By Betsy:

During the final 5 hours of the Ironman, after Katie’s race was finished, people run in the dark as they hope to make it across the finish line to hear the announcer holler, “[your name here], YOU… ARE… An IRONMAN!”

 

Let me digress:  The announcer Mike Riley is a one-man show with his own stellar reputation. He begins announcing at 5 a.m. and continues until midnight, belting out every finisher’s name as he/she crosses the line.

Pizza finished, around 10:30 pm, we meandered back to  join the crowd forming at the finish chute. The loud music, the bright lights, the cheering crowd welcomed the final Ironmen wearily crossing the finish line. We pounded the advertisers’ boards hanging off the fences to drum our location to the dark streets of the struggling stragglers… an Ironman tradition to cheer and support those who have worked so hard for this accomplishment.

Is it physiologically and psychologically harder to run the course in 8 hours like the pros or for 17

hours like the folks in their 60s, 70s, even 80s? The winner of the race, Pete Jacobs, came through the chute shaking hands with the crowd. He seemed a swell guy, happy but not cocky, the most rested of anyone since he had finished hours earlier.

 

My three favorite racers in the last hour were

1. a fireman running in full firefighting gear, including an oxygen tank on his back.

2. Bonner Paddock, the first person with cerebral palsy to complete a World Championship Ironman. 16 hours:38 minutes: 35 seconds.  I stood next to one of his coworkers from Newport Coast, CA, who helped raise money for his ground-breaking effort. Bonner’s fans wore huge blue cowboy hats that were hard to miss throughout the day!

3. Harriet Anderson, the last person to cross the line.The crowd of hundreds, thousands of people cried out for her “Har-ri-ET! ” “Har-ri-ET!” And we banged our hands on the signs and she trotted down the chute– all smiles — 16:59:19 — at 77 years old!