MADE OF IRON: The ironman race debuts on the South Shore this summer

MADE OF IRON: The ironman race debuts on the South Shore this summer

By JACK ENCARNACAO
The Patriot Ledger
February 09, 2008

Richard Berard and Chris Hebert can’t imagine a more picturesque finish line.

As runners reach Coal’s Hill in Plymouth on the third leg of the Iron Distance Triathlon, the waterfront, Plymouth Rock and cheering fans will come into clearer view with each exhausting stride.

‘‘It's a spectacular finish line,’’ Berard said. ‘‘We want the athlete to feel like a rock star when he’s done doing this race.’’

The scene is one of many that excite Berard and his business partner, Hebert, as they plan the first swimming, running and biking Ironman-style endurance competition in Massachusetts since a 1994 event on Martha’s Vineyard.

‘‘We thought that there was space in the marketplace for another marquee event in the Boston area,’’ said Hebert, who with Berard runs Fast Forward Race Management in Hingham.

‘‘Plymouth is a destination. They've got the infrastructure there with the hotels, with the restaurants, with the attractions. All you’ve got to say is ‘Plymouth Rock.’’’

The Plymouth Rock Triathlon Festival will be held on Sunday, Aug. 31. The big attraction is expected to be the Iron Distance Triathlon, which will include a 2.4-mile swim in Plymouth Harbor, a 112-mile bike ride that will loop four times under the Route 3 bridge and a 26.2-mile marathon run ending at Plymouth Rock. Athletes will make the transition from swimming to biking to running at Stephens Field.

The organizers are expecting about 1,000 participants from across the country. Similar Ironman events typically take athletes anywhere from eight to 17 hours to complete. Athletes from as far away as Michigan and the Carolinas have already signed up.

‘‘We feel it will sell out in a matter of weeks,’’ Berard said.

The transplant clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital will receive some of the proceeds from the event. Berard underwent a lifesaving kidney transplant operation there in 2001. Hebert donated the kidney.

The triathlon will also boost businesses around Plymouth’s waterfront. While athletes slog for 140 miles through Plymouth, their families and friends will be looking for things to do. The event is expected to bring 4,000 to 7,000 spectators to Plymouth.

‘‘Bringing events like this into the town and putting a lot of people in the area, it’s just good all the way around,’’ said Denis Hanks, executive director of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce. ‘‘They’re eating out and wandering about the town and purchasing things. The multipliers go on and on.’’

Hanks said the Chamber worked with Hebert and Berard to streamline the obtaining of permits, including those for street closings and police details. The Chamber and the triathlon will promote each other in advertising.

Berard said Plymouth is practical because it is the largest town in the state in land area, and an entire triathlon course could be laid out in just one municipality.

Aid stations will serve athletes replenishments like energy bars and water. Medical personnel and first responders will be stationed throughout the running and biking routes as well as in the water. Some 500 volunteers will work the event, including veterans of the famous Hawaii Ironman and the Boston Marathon. Beth Kenney, a Plymouth native, and Bill Lapsley, a Plymouth resident, have signed on as race coordinators.

Police Capt. Michael Botieri said that while the town is used to smaller bicycle and foot races, the Iron Distance Triathlon will be a much bigger undertaking. He said he has met with Berard and Hebert and is confident that the event will run smoothly.

‘‘Obviously public safety is our main concern, and the coordinators have been very receptive to that,’’ Botieri said. ‘‘We'll have enough officers in different locations, high-traffic areas. We'll be closing some streets down I’m sure at different times. We’re trying to coordinate that.’’

Berard and Hebert, both South Shore residents who have worked together in the racing business since college, plan to make the Iron Distance Triathlon at Plymouth Rock an annual event. It is not called an ‘‘Ironman’’ event because that name is trademarked.

Less daunting events will also be held on Aug. 31. The Mayflower International is a shorter triathlon, and relay teams - which allow for one person to swim, another to bike, another to run - are welcome.

‘‘You have your pros who are trying to beat others, but for the amateur triathletes, it's all about beating your own time,’’ Hebert said. ‘‘You’re really racing against yourself.’’

Jack Encarnacao may be reached at jencarnacao@ledger.com .

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A truly American competition

It makes sense to hold an Ironman-style competition in Plymouth, which styles itself America’s hometown.

The sport is truly an American creation.

Ironman events grew out of the racing scene in San Diego in the late 1970s, a hub for swimming, running and biking competitions.

Navy Cmdr. John Collins and his wife, Judy, devised the original and most popular Ironman contest, which has taken place in Hawaii since 1978.

The events have exploded internationally. The World Triathlon Corp., which owns the Ironman trademark, holds about 20 events around the world every year.

Many Hawaii Ironman veterans train locally for the events, including the Boston Triathlon Team, Team Psycho and Team Pegasus.

Proceeds from the Aug. 31 event in Plymouth will benefit the transplant clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Berard’s kidney transplant operation was performed with Hebert as the donor.

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What it takes

To complete the triathlon, participants will have to:

Swim: 2.4 miles in Plymouth Harbor
Bike: 112 miles
Run: 26.2 miles

Race breakdown

- 2.4-mile swim in Plymouth Harbor

- 112-mile bike ride

- 26.2-mile run

- 1,000 athletes expected to participate

- 17-hour time limit to complete all three events; fastest finish is typically between eight and nine hours. Swimming begins at 7 a.m.

- Competitions are held rain or shine. Weather conditions factor heavily into athletes’ strategies.

- 8 hours, 4 minutes, 8 seconds is the record time for completion of the original Ironman triathlon in Hawaii. It was set in 1996 by Luc Van Lierde of Belgium.

- Athletes wear timing chips on their ankles to record their time.

- To view an interactive map of the course, visit www.plymouthrocktriathlon.com and click on "Course Map." Athletes can also register on the site.

http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/02/09/news/news07.txt

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