Ironman World Championship, Kailua Kona, HI, 2015 - Tuesday, Parade of Nations

 

Parade of Nations

Tuesday, Parade Day

Mary MacCheyne talked us into a beach day with friends.  We went to Kua Bay and rode the waves.  Then we went home, changed, and vied for parking and a spot, to see the Ironman parade of nations.

It was one of the windiest days I have seen here all over this side of the island.  We still had energy to make it to the Ironman Parade of Nations at 5:00PM.

Jody and Rich beat us there and got good seats at Chill'n, a bar right of the water near the start of the parade and race.

Jody and Richard

The main race officials, a couple bands, and the athletes paraded by.   Athletes were in alphabetical order by country carrying their flags.  Canada was out in force as was Australia.  Great Britain had on red T shirts that said "God Save the Queen K.

God Save the Queen K

This is the name of our main highway and the one they will be racing on Saturday on the bike and run.  There is a big construction project near the airport going on now, but they have stopped the big machines until after the race.  They are finally going to widen the road from the airport into town!  What a bottleneck it has been for years.

This was the first event for us in Ironman week.  It was preceded by a Keiki splash and dash.  Kids, mostly kids of the athletes, swim from the pier and then run up to the Royal Kona and back, sometimes barefoot.  It is a hoot.  We saw that last year, but only had time for the parade this year.

Ironman is a full week.  First is registration which takes a couple days.  There are banquets and meetings for the athletes, the underpants run, the keiki splash and dash, the parade, bike check in, race day, final banquet and awarding of prizes before 2,000 plus athletes and their families and friends all leave.  Many are off to the next Ironman.

Richard, an athlete who has been here for many years, paddles at our club with his wife.  Last year he collapsed in a race and was medivacked  out with a collapsed lung which he eventually had to have removed.  But he has already raced this year and finished in this event, albeit not a winner anymore in his age group.  He is in his 50's.  He will do two more Ironmen this year before the holidays.

For two weeks prior to the race, the athletes are out swimming, riding or running.  We try to stay off the roads and we do not go bobbing that week at the pier.  All the hotels and condos are full.

Wednesday morning was the underpants run.
Here is a video of that event this year.  Last year we participated.  They were trying to beat a Guinness world record for participants in an underpants run.  They actually had Judges from Guinness to be sure the underpants were official and to count the contestants.