My Cancer Experience   8 Oct, 2003   My First IronMan Tri: 226km   25 Aug, 2002   My First Ultramarathon: 50km   30 Sept, 2000 My First Marathon: 42km 2 May, 1999
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Serenelli's Triathlon Races
Location	Date	My Time
4 - IRONMAN - Penticton (CA)	25 Aug 2002	13:55 (226km)
3 - Frank Dunn Triathlon - Waskesiu (CA)	11 Aug 2002	3:59 (77km)
2 - Frank Dunn Triathlon - Waskesiu (CA)	12 Aug 2001	3:44 (77km)
1 - Frank Dunn Triathlon - Waskesiu (CA)	13 Aug 2000	4:00 (77km)

FYI - The Marathon Distance

The 1896 Olympic marathon distance of 24.8 miles was based on the distance run, according to famous Greek legend, in which the Greek foot-soldier Pheidippides was sent from the plains of Marathon to Athens with the news of the astounding victory over a superior Persian army. Exhausted as he approached the leaders of the City of Athens, he staggered and gasped, "Rejoice! We Conquer!" and then collapsed. The marathon distance was later changed as a result of the 1908 Olympic Games in London. That year, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria wanted the marathon race to begin at Windsor Castle outside the city so that the Royal family could view the start. The distance between the castle and the Olympic Stadium in London proved to be 26 miles. Organizers added extra yards to the finish around a track, 385 to be exact, so the runners would finish in front of the king and queen's royal box. Every Olympic marathon run since the 1908 Games has been a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards.

FYI - The Ultramarathon

An ultramarathon is any running event longer than the standard marathon distance of 42 kilometres, 195 metres ( 26 miles, 385 yards). Ultramarathons have existed for centuries in one form or another. They can stretch 50 kilometres, 100 kilometres, 100 miles or more. There are also six-hour, 12-hour and 24-hour races, not to mention ultras that last for days on end. The historic six-day race, which began in the 1800s, is usually run on 400-metre tracks. The longest certified race in the world, is the annual Sri Chinmoy 3100-Mile Race held each summer in New York. It last seven weeks and is held on a controlled road loop in Queens each June and July. Other competitive ultras stretch point-to-point over open highways, sometimes across continents, as the legendary American Bunion Derbies did in the 1920s, and the Trans America Races in the 1990s. There are also solo runners who set out alone to cover long journeys alone on foot - across countries or continents, even around the world. Quite literally, there are no limits. Why running an Ultramarathon ? Ultramarathon running and its meaning in today's context appears irrelevant, however unto itself, its value is reflected in the taking of time to express a basic physical instinct. Running stands in perfect contrast to our times, which involves super computers, high-speed airplanes and fast cars. Philosophers and dreamers have always told us that the sum of life is more than possessions and position. Runners understand that physical effort can be a door to self-discovery. It is through the effort of pushing oneself that a person can explore their depth of being.

FYI - The History of Triathlon

Four years before the Ironman, September 25, 1974 the first triathlon was held on Mission Bay in San Diego. It was directed and conceived by Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan and sponsored by the San Diego Track Club. The First Annual, Mission Bay Triathlon, a race consisting of segments of running, bicycle riding, and swimming, will start at the causeway to Fiesta Island at 5:45pm, September 25, 1974. The event will consist of 6 miles of running (longest continuous stretch, 2.8 miles), 5 miles of bicycle riding (all at once), and 500 yards of swimming (longest continuous stretch, 250 yards). Approximately 2 miles of running will be barefoot on grass and sand. Each participant must bring his own bicycle. Awards will be presented to the first five finishers. For further details contact Don Shanahan (488-4571) or Jack Johnstone (461-4514). On race day, September 25, 1974, 46 eager contenders toed the line. In 1978 during the awards ceremony for a Hawaii running race, a debate ensues among competitors about who is more fit -- swimmers, runners or other athletes. One of the participants, Navy Commander John Collins, dreams up a race to settle the argument. He proposes combining three existing races together, to be completed in succession: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 miles), the Around-Oahu Bike Race (112 miles, originally a two-day event) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). "Whoever finishes first we’ll call the Ironman," said Collins. Fifteen men participate in the initial event held on February 18; 12 complete the race, led by the first Ironman, Gordon Haller. His winning time: 11 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds.

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