An athlete’s most extreme adventure

The official Ultraman World Championship website calls its competition “a personal rediscovery of the sport’s adventure; thus, it is the next step in meeting the challenge of human resistance.” In short: the so-called Ultraman 515 (because it has 515 kilometers) that pushes athletes’ endurance to the limit.

This challenge is actually inhumane, and only a handful of people can withstand it: only 40 selected people in the world are admitted each year – they need to complete the previous Ultraman as a qualifying ticket – to travel across the Big Island 515 Kilometer circumference. Held over three consecutive days in Hawaii, it combines three triathlon events: a swim (10km), two cycling stages (421km) and two consecutive marathons (84km).

and is limited to a maximum of 12 hours per day. Whoever exceeds will be eliminated. The 2023 edition will take place next weekend (November 24-26) in Hawaii.

no financial incentives

In 1983, three U.S. triathletes decided to give triathlon toughness one more try…but without the prize money.

Who came up with this crazy test of body and mind? Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, and Conrad Will were three U.S. triathletes who decided in 1983 to take a stand on toughness in triathlon. Transformation, an extreme triathlon created five years ago, attracts thousands of brave souls and bills itself as the best in the sport of triathlon. Events: More Beasts, 3.86km swim, 180km bike ride, 42.2km run. The trio of Ultraman’s fathers leave some distance in their challenge…

They gave extreme testing content and meaning rooted in Hawaiian culture. Therefore, as the tournament director, Taylor hopes that Ultraman 515 will be more than just a game, but based on “Aloha” (love), “Ohana” (family) and “Kokua” (help). That said, triathletes need to support each other and overcome extreme distances and climate geography to achieve extraordinary results. And there is no incentive to provide a financial reward to the winner; a generous reward would offend the gods…

deeper

The ultra-distance test includes a 10km swim, 421 bike rides and 84 walks, up to 36 hours

In addition to trekking up to 12 hours a day, Ultraman competitors must face harsh environmental conditions: swimming in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, pedaling against the wind, and running in stifling heat and humidity. Let the Big Island of Hawaii become a Turkish sauna. The weather forecast shows that the maximum temperature during the Ultraman World Cup weekend will be 28 degrees Celsius, the relative humidity will be 67% to 75%, and the sweltering temperature will be 36 degrees Celsius to 38 degrees Celsius. There are also winds of 10-15 kilometers per hour.

The first day of competition (Friday, November 24) awaits 40 intrepid triathletes, starting at 6:30 a.m. with a 10-kilometer swim from Kailua Bay to Keauhou Bay. They have just enough time to catch their breath and change the neoprene of their jerseys and helmets before they have to hop on their bikes and complete 145 kilometers, gaining a cumulative altitude of 2,600 meters, reminiscent of the archipelago’s volcanic origins.

two spanish people

Mikel Angel Dominguez from Granolles and Ismael Franco from Lugo are among the 40 players who have signed up to compete in the 2023 World Finals

“This problem is done every day, starting from the first one,” sighs Miquel Àngel Domínguez (54), one of two Spaniards among the 40 registered players One, along with Galician Ismael Franco (54). Domínguez, a physical therapist with 37 years of experience, knows all too well how the human body suffers when it is operating at full capacity. Therefore, when facing Ultraman, be respectful. Especially the first day. “You swim in the open ocean and you never know what you’re going to find…although they told me there were only turtles, but no jellyfish or sharks.”

In light of his first experience in Kona, Dominguez consulted with triathletes who had traveled through Hawaii, such as Valentí Sanjuan (10 Ironmans in 10 days) and Roger Lacaci (3 Ultraman, 4 Iron Man, 4 Titan Desert). “They told me that the first 7 kilometers were bearable, but the last 3 kilometers could be complicated because of the strong waves and wind,” worries Granollers’ physiotherapist, even though he knows he will have “guards” around him (this is mandatory) to provide you with food and drinks in the kayak and to provide you with emergency assistance during the 4+ hours you are in the water. “I wanted to finish in 4-4 hours and 30 minutes; in Florida (where he qualified for world finals) I finished in 4 hours and 12 minutes, but it was a lake…”, Domin Gus was inspired.

The first day of sprint ended with the aforementioned 145 kilometers of riding. To use an analogy: it’s like the mountain stages of the Tour de France, similar distance, slightly lower gradient (2,600m vs. 4,000-5,000m), although with the addition of wind and rain, “it’s going to be Insurance,” Dominguez said. “I’m screwed by this, bikes are not my strong point… but it will be more epic. If I don’t go out, I hope to finish in 12 hours.” His fears were allayed in the first round.

The second race will be held on Saturday 25th, and Dominguez said, “It is a painful race, much more difficult than the mountain stages of the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia”. From Volcanoes National Park to Hawi, the northern tip of the island, the total length is 280 kilometers and the altitude is 1,200 meters. “What scares me the most is the physical beatings and the monster starting to do tricks… but I think I can do it. If I can make it to the next day, I will finish it because running is what I’m best at.”

a nightmare

The worst things about Ultraman are the kilometers, the accumulation of fatigue, the heat, the humidity, the embarrassment… and the pain: you have to avoid bruises and blisters

On Sunday the 26th, the icing on the cake was a barbaric act that was simply terrifying: a double marathon of 84 kilometers in less than 12 hours to test the last resistance and, above all, mental endurance. “It’s a competition with yourself, it’s very difficult, everything is complicated by the wind and the humidity,” said Ismael Franco, a telecommunications engineer from Lugo who also Hawaii faces his first Ultraman. Like his Galician colleagues, Dominguez is particularly wary of hot, humid and muggy conditions. “And it’s all on asphalt, on the road open to traffic, with cars and trucks passing by. And there’s a 600-meter gradient, which is not much, but at that height, they are already very heavy…”

The first few kilometers of the double marathon are downhill, but it has its torments: “It breaks your feet and your nails because you’re braking,” Dominguez found, facing such a long distance that he would take two Two tips: he will use two tricks to avoid blistered shoes (you will change them after the first 42k) and you will combine jogging and walking, which is called caco (walk-run). “Randy Latza told me at Ultraman in Florida: He ran a 4K, walked a kilometer, I ran 9-1 and he was an hour slower than me…! That way you can recover and not lose too much.”

Tips to reduce pain

Instead of wearing new shoes or clothes, apply Vaseline to your groin, joints, and nipples, to your neck to avoid rubbing against the neoprene, and to your buttocks from saddle friction.

Dominguez said the worst thing was “the pain… you had to avoid bruises, you couldn’t wear new shoes or clothes, you had to put Vaseline on your groin, on your joints and nipples, on your neck and on your neck to relieve the pain.” Avoid rubbing against neoprene as it can burn. “Salt water can chafe the skin, and the saddle can rub against the buttocks.”

Wise advice can minimize the pain and suffering of life’s challenges. His little obsession. “It’s going to be very difficult for them to knock me out. This fight isn’t necessarily for me. If I don’t finish, I’m going to come back. I can’t give up halfway. I’m going to give it my all,” Dominguez promised. No one can defeat a stubborn person.