Legendary names from IRONMAN’s past gathered at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel for an event that celebrated incredible accomplishments and moments in the sport, while also giving visitors a overview of Hawaii’s history.
Mark Allen, a six-time IRONMAN World Champion and member of the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, was among the endurance sport icons on hand.
Allen’s accomplishments in the sport speak for themselves, but he will always be remembered for the 1989 race known as “Ironwar” against fellow hall of famer Dave Scott. Allen and Scott raced shoulder to shoulder for a large chunk of the race. Both ended up crushing the previous world record mark and crossed the finish line a mere 58 seconds apart — Allen in front.
Allen dominated on the Big Island after that, reeling off his other five wins, the last coming in 1995 at the age of 37.
Paula Newby-Fraser was also introduced as one of the IRONMAN Heroes. Newby-Fraser broke barriers and changed the perception for female endurance athletes during her title run from 1986 to 1996.
Her 1988 Ironman finish — when she crossed as the 11th overall finisher — has been called the “greatest performance in endurance sports history.”
The “Queen of Kona” finished her storied career with eight world championships.
Heather Fuhr, who will be inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame on Wednesday, was another hero in attendance.
Fuhr, originally from Alberta, Canada, is considered one of the best runners in the sport of triathlon. Throughout her professional career, she captured 15 IRONMAN titles from around the world. In 1997, her seventh time racing in Kona, she captured the title, and became IRONMAN world champion.
Three-time IRONMAN World Champion and two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Craig Alexander also took the stage as a hero. The man known affectionately as “Crowie” last won in 2011, when he set the current course record with a time 8:03:56.