 Men 1 Kurt Madden 30 22:11:04 Women 3 (overall) Ardis Bow 29 25:44:511986 Men 1 Jim Freim 40 25:43:21 Women 23 (overall) Sherri Wellis 38 33:31:191988 Men 1 Gary Shields 33 24:42:01 Women 18 (overall) Manako Mizuntani 28 35:41:141989 Men 1 Gary Shields 34 23:14:56 Women 8 (overall) Tina Bischoff 31 25:45:511990 Men 1 Gary Shields 35 22:19:16 Women 25 (overall) Angelika Castaneda 47 31:27:45 1992 Men 1 Don Newman 33 26:20:23 Women - - -- --:--:--1993 Men 1 Hans-Juergen Schley 37 25:50:38 Women 13 (overall) Hiroe Fukushima 25 34:19:521994 Men 1 Daniel Schallmo 37 23:50:34 Women - - -- --:--:--1995 Men 1 Kevin Cutjar 29 23:19:39 Women 22 (overall) Tracy Preston 25 32:25:371996 Men 1 Erik Seedhouse 32 22:51:36 Women - - -- ---:--:--1997 Men 1 Peter Kotland 25 21:52:51 Women 14 (overall) Tracy Preston 27 34:08:001998 Men 1 Holger "Holgie" Spiegel 26 21:41:22 Women 19 (overall) Tracy Preston 28 30:53:031999 Men 1 John Nickles 35 22:46:27 Women 17 (overall) Linda Bialla 36 29:19:002000 Men 1 Uros Velepec 34 22:15:08 Women 10 (overall) Monica Fernandez 33 28:08:092001 Men 1 Uros Velepec 34 22:44:30 Women 10 (overall) Monica Fernandez 33 27:56:542002 Men 1 Gordo Byrn 33 23:24:56 Women 12 (overall) Conny Dauben 27 28:32:592003 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 38 22:20:26 Women 6 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 29 27:31:51 2004 Men 1 Jonas Colting 31 21:41:49 Women 16 (overall) Lauren Fithian 46 32:03:162005 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 40 24:32:28 Women 4 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 31 28:03:342006 Men 1 Jeff Landauer 39 24:30:47 Women 9 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 32 28:13:112007 Men 1 Jonas Colting 34 21:59:44 Women 8 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 32 26:43:242008 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 43 21:49:38 Women 10 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 34 26:25:032009 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 44 22:10:12 Women 7 (overall) Shanna Armstrong 35 25:48:462010 Men 1 Mike Le Roux 34 21:55:57 Women 5 (overall) Amber Monforte 32 24:07:112011 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 46 22:09:54 Women 6 (overall) Amber Monforte 33 24:42:022012 Men 1 Alexandre Ribeiro 47 22:51:12 Women 3 (overall) Amber Monforte 34 25:29:092013 Men 1 Miro Kregar 51 23:42:07 Women 3 (overall) Hillary Biscay 35 24:30:502014 Men 1 Tobias Winnemoeller 35 23:28:14 Women 7 (overall) Yasuko Miyazaki 37 25:40:492015 Men 1 Mike Coughlin 42 21:44:18 Women 15 (overall) Staci Studer 42 28:29:282016Men1Inaki De La Parra3322:34:18Women6 (overall)Kate Bevilaqua3924:44:042017Men1Rob Gray4122:19:49Women9 (overall)Steffi Steinberg3626:02:27
Ultraman Events As of June 2020, there are four existing Ultraman Triathlons. Ultraman Florida, Ultraman Canada and Ultraman Arizona all serve as qualifiers for Ultraman World Championships Ultraman World Championships, held on the big island of Hawaii on Thanksgiving weekend at the end of November; Started in 1983. Ultraman Florida, held in the central region of the state of Florida; Started in 2014. Ultraman Canada, held in Penticton, British Columbia, started in July 2019 (course records) Ultraman Arizona, held in Phoenix; started in March 2022 (original date of March 2020 postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Gallery
See also Ironman Triathlon Ultra-Triathlon Long-distance swimming Ultramarathon USA Triathlon
References
External links Ultraman World Championships Ultraman Canada Ultraman Florida Ten Contestants’ Stories USA Triathlon Jonas Colting interview (Part 1) Jonas Colting interview (Part 2) 220 magazine article Ultraman World Championship - A different kind of race (YouTube)