No idea of what constitutes a good time for this bonkers event, but one of my friends clocked in with 9.05 that in the Ironman Switzerland. How on earth do you find the will/strength to ride a century and marathon in one day? (plus the swimming bit!)

Yep a very good time – anything sub 10 for a normal person i.e. not working PT and/or dedicating themselves to it is very good on most courses. Of course my mate did 8:02 – now THAT is impressive especially considering he has only taken up Ironman in the last 18 months but has a pedigree as possibly the worlds best multisport and AR athlete. Anyhoo i take my hat off to him.

9 sounds great. It would take me that long to do the marathon, let alone swim 2.4 miles and ride 112 miles. He must have done something like 2 hr swim, 4 hr ride and 3 hr marathon – bloody marvellous.

Very handy indeed, sub 8 is world class.

<to nzcol> Your mate would be Richard Ussher?

I'd be bloody pleased with 9 hours, I reckon I could do the swim in 2 hours, maybe the ride in 6 hours depending on the climbing and I'd never finish the run but I was reasonably fast when I did run so about 3.5 hours so I'd be way, way behind him.

Yes very good. I turned in a sub 10.30 and that was with a slightly shortened swim due to the low temperature.
Overcooked the bike section for a third fastest, only to watch everyone I'd gone past overtake me in the run.
Peterborough Silver Spoon Ironman 1985.

to do a nine hour IM the swim will be around an hour. I was supposed to be doing the IM in august but pulled out a couple of months ago./ Training 15 hours a week and working 55/60 hour s week was killing me!

Massive respect to anyone with a full time job that completes one!

aracer – yep – an absolute machine. He has switched to IM to make some money as no cash in ms or ar and he needs to survive somehow. He won Xterra here as well and will probably pursue that. In all honesty he could probably pick a sport and be world class (except maybe gymnastics!)

YES!!!