NEWS
Iron-maniacs
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Also by Lynn Heidmann:
- Library Mall to add Subway, coffee shop (March 21, 2007)
- Ticket dispute ends in lottery (May 3, 2007)
- UW vet student earns book treat (March 9, 2007)
Related Stories:
- Ironman Wisconsin winner reclaims title (September 8, 2003)
- Ironman runs over Madison (September 10, 2007)
- Students join athletes for Ironman competition (September 13, 2004)
- Ironman competition builds strength and friendships (September 13, 2002)
- Ironman takes an iron crew (September 16, 2002)
by Lynn Heidmann
Monday, September 11, 2006
Athletes endured both physical challenges and rainy, cold weather in the fifth annual Ironman Wisconsin triathlon, which drew more than 50,000 spectators and 2,000 participants despite the less-than-desirable conditions.
Ironman officials reported Markus Forster of Germany won first place and finished the race with a time of 9:07:24, a full 21 minutes behind the Ironman world record. The first Madison resident to cross the finish line, Thomas Brunold, clocked in with a time of 9:38:48.
The athletes raced as far as Fitchburg, Verona, Mount Horeb and much of western Dane County. High pedestrian traffic and several major road closings caused a few minor problems around the Madison area, but officials said the event still proved to be a success.
"The event has been going pretty well, even though some citizens have been having trouble because they didn't seem to know when this was supposed to take place," Sgt. Patrick Grady of the Madison Police Department said.
Boyd Weber, a volunteer for Ironman Wisconsin, said the biggest problem was the cold temperatures and the rain. He added this year's weather had a significant impact on the athletes, who came from around the world to compete. Weather conditions can be crucial, he said, because the combined 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run is already extremely exhausting even for trained athletes. Last year during the competition the weather was too hot, causing a lot of problems with fainting, Weber said.
"Last year it was so incredibly hot out we had people drop out," he explained. "Weather, either too hot or too cold, is hard on the athletes."
But this year, Grady reported the colder temperatures and continual rain still caused some health problems. Area hospitals were not as busy as they were during the Ironman as last year, but several athletes were still forced to drop out of the race due to hypothermia, he added.
Despite weather conditions, Grady said the event went smoothly. He noted even though the Dane County police force expected major traffic delays, there were only a few areas with high congestion. With several University of Wisconsin sorority rush events also taking place and Langdon Street blocked off, he said, delays in that area were a large inconvenience for many students.
"All the main arteries were pretty full, but Langdon Street was the area with the biggest traffic problems because of rush, so that was kind of an issue," he added. "Other than that, traffic was just a little slower than usual."
