The streets of Madison were transformed into a race course this weekend as thousands of people swam, biked and ran in Wisconsin’s 22 Ironman triathlon.
The Ironman is an annual triathlon series of half and full races in more than 50 countries and regions worldwide.
In Ironman Wisconsin, athletes start with a swim in Lake Monona, bike through fields across Dane County before completing a marathon in downtown Madison with the finish line just blocks from the state capitol. Along the way, they pass well-known landmarks such as the Monona Terrace, State Street and Camp Randall, a scenic route that earned the course a third-best overall Ironman in a ranking of worldwide triathlons earlier this year.
More than 1,400 people participated in the full 140.7-mile race on Sunday and the 70.3-mile half on Saturday. For years, University of Wisconsin-Madison students have filled the race’s ranks.
“I come from a stronger running background, and I had some friends that did the Ironman, and they were like you should totally do it,” Will Hagedorn, a UW-Madison student who completed the half-Ironman on Saturday, told The Daily Cardinal. “So I started biking, loved it and then I was like, ‘well I only need to add swimming now, and I can do a triathlon.’”
UW-Madison students were also among 2,700 volunteers staffing food and hydration stations, directing athletes and keeping the route clear during both races. Many students volunteered with church groups and clubs to support friends and family in the race.
“For this first shift, I’m trying to keep everyone on the outside of these cones because the runners are coming up this way, from the water,” said Adele, a UW-Madison student helping with crowd control for the Ironman.
For the students who ran the Ironman or the half-Ironman, the training commitments along with class, extracurricular and work responsibilities can be a lot.
“Having done the half, it’s going to be a few years before I do [the full],” Hagedorn said. “It’s a big time and money commitment that I don’t have as a college student right now.”
Athletes had 17 hours to complete the full Ironman once they began, and once they crossed the finish line, earned the title of ‘Ironman.'
The fastest male finalist, Alfredo Ramirez Pinho, completed the race in roughly 9 hours and 23 seconds, and the fastest female finalist finished in 10 and a half hours.
