Man loves a race, loves to complete to see who can run the fastest or the farthest. Records of the ancient Olympics date back to 776 BC. Several Egyptian Pharaohs held games of skill and endurance to mark their twentieth years as Pharaoh. The Pharaoh himself competed and, as on the modern golf course, the Pharaoh always won.

Today there are numerous types of races held all over the world where people test their ability and endurance. For example, running a 26 mile marathon is one of the goals of many serious adult athletes.

The Ultraman race has taken place each year at Thanksgiving on the big island of Hawaii since 1983. A maximum of 35 participants compete by invitation only. Competitors from all over the world are invited. Despite the title, men and women compete. Of the 15 contestants in 2003, three were women, one of whom finished sixth overall.

The three day event features swimming, bicycling and running. On Friday, it starts at 6:30am with a 6.2 mile (10 km) swim in the ocean. followed by a 90 mile (145 km) bike ride with a total 6,000 feet elevation gain.

The second day consists of a 172.4 mile (276 km) bike ride around the big island. The vertical climbs add up to 4,000 feet.

The third day is a double marathon, 52.4 miles (84 km).

Each segment must be completed in less then 12 hours to qualify (total time 36 hours).

The top two pictures are of Tom Rodgers, age 43, who finished third with a total time 25 hours and 2 minutes. He's been in this race since 1999 when he finished in seventh place. 2000 saw him move up to fifth, best finish for an American that year. The course record is 21 hours and 41 minutes in 1997. Tom is my oldest daughter’s boy friend.

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Contents copyright 2004 by Dr. A. V. Persson and ParaComp, Inc. All rights reserved.

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