So this is likely as close as I’ll ever get to standing on the podium at the ULTRAMAN World Championship… my buddy Mike Le Roux just won it on the weekend! (my best attempt at “associated glory”!) I was lucky enough to share a tent with several spectacular people and amazing athletes when I ran the Marathon des Sables in 2008… Megan McGrath, who had climbed the 7 Summits… Sandy McCallum, who had done MdS 9 times… Sue Lucas who went on to win the North American 100 Mile Trail Series in 2009… and Mick… the intense, but fun Aussie, who went on to do a plethora of amazing races all over the world and almost always was a top finisher… but, in my mind, winning the Ultraman World Championship pretty much tops them all!!! Congrats, Mick!!!
Check out his website (or the Feb issue of Runner’s World) and you’ll get an idea about his athletic accomplishments… as far as him being a king of a guy… well, you’ll just have to take my word for it! http://www.mikeleroux.com.au/
2010 Ultraman FAQ’s
A 3-day, 320-mile (515-kilometer) individual ultra-endurance event which takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii. Entry is limited to 40 participants and is by invitation only. Founded in 1983, the event is held annually on the traditional Thanksgiving weekend.
When:
FRIDAY, November 26, 2010 Stage I Starting time 6:30 a.m.
SATURDAY, November 27, 2010 Stage II Starting time 6:30 a.m.
SUNDAY, November 28, 2010 Stage III Starting time 6:00 a.m. (note earlier start)
Where:
Stage I – 6.2-mile (10 km) ocean swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay, followed by a 90-mile (145 km) cross-country bike ride from Keauhou Bay around the southern tip of the island via Route 11 to finish at Namakani Paio Park in the Volcanoes National Park. Vertical climbs total 7,600 feet.
Stage II
– 171.4-mi (276 km) bike ride, from Volcanoes National Park (Route 11) to Keaau, then turning east with a counter-clockwise loop through Kalapana, Kapoho and Pahoa, then on through the City of Hilo. From Hilo, the route continues north along the Hamakua Coast (Route 19) to Waimea, and over the Kohala Mountains via Route 250 to finish at the Kohala Village Inn on Hawi Road, just above its junction with Route 270. Vertical climbs total 8,600 feet.
Stage III – 52.4-mile (84 km) double-marathon run from Hawi to Kawaihae (Route 270), then on to Kailua-Kona (via Route 19) and finishing on the beach at the Old Airport State Park.
Time Limits: Each stage must be completed in 12 hours or less. The swim should be completed in 5-1/2 hours or less. Participants not reaching the respective finish lines within the 12 hour limits will be disqualified.
Who:
Limited to 40 athletes, participants are expected from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Puerto Rico, and the United States. Over 50% of the field will have participated in at least one previous ULTRAMAN. Each must be accompanied by an individual support team of at least two persons over the entire course. Many of these team members volunteer from the Big Island community each year. The event attracts individuals who not only thrive on personal challenge and enjoy the thrill of victory, but who come to understand, as did the ancient Hawaiians, the importance of aloha (love), ohana (family), and kokua (help). Individual resources, mental, physical, and spiritual, are shared in an atmosphere where everyone who completes the course is a winner, and the pursuit of human excellence is the fundamental rule of the road.
Ultraman 2010, Overall Results
DAY 3
# Name Age Sex Run 52.4 mi Event Total Overall
Finish Position
520 Le Roux Mike 34 M 6:31:45 21:55:57 1
509 Colting Jonas 37 M 7:27:07 22:19:54 2
514 Fletcher Slater 33 M 7:06:21 22:21:54 3
531 Ribeiro Alexandre45 M 6:59:02 23:52:46 4
526 Monforte Amber 32 F 7:47:29 24:07:11 5 1-F
524 McEvoy Christian 28 M 8:20:04 24:16:42 6
505 Biscay Hillary 32 F 7:55:10 24:40:28 7 2-F
501 ArmstrongShanna 36 F 7:49:07 24:43:57 8 3-F
508 Cokan Nino 37 M 8:46:08 25:03:18 9
536 Wang Gary 43 M 8:23:30 25:13:33 10
502 Augusto De Sousa Milton 36M 7:54:55 25:27:04 11
537 Winkler Kathy 44 F 7:53:07 25:35:23 12 4-F
518 Joswig Markus 29 M 8:26:48 25:36:57 13
510 ConceicaoCarlos 46 M 7:25:48 25:56:59 14
513 Draper Christopher34 M 7:59:14 26:13:04 15
503 Beasley Scott 49 M 8:56:10 26:19:56 16
534 Schmidt Wolfgang 49 M 8:28:02 27:19:27 17
519 KobayashiMegumi 37 F 8:52:26 28:07:37 18 5-F
529 Peruta Adam 32 M 9:23:08 29:17:44 19
532 Rouse Kimmie 55 F 9:19:34 29:21:15 20 6-F
522 Maciel Vanuza 40 F 9:36:03 29:39:43 21 7-F
507 Callos John 48 M 9:43:34 30:32:31 22
528 Patzina Roland 44 M 10:04:44 30:36:49 23
504 Beers Laurie 56 F 10:32:36 30:47:17 24 8-F
530 Raymond Martin 48 M 10:15:41 30:51:28 25
533 Rouse Mike 58 M 9:09:59 31:23:18 26
521 Lester Jason 36 M 9:30:51 31:32:24 27
506 Bourne Simon 47 M 10:58:29 31:33:27 28
515 Foulk Cory 51 M 11:02:54 31:55:18 29
512 Degazon Suzy 46 F 10:19:38 32:08:38 30 9-F
517 Hillery Robert 29 M 11:15:53 33:02:20 31
511 Dalton Paul 52 M 10:08:53 33:11:31 32
525 Minor Wendy 65 F 11:29:38 33:39:49 33 10-F
535 Sissel Jason 34 M DNF DNF DNF
523 MaddalozzoMario 34 M DNF DNF DNF
516 Franklin Martin 46 M DNF DNF DNF
Participating in this type of event is unthinkable. I am always impressed at the people who are in excellent enough physical condition in order to survive the rigors of such a challenge.
Great accomplishment that for sure took plenty of hard work and dedication.
Well done/ I’m looking forward to here more in the future.
What a great athlete. Really impressive. Does he plan to participate in the next one? If so, I am wishing him the best of luck. Even thought it’s a bit too late for me now, I would have liked to try this out when I was younger.
Rob, this is highly inspiring! Thanks for sharing. Clara
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