A triathlon is one continuous race: a swim, a bike ride and a run, in that order, with quick changes in between. Races run from sprints of about an hour to the Ironman, a day of ten hours or more.
Triathlon comes in four common sizes. The names “Ironman” and “70.3” come from the total distance in miles.
| Race | Swim | Bike | Run | Roughly how long it takes us |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 750 m | 20 km | 5 km | About an hour or less |
| Olympic | 1.5 km | 40 km | 10 km | About two to two and a half hours |
| Half-Ironman (70.3) | 1.2 mi | 56 mi | 13.1 mi | About five hours |
| Ironman (140.6) | 2.4 mi | 112 mi | 26.2 mi | Ten to thirteen hours |
Most athletes race in an age group, ranked against others in the same five-year band (for example M45–49). Ironman-branded races award a limited number of qualifying slots in each age group to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and to the 70.3 World Championship, which moves to a new location most years.
Every Ironman finish in the archive: 19 for Sherwick and 15 for Jami. The fastest time for each of us is highlighted. Ironman New Zealand 2006 was shortened to a half-distance duathlon and counts as a finish for both of us; at full distance the totals are 18 and 14.
| Year | Race | Sherwick | Jami | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Ironman Lake Tahoe | 11:15:28 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:15:28
Race winnerWinner’s splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Ironman Lake Tahoe | 11:46:10 | 12:54:16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:46:10
Jami 12:54:16
Race winnerChris McDonald 8:55:14 Swim 54:54 · T1 3:15 · Bike 4:55:42 · T2 1:43 · Run 2:59:40 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ironman World Championship (Kona) | — | 11:45:38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jami 11:45:38
Race winnerWinner’s splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Ironman Austria | 9:52:21 | 10:23:01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 9:52:21
Jami 10:23:01
Race winnerMarino Vanhoenacker Swim 46:49 · T1 2:19 · Bike 4:15:36 · T2 1:48 · Run 2:39:24 World Record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Ironman Austria | 10:19:23 | 12:04:20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:19:23
Jami 12:04:20
Race winnerMarino Vanhoenacker Swim 47:49 · T1 1:38 · Bike 4:18:29 · T2 2:04 · Run 2:42:03 4th fastest time (2nd fastest IMA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Ironman Austria | 10:06:20 | 11:26:32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:06:20
Jami 11:26:32
Race winnerMarino Vanhoenacker Swim 47:36 · T1 1:36 · Bike 4:20:12 · T2 1:58 · Run 2:50:13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Ironman Coeur d'Alene | 11:02:46 | 12:23:49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:02:46Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 12:23:49Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerTom Evans 8:34:22 Swim 51:29 · T1 2:10 · Bike 4:45:38 · T2 1:12 · Run 2:53:56 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Ironman Coeur d'Alene | 11:23:17 | 12:51:45 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:23:17Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 12:51:45Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerWinner’s splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Ironman New Zealand (shortened to a half-distance duathlon) | 4:39:55 | 4:55:51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 4:39:55
Jami 4:55:51Splits not available (the note on this race does not match this finish time). Race winnerAinalar Juhanson Bike 2:11:54 · T2 0:51 · Run 1:18:22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Ironman Canada | 10:51:19 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:51:19Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerChris Lieto Swim 52:31 · Bike 4:25:26 · Run 3:10:51 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Ironman Canada | 10:15:39 | 11:57:40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:15:39Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 11:57:40Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerRaynard Tissink Swim 49:37 · Bike 4:50:17 · Run 2:52:31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Ironman World Championship (Kona) | — | 11:27:12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jami 11:27:12Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerWinner’s splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Ironman Lake Placid | 10:40:22 | 11:12:51 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:40:22Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 11:12:51Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerRyan Bolton Swim 47:39 · Bike 4:57:15 · Run 2:49:14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Ironman Lake Placid | 10:37:14 | 11:04:23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:37:14Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 11:04:23Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerSteve Larsen Swim 57:09 · Bike 4:33:23 · Run 2:56:53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Ironman New Zealand | 11:05:32 | 11:55:23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:05:32Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 11:55:23Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerCameron Brown Swim 49:59 · Bike 4:45:16 · Run 2:45:47 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Ironman World Championship (Kona)† | 13:02:24 | 13:02:23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 13:02:24Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Jami 13:02:23Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerPeter Reid Swim 51:46 · Bike 4:39:33 · Run 2:48:11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Ironman Lake Placid | — | 11:04:50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jami 11:04:50Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerWinner’s splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Ironman New Zealand | 10:12:56 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:12:56Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerThomas Hellriegel Swim 51:48 · Bike 4:36:06 · Run 2:51:13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Ironman World Championship (Kona) | 10:42:16 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:42:16Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerLuc Van Lierde 8:17:17 Lori Bowden 9:13:02 Splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Ironman Canada | 10:25:05 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:25:05Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerChuckie "V" 8:49:10 Lori Bowden 9:14:03 Splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Ironman World Championship (Kona) | 11:02:04 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 11:02:04Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnersPeter Reid 8:24:20 Swim 52:04 · Bike 4:44:45 · Run 2:47:31 Natascha Badmann 9:24:16 Swim 56:02 · Bike 5:13:24 · Run 3:14:50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Ironman Canada | 10:43:19 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sherwick 10:43:19Splits not available (no note recorded for this race). Race winnerCristian Bustos (Chile) 8:54:42, Lori Bowden (Canada) 9:21:16 (7th overall), Joachim Weinbrenner (Germany) 9:12:57 (3rd overall) Splits not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
† Kona 2000: I got my electrolytes all wrong and was vomiting at the end of the bike and throughout the run. Jami caught up to me at Henry St. and we finished together.
Kona 2000 was the day we finished one second apart. Jami did not finish Ironman Canada in 2005 (severe dehydration), and Ironman Lake Tahoe was cancelled in 2014.
Chart: Ironman and half-distance best timesBest time each season at both distances, on the Triathlon hub.