Hawaii is the dream island for many triathletes. When it comes to Hawaii, most people think of the annual Ironman World Championship in Kona. But Big Island is also home to the Ultraman World Championship, which has been taking place almost a month and a half after the Ironman since 1983. At the end of November, always on Thanksgiving weekend, the athletes will circle the entire island of the Ultraman within three days. That means 10 km of swimming, followed by 145 km on the bike on the first day, 276 km on the bike on the second and finally an 84 km run on the last day.
But despite the title as World Cup and this gigantic sporting challenge, the three Hawaiian terms Aloha, Kokua and Ohana are in the foreground. Aloha means love for allies and helpers, Kokua means help and refers to the fact that you fight together against the challenge of the Ultraman and finally there is Ohana. Ohana means family and describes the process of the participants who have grown into a family after a hard three days.
The way into the Ultraman family
But it is not that easy to become part of this family, because the starting field at the Ultraman World Championship is limited to only 40 starters. Although this strengthens the family character, it makes it extremely difficult to become part of it. There are more or less two ways to get hold of one of these places. On the one hand there is the athletic path through the qualification at Ultraman Canada or Arizona and on the other hand the invitation from the organizers. For the latter, you also have to prove your athletic performance, but you have not achieved a place in a particular race, your own competition history counts. Another important factor for participation is that you have been a supporter of a previous Ultraman, ensuring that all applicants have an idea of what to expect in the three days of racing on Big Island.
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Logistical and financial challenge
If you are one of the 40 lucky chosen starters, it does not mean that from now on you can put your feet up and wait for the competition. Because now the organizational tasks begin: First the $ 2,000 entry fee has to be transferred, then the flights have to be booked and accommodation on the Big Island has to be organized, so that an Ultraman participation quickly costs around 6,000 to 7,000 euros, even when you hunt for the best deals as a savings fan. But that’s not all, because in addition to your own travel costs, the costs for at least two supporters, which the Ultraman regulations stipulate for each participant, must be borne. It shouldn’t be that easy for most European starters to convince two friends to invest several thousand euros to work as a water carrier on the other end of the world for three days. Because with the Ultraman, the athletes are cared for by their team or the support of other team supporters.
The sea, the island and the motorists as opponents
On the first day of the competition, an insidious counter current can be a special challenge when swimming 10 km, which can mean the end of the Ultraman for some athletes. In 2000, less than half of the starting field reached the goal of the first stage before the cut-off due to the extremely strong current along the coast line between the pier at Kailua-Kona and Keauhou Bay. The competition is not completely over afterwards because on the following days you can still fight for the Participant Medal instead of the Finisher Medal. After completing the first 145 km on the bike up to the Volcano National Park, there is another special feature. A night together in a military camp. The hardships of the first day have not yet been fully processed, on the second day you now have to cycle 276 km, once at half the Big Island. No roads are closed to athletes on both days and it is important to comply with the applicable road traffic regulations. In the United States, this can sometimes provide an extra adrenaline rush. The final day of the double marathon begins with all the starters standing in a circle, holding hands and waiting for the starting signal to sound from the shell. The route from Hawi to Kona, which is known for the Ironman cycle route, is covered here on foot.
German record holder
All starters who reach the destination at the old Kona Airport within the time limits can rightly call themselves “Ultraman”. German triathletes, in addition to the outstanding achievements of the Ironman, are also up to the challenges of the ultraman. In this way, six Germans have already entered the winners list of the Ultraman World Cup. The first German winner, the now deceased Hans-Jürgen Schley, was not only the fastest athlete on all three days in 1993, but was able to win the race despite a fall on the second day and the resulting fracture of the pubic bone. Perhaps this was partly due to the rumor that beer instead of Gatorade was in the drinking bottles. The German athlete Holger Spiegel set the still valid course record (21:41:22 hours) in 1998. The most successful German Ultraman World Cup participant in terms of podium finishes is Sprockhöveler Conny Dauben, who celebrated a victory (2002) and a second place (2019).
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