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LtCol Greg Price, LtCol Hunter Hobson, Capt D’Arcy Spiese, and Capt Rob Hillery competed in the day-long grueling Championship race. 

The race is considered by many to be the toughest single-day endurance event on the planet. The course begins with an out and back 2.4 mile swim in Kailua-Kona Bay followed by a 112 mile bike ride along the lava fields of the Queen K Hwy out to Hawi town and back to Kailua-Kona. The marathon leg consists of an out and back leg along Alii Drive before the runners head out on the Queen K to the infamous Energy Lab (mile 16-18) and back to town for the finish. The Energy Lab is famous among triathletes as it has been said that it ‘saps every last bit of energy from the athletes as they’re fully exposed to the elements and the heat from the lava fields feels like a sauna’.

Temperatures were above normal and hovered in the high 80’s/low 90’s with very high humidity and no cloud cover. The heat coming off the lava was in the 110’s and athletes also had to deal with strong headwinds on the entire return leg of the bike. “I’ve done this race the past four years and the conditions today were the toughest that I’ve experienced”, Price was quoted as saying. “The heat was oppressive during the bike and the headwind on the return leg was constant. By the time I got off the bike, I was pretty fatigued and the heat and the humidity on the run made it feel like Madame Pele was ‘piling it on’. At mile 17 on the run, I swore I would never do another Ironman but I say that every year and I keep coming back for more.”

Price and Spiese competed in the Armed Forces division as representatives of the U.S. All-Marine Triathlon team. Both had strong finishes on a very tough day and Price ended up 2^nd behind CDR Scott Jones from the Navy.   “It’s always an honor representing the Marine Corps at any venue, but not many races provide a world stage and the opportunity to compete against world class athletes like Ironman Hawaii provides.” Price added “It’s extra special to wear the Marine Corps colors at this race.”

Spiese, a short course specialist who finished 2^nd at the Armed Forces Championship back in May, was competing in her first Ironman distance race. 

Finish times for the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run were as follows: Price 9:56:53, Hobson 11:36:10; Spiese 11:49:22, and Hillery 14:19:19.

For Hobson doing the Ironman was a lifelong dream and coming from a former Blue Angel pilot that says a lot about the mystique of Ironman Hawaii. “I was excited to win the lottery this year and be able to do my first Ironman at the World

Championships in Kona. It took a lot of time to train for the race, as much

as 20 hours a week. Doing this training while working on the Joint Staff in

the Pentagon was a huge time management challenge, spending virtually the

entire weekend working out every week. It was all worth it in the end, and

I'm happy to have my weekends back! The Ironman was the hardest race I have

ever done. Running a marathon after swimming 2.4 miles and biking 112 miles

is crazy, but possible if you focus on the next step, the next terrain

feature, the next mile...Anything to keep you going.        The challenged athletes were a huge inspiration to me. Watching them compete and overcome far greater obstacles than the rest of us is a moving experience. They are the real heros out there. They serve as an

inspiration to everyone...especially to others who face the same challenges

they do. And many of them kicked my butt!”

Marine Corps active duty and reserve athletes interested in participating in the Armed Forces Division at the Ironman World Championship must submit an application and first be accepted to the All-Marine Triathlon Team. The All-Marine Triathlon team for 2010 will compete in the Armed Forces Championship at NB Ventura County on June 5, 2010 and the team will be selected in Spring 2010 (deadline for entries is April 1, 2010). A USMC triathlon training camp will be held in Jan 2010 in Clermont, Fl and prospective applicants are encouraged to visit the following website for more information: http://www.usmc-mccs.org/sports/triathlon.