2019 IRONMAN World Championship - Kona, Hawaii

ohana family for us it's not an important thing it is everything [Music] booyah Maui advocare Hawaiian saying that means a torch that blazes not only at nighttime but it continues to blaze even in the daylight ever since our ancestors arrived on these shores Hawaiians have passed on these precious treasured values from elder from kupuna to child to keiki it's not unlike every October when our iron man Ohana returns home to corner drawn together to this ancestral place where the spirit of Aloha is alive and well [Music] for that moment when your body touches this aina this land there is a unity that transcends all of our differences [Music] it's only together that we can achieve the seemingly impossible [Music] every year in the second week of October kailua-kona on the Big Island of Hawaii transforms into a stage for the best endurance athletes in the world tropical bird songs in the serene sound of waves lapping on the shores of Kailua Bay are met with a new tempo the town is preparing to play host to the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship 2,500 athletes 98 pros the rest age groupers hailing from 75 countries have earned their spot in this iconic race the Ironman World Championship is a homecoming it is a return to the founding spirit of Ironman when everyday men and women from around the world dared to test themselves against the fierce island elements and one another and it is an expression of profound cultural heritage that links every finisher as family breaking the mold is inherent to this race this family daring is in its DNA Roderick Sewell his path to Kona also began as a child and it too involves the unwavering love and sacrifice of a strong mother for more than four decades this event has been the ultimate testing ground of body and mind this is where legends are made and legacies are cast Germany's Patrick langa is looking to solidify his place in the kkona record books the reigning two-time ironman world champion became the first athlete to break the eight-hour barrier here when he set a course best time record of 750 239 last year the World Championships in Kona means everything to me that's what I live for day in and day out the fire is still burning to win it again but Longo will have to contend with fellow countryman and two-time ironman world champion yan 4-day know who returns to the start line after being forced to walk the marathon in 2017 and then missing last year's race due to injury being here and having to watch in 2018 was that much worse again you know in terms of mentally having to deal with it and and and finding fire for this year Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain is making his much-anticipated Kona debut for Canada Lionel Sanders was second here in 2017 after a disappointing 2018 indications are he will once again challenge for the win he is joined by fellow Canadian Cody Beals who's making his Kona debut the reigning Subaru Ironman Mont Tremblant champion is a perfect 3 for 3 at Ironman on the women's side one question dominates can anyone de thrown switzerland's daniela reef since 2014 she has won nine of the last 11 World Championships five Ironman 70.3 titles and four here in Kona too many she seems simply untouchable I always like racing at the World Championships because everyone is there everyone comes together and it's very counts and I do believe I can you know show my best when it really counts and when the pressure is on Great Britain's Lucy Charles Barkley has only been beaten by reef here in Kona the runner-up the past two years the swim course record holder comes to this race in the shape of her life she's gonna be a tough person to be and I still do believe I can do it but it's gonna be me on my best day and everything going to plan but this isn't a two woman race count on Sarah Crowley of Australia the third place finisher in 2017 and Germany's Annie Hogg who finished third last year in her rookie Kona race to be in the mix but they will all have to contend with a formidable field of Americans led by Sarah true and Heather Jackson the countdown to the start of the elite professional race is on fifty-three Pro men make their way into the waters of Kailua Bay followed closely by the 42 Pro women the day looms before each of them the chance of a lifetime after months of preparation it's almost time to put it all out there these final moments of anticipation can feel like an eternity great job staying right there Nicholai Nicholai [Music] the blast of a cannon signals the start and the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship is underway isn't that a beautiful sight everybody the men's professional is underway five minutes later the professional women are sent off [Music] and then the stage belongs to the age groupers twenty four hundred athletes ranging in age from 18 to 84 will tackle the same course as the professionals a 2.4 mile swim 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run out of the 93 thousand people who raced in Ironman in 2019 these are the relative few to have made it to the world championship and that is nothing short of heroic and yet these are everyday people mothers grandfathers teachers lawyers business owners artists who have taken up an extraordinary challenge their journey of 140 points 6 miles he's about to begin [Music] Subaru Ironman TV coverage of the Vega Ironman World Championship is brought to you by Subaru confidence in motion Vega power your story Roca find faster with Roca [Music] the age groupers are still filing into Kailua Bay in anticipation of their individual wave start while the pros are well underway as expected Australian JA Shamburger has surged to the front and is towing a small group of men that surprisingly includes Patrick Lanka the defending champion has upped his swim as he looks for the three-peat there as well the two former Olympic gold medalists Yann frodeno and the Kona rookie Alistair Brownlee saying I've known about this race for over 20 years and been doing triathlon pretty high-level for most of those two decades service is always a race I was going to do at some point 100 percent with Amber's you're setting the pace the front pack swimmers settled into a rhythm as they navigate the swell and chop they're hoping the strongest cyclists in the field guys like Cameron worth Lionel Sanders and Sebastian Kinley are already beginning to lose ground in the women's race the swim course record holder Lucy Charles Barkley and all American collegiate swimmer Lauren Brandon have established an early gap on the rest of the field it's about kind of raining it in when you're leading because she can't get super excited you know the whole world is watching you so it's trying to keep your cool keep your race head on and not go too crazy by the turn around point they've stretched their lead to two minutes over a large chase pack that includes Daniella Reef amber sure is the first to hit the beach trailed only seconds by Friday no and the rookie Brownlee [Applause] Patrick long gays there too just 10 seconds back transition is a hurried blur of grab-and-go every second counts they have a five minute lead over super cyclist Worth and Sanders Hoffman and Ken Lay are in that group too as the lead men make their way toward the famed Queen Kaahumanu highway for the 112 mile ride the women are nearing the swim finish [Music] Charles Barkley's the first out of the water with Brandon just seconds back Reef and the other professional women are still out in the bay making their way through to the pier the defending champion reef exits the water in a group of about a dozen women five minutes back the pursuit is on non free day no is setting the pace at the front of the ride along the Queen K Brownlee an American Tim O'Donnell are right there a pack of ten men that includes the reigning ironman world champion Patrick Lana and his countrymen Sebastian Kinley are just a few minutes behind and charging hard Canadian Lionel Sanders he's in that group as well Kody Beals is a little further back but kono rookie knows this is unlike any race he has tackled becomes here looking to learn what it takes to compete at the World Championship as for Dino and Charles Barkley drive the front of the pro races the age groupers are still making their way through the swim for many this day is a moving meditation a time to reflect on what drew them to this island for this singular challenge when you're simply wired to see obstacles as opportunities not limitations the Ironman World Championship seems like the right kind of challenge just ask Roderick Sewell he competes as an individual but there has been a team of people supporting his Kona journey one of those people is Roderick's mentor and friend Rudy Garcia Tolson the two above the knee amputees met his children and have been on an athletic journey together ever since without Rudy Roderick would not be here Rudy attempted this race in 2009 but didn't make it to the finish line Roderick has come here to cross that line for them both [Music] [Applause] when I was born I had missing tibias in both legs so the doctors gave my mom the opportunity of either amputating my legs or it putting me in the wheelchair yeah at the time I think her and my dad had just divorced so it was all on her he was a good baby a very good baby but in the beginning when he started learning how to crawl I could hear him whimper when he was calling so that's when I decided get him amputated when it came to my prosthetics they're a little more expensive than what she could afford so what they told her is that she filed for unemployment they would get full coverage for prosthetics a huge sacrifice even to this day she sacrificed her job filed for unemployment we ended up homeless I got my legs first pair and then walking ever since you put a kid in running blades who hasn't ran their whole life and finally it has the ability to run they're not gonna take him off [Music] [Music] Roderick had never seen anybody else like himself and so of course the first thing we do is we bring Rudy Garcia Tolson who is also a double above knee amputee and they sort of grew up together I don't know what it was but it was like we were like long-lost brothers he was actually the first kid that I ever met who was like me Roderick doesn't have knees right so he doesn't have quads or hamstrings he's missing all of that here's a guy doing it swimming using a kneeler and running that somebody has never done that he's been blessed by the biggest Ohana I've ever seen in my life sometimes things are bigger than you and you just have to let go let it happen see and appreciate everything you've got and take what you have and use whatever you have I do the best with what guy gave me and this is all I have is it me [Music] gratitude it's a powerful thing pair that with self-belief and nothing will stand in the way of redefining what is possible this is Subaru Ironman TV coverage of the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship if we've learned anything about this race in its 41 years it is that anything can happen on the day conditions can change in an instant it's anyone's race at any given moment the name of the game here is adapting because in Kona as Sarah true is experiencing the only thing you can plan on is things not going to plan it is the most resilient and patient athletes who will shine brightest we know Yan frodeno embodies both of those qualities he has been at or near the front the entire ride but Brownlee amber sure and O'Donnell are lurking close behind Germany's Maurice Clavell has also been a driving force taking his turn setting the pace a group that contains strong cyclists like Wirth Sanders and kin Leigh is a few minutes back they're sitting right where they want to be there are benefits to being the hunter not the hunted sometimes it can be beneficial if you are not in the front and have to make you not magicians the more you can do your own race the better one person who was glaringly absent from the chase pack is Patrick long the defending champion pulled to the side of the Queen K highway and called it a day due to intense dizziness and fever it's blown this race wide open [Music] for the women Britain's Lucy Charles Barkley is still pushing at the front with American Lauren Brandon still in second a few minutes back but quickly falling off the punishing lead pace six minutes back the chase pack a group that includes anyhow third in 2018 and Australian Sarah Crowley third in 2017 two words echo in their minds hold on I'm gonna ride this a certain speed like coz if you're not in the race you know any other race see I'm happy that risks Charles Barkley is also outpacing defending champion Daniella Reef it is unsure at this point if Reef is just being patient or if she's still feeling the effects of a virus she fought earlier in the week Luci Charles Barkley is going for it she is adding to her lead as she pursues the title at the Vega Ironman World Championship meanwhile the age groupers they are in the very early stages of their journey athletes like Canadian Kelly Hill this year's Subaru rode to Kona recipient represents the very heart and soul of Ironman each has overcome their own unique hurdles to get here the road has undoubtedly been lon but they've persevered no matter what surgeon ocean tides collide with a rugged raw landscape on the Big Island of Hawaii molten lava fields frozen in time provide the dramatic backdrop for this grueling race the sea of blackness also amplifies the elements the ground temperature has already hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit and it's still morning for many of the heat and humidity here are the most formidable opponents but the wind can crush the soul of even the most experienced and unlike last year when they were all but absent this year Kona's notorious trade winds are back that will have an impact on every athlete here including the professionals as the pro men take the turn toward the village of hobby they are the first to hit the headwinds head-on the lead order is ever in flux but for now it's Friday no Clavell Brownlee o'donnell and amber sure generally Hawaii leaves you very few options as to when you lay down the effort it's just when you're able to or when you're not able to and what I find very often happening is that a lot of guys overextend themselves going up Harvey the group still stays together but the first few apples start to drop David McNamee has been one such drop the third-place finisher here the past two years has called it a day and with Lana already out and part ere not so far back in the field it means the entire professional men's podium will be different in 2019 the climb to Hobby is always a decisive point for Canadian Cody Beals it will prove race to finding a mechanical issue related to damage sustained during travel will soon cause him to withdraw shortly after the turnaround O'Donnell takes off Friday Noah and fellow German Maurice Clavell are the only ones to go with him in years past this is where the race often separates how old the chasers respond in the women's race Luci Charles Barkley leads the way on the Queen Kay highway a strung out pack of about ten women is seven minutes back it takes everything to stay mentally focused on this lonely stretch of road skirting the Kohala coast one's your own queen k that's where the race kind of starts because that's where all the excitement starts to go away and you're on your own I just always try to keep focus something is wrong Danielle Arif is seven minutes back and the time gap is not closing could it be an off day where the virus she thought coming into the race either way the women's title is very much in play as the pro men are about to make the turn back onto the Queen K clove Ella is no longer there after changing out a flat tire and havi Alistair Brownlee has caught back up after working at the front by himself for long enough Tim O'Donnell has words for Firday no and Brownlee Ferdie no response taking his turn at the front by course record holder Cameron Werth leads the chase pack that includes keen lay and Sanders about two minutes down and they are moving but so it is the leading trio with less than 40 miles to go the pro men are starting to think about the run that awaits this is the tightrope walk between getting into a good position for the start of the marathon and saving something in the legs we know what happens to guys to smash themselves on the bike they walk the second half of the marathon every year it happens so plainest a take part in the tactics or don't do well your choice with 10 miles left in the ride for a day no drops the hammer will this commanding surge come back to haunt him on the run through day no he's the first to roll in to transition [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Tim O'Donnell is next off the bike yawn firday no has a two-and-a-half minute lead heading out onto the marathon course Cameron Werth is third into transition a minute and a half behind O'Donnell just over four minutes down from the front keen Leigh leads a group that includes Alistair Brownlee worth he's out onto the run just seconds later Brownlee keen lay and Sanders five minutes later American Ben Hoffman arrives into transition in the women's race the chase pack that includes Annie hog Sarah Crowley and German Daniela blame or is chewing away at Lucy Charles Barkley's lead the push needs to be made on the back end of the bike yeah it just shatters people there maybe over bikes some people maybe you shouldn't be in that front group and it just disintegrates since the start cannon fired almost six hours ago Lucy Charles Barclay has been alone in front she has an eight minute lead into transition but she didn't come here to smash the swim and bike she came to win her first Ironman World title the fastest runners in the field won't be far behind every precious second counts after a strong back half on the ride Germany's Daniela blammo is second in to transition but Sarah Crowley and Annie Hogg are right on her heels anyone is going to catch Charles Barkley she is in this group of women back in the men's race Fred Dana was in control at the front running a five-minute 30 second per mile pace the only man matching that pace is Brownlee and he's only three minutes back a month ago Sebastian qinglai ran faster than Alistair Brownlee at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in these frauds that performance sent a clear message to the kona Mansfield Canadian Lionel Sanders is learning that firsthand next is Cameron Werth and soon after that keenly moves past Alistair Brownlee and into third two targets remained Tim O'Donnell Yann Friday no the age group athletes they may not be producing the power or speed of their professional counterparts but the will to dig deep is just as apparent Roderick Sewell learned to walk then run on prosthetic legs now he wants to be the first double above knee amputee to cross the finish line of the Vega Ironman World Championship with each mile you inspire us all from the Big Island of Hawaii this is Subaru Ironman TV coverage of the Vega Ironman World Championship this deep into the race every athlete must silence the self-doubt and summon the strength to keep moving forward every pedal stroke pushes them closer to the finish line and past perceived limitations for Canada's Kelly Hill this is a moment she dreamed about for years but without any real expectations of ever achieving life was focused more on helping her Ohana yet it was her selfless acts of kindness that brought her here today as this year's recipient of the Subaru rode to Kona contest I actually nominated Callie because she is uncommon almost all the gonna call me she's super rode to Kona is our gift back to the triathlon community to provide Canadians with an opportunity to get to Kona who otherwise wouldn't qualify we get thousands and thousands of entries each year Kelley Hills stood out from the rest she's fun and she's kind and she makes you want to do more and be better she cares about everyone around her and she wants everyone around her to succeed and be awesome IRA is an educational assistant I work one-on-one mostly with high needs kids Chloe is a girl with autism nonverbal and we seem to how this little understanding and she's the cutest kid she's a great kid and she's coming in and she's just trying to get her way in the world and I just love being a part of that are you hiding your face I heard man it's just what keeps me going it's just what keeps me in a good headspace and it gives me the confidence and the mental strength to know that I can just accomplish anything women around the world are looking for models for health and how to balance family and how to balance work and how to do things for yourself personally as well for that fulfillment and for excellence Kevin should be recognized for that life in the Hill household in Edmonton is hectic to say the least four teenage daughters will do them but there is more to their story after a nearly 12 year Odyssey with diagnosis ranging from cerebral palsy to autism the family finally learned what is causing the developmental delays that megan 17 and kenneth 16 will have to battle their entire lives they have an extremely rare disease that we didn't know was a part of our genetic chain as a progressive genetic disease called mitochondrial complex one deficiency it's disease that affects their large organs eventually and things just start shutting down but because we have no idea what that looks like we're have no idea if or when that's gonna happen we just you just live life they're just kids who drive us crazy and you just look after and you know look forward to seeing their futures Hana family in my life my family is it's everything my own athletes and my friends just become part of my family and we just all function together and support each other and have fun together and that's what families do the final stage of the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship the marathon is a war of attrition as the pro men hit the infamous section known as the energy lab the turnaround point and the hottest most desolate part of the run course everyone is suffering the race becomes a test of who can suffer the most and slow the least more than halfway through the marathon yawn for a day no is holding steady at the front his run is going exactly to plan definitely my strategy is one of trying to keep calm for the first half of the marathon because what you think feels easy in the first half is gonna feel like hell on the second American Tim O'Donnell is still running in second just three minutes behind for a day no with German Sebastian kinloch right there as well proving he has upped his run at least so far however Ben Hoffman is closing in 14th off the bike the American is about to overtake Lionel Sanders Sanders appeared perfectly positioned after the bike but said he was already feeling under hydrated and things have only become worse on the run this is Subaru Iron Man TV coverage of the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship the professional athletes are deep into the marathon yawn for a day no still commands the lead back in the women's race a fast closing anyhow is just 35 seconds behind Luci Charles Barkley as they entered the natural energy lab with a quick look over her shoulder Charles Barkley can see the two-time German Olympian right there for a year Charles Barclay has been training towards this scenario fending off a pass in the marathon but instead of Daniella Reef her challenger is Annie Hogg just before the turnaround point inside the natural energy lab how comes up on the shoulder of Charles Barclay after seven hours and thirty minutes of racing Charles Barkley relinquishes the lead she surges to try to stay without but the pace is too much now she must shift her focus on maintaining second Sara Crowley is coming her pace is 645 per mile Lucy's 7:20 and not too far back are Laura Philip and Heather Jackson [Music] after two disappointing years at the World Championship redemption appears to be in reach for yon for a day no he is on to the fabled stretch of a leaky Drive there's no finish line like kailua-kona in both energy and eminence [Applause] Jan frodeno captures the 2019 Vega Ironman World Championship title in a new course record 751 13th he is the first German to win three Ironman world titles it has been the race that for Dino only dreamed of his flawless performance across the swim bike and run proclaims his return to the apex of the sport after executing the race of his life Tim O'Donnell is second across the line he has also broken the eight-hour barrier with his 7:59 41 despite a disappointing day for wife Mirinda Khafre there is still much to celebrate with his family Sebastian Kinley has dug deeper than ever to hang on to third place through the finish line after dropping from last year's race a podium finish announces his return Ben Hoffman crosses the finish line and forth Alistair Brownlee finishes his first Ironman World Championship in 21st place Lionel Sanders will cross the line in 22nd a disappointing day for the Windsor Ontario triad on the women's side the podium is still very much up for grabs Annie Hogg has stretched her lead over Charles Barkley to three minutes the win looks imminent for Haug but a lot can happen in the final miles with about four miles to go Sarah Crowley overtakes Lucy Charles Barkley the battle for second is on but this time Charles Barkley doesn't let the passer get away so easily the rubber band is stretching but it hasn't snapped high fives to cheering fans on a leaky Drive in only her fourth Ironman any hug will be crowned the 2019 ironman world champion [Applause] the first German woman to earn the distinction she swam and ran brilliantly but has won the race on the run it is a double victory for Germany with about two and a half miles to go Charles Barclay reels in a fading Crowley re-energized by the pass she picks up the pace in the closing stretch of the run for the third year in a row Luci Charles Barkley finishes has runner up Sarah Crowley regroups enough to hold on to third place through the finish it's her second podium finish here Kona rookie Laura Phillip takes fourth in only her second Ironman and Heather Jackson finishes in fifth the top American seeing a disappointing day through to the finish Daniella Reef crosses in 13th the heart and fight of a champion ever-present with a pro podium decided the finish line now awaits the more than 2,400 athletes still out on the course while some will soon be crowned age-group world champions others are just beginning their marathon journey Roderick's oooowww has made the bike cut off but he's not out of the woods yet he'll face the same pressure on the run his friend and mentor Rudy Garcia Tolson is there in transition to help him prepare both physically and mentally for the miles ahead Subaru Ironman TV coverage of the Vega Ironman World Championship is brought to you by Subaru confidence in motion polka own a Oni time to fly venom radical design radical results after a 2.4 mile swim 112 mile bike ride and a marathon run the age group racers are greeted by those four life-changing words [Applause] making it to this red carpet stretch on Ali Drive means you've overcome a day of unrelenting challenge to stake your claim in Kona history as the Sun sets over the Big Island the athletes still out on the Run course have only one opponent in mind the race clock everyone must complete the course within 17 hours to be counted as an official finisher this is when athletes must embrace the reasons that brought them here to this island for this experience Roderick Sewell is tending to some unfinished business on behalf of his friend and mentor Rudy Garcia Tolson and for every challenged athlete that has ever questioned their abilities there's a lot of people adults enter who are have a disability or some kind of situation where they don't know what's out there for this is the show them that anything truly is possible as the clock ticks closer to the 17th hour Roderick Sewell will need to dig deeper than ever a serene calm settles over the course this time of night it's just the athlete and the darkened Road stretched out before them kelly hill the subaru road to kona recipient is here not for what she has personally accomplished it is about what others accomplished because of her an inspirational leader among her triathlon community and edmonton an educational assistant for high needs children and the mother of two children with a rare genetic disorder her gift is elevating others to greater heights they have been striving toward the finish line since just after sunrise this test of body and mind culminates with these moments of self truth the layers are stripped away to reveal the most authentic version of oneself the experience is raw and revelatory each stride leads the athlete both deeper within and one step closer to Ironman glory all roads lead here the finish-line atmosphere is electric the energy of the crowd wills every athlete towards them we're one falters many are there to uplift and encourage in these moments there are no individual goals only collective ones this finish line scene is one of the most profound displays of humanity in all of sport every person across this finish line was propelled by the support and encouragement of community friends and Ohana Vegas CEO Michael Gabriel's race is a testament to his daughters and his team that we are capable of more than we dare to dream Kelly Hills finish is a testament to her family and friends who believe she deserved the chance to fulfill her kona dream for the past 16 hours Roderick Sewell has been on a mission to become the first double above knee amputee finisher of the Ironman World Championship today history will be made [Applause] walking straight into the arms of his mom Marion is home from the very first person across the finish line to the very last each is linked as Ohana as family this spirit of unity burns bright and far beyond race day it is a torch that never dims you

Channel: SubaruCanada

Views: 1,148,648

Rating: 4.8690071 out of 5

Keywords: Subaru, Subaru Canada, ironman, ironman championship, subaru tv, tsn, hawaii, kona, road to kona, world championship, ironman world championship, kailua-kona, subaru ironman tv, 2019

Id: 6nIqIIeW7fI

Length: 47min 27sec (2847 seconds)

Published: Fri May 08 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/4jm4cc4]

I tried to watch. Feels like a super long blockbuster trailer. Couldn't do it.

[u/thisisvid]

I enjoyed it. Thanks!