Original version

BBC World Service Online

Sporting Witness

Podcasts

Factual: History

Sport

The inside and personal story of the key moments from sporting history

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Sporting Witness: The Creation of Ironman

Documentaries

ironman pic cropped.jpg

16/09/2017 GMT

The Creation of Ironman

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, The Creation of Ironman

How one of the world's hardest endurance events was invented in Hawaii in 1978.

In 1978, a US naval officer and his wife invented an extreme form of triathlon which is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Called Ironman, John and Judy Collins' creation consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride and a 26.2 mile running marathon. They talk to Ashley Byrne about how the event was first launched in Hawaii. The programme was first broadcast in 2014.

Picture: A recent edition of Ironman in Hawaii, Credit: Getty Images

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Sporting Witness

The Creation of Ironman

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service