Best of the Best: Triathlons Worldwide

	The Race of Your Life

Want to push your body to the ultimate extreme -- and see the world at the same time?

Then take a tour of some of the best triathlons worldwide, and you'll discover that the joy of self-inflicted pain can be found on roads and waters in some of the most impressive corners of the globe.

There is no shortage of options, which might be based on how much blood and sweat you are willing to part with -- or maybe on what sort of idyllic or not-so-pleasant setting inspires you to better deal with the pain.

Care to climb mountains on your bike, swim in the open sea, run sand dunes after your escape from prison or finish to the roar of the crowd in a historic Olympic venue? Take your pick -- you can do them all.

Where to Go

Any discussion of triathlons has to start with Hawaii, where the Ironman World Championship unravels in Kona (Oct. 13, 2007).

This competition includes a heart-wrenching -- and body-breaking -- 2.4-mile swim in the blue waters of the Kailua Bay; a 112-mile windy bike ride along the west coast of the island of Hawaii; and a flat, yet usually hot and humid, marathon on roads that seem to extend into unending waves of lava and black pavement.

Says six-time Ironman champion Mark Allen, "It is not just a physical course like many. It is a course that tests the truth of who you are as a person. If there is any weakness in your character, it will bring it out, which is certainly tough but is also a chance to change it and become a stronger person."

Only a select few qualify in each age group, so the pace is punishing; the pressure to be called an Ironman requires that each contestant finish before midnight, which marks the 17-hour time limit in the race. To participate and to finish just one minute later can render your entire struggle moot.

Still, despite the pressure among both the top professional and amateur triathletes to show well in Hawaii, Kona is not necessarily the be all and end all, even for the elite.

Former Olympian Joanna Zeiger, who has won Ironman events in France and Brazil, admits that she feels rather ambivalent about Hawaii. Her favorite course of any length is the half Ironman on the Caribbean island of St. Croix (May 4, 2008).