Ron was not alone. The extensive media coverage of Moss’ harrowing finish threw the relatively unnoticed sport into the worldwide spotlight. As thousands of people began to compete in triathlons, many attempted the Ironman, forcing race officials in 1983 to limit the number of applicants. Now, just entering the Hawaii Ironman has become a formidable task. The approximately 1500 starting spots are given to those who have placed in the high rankings at one of the qualifying events. The rest of the applicants depend on the lottery system, which has its own entry requirements and selects only 200 people—150 in the United States and 50 internationally.
Ron was one of the lucky ones. When his name was drawn in April from a lottery pool of nearly 4000, he knew his life would change. Other goals, like starting a family, were put on hold in favor of twenty-hour training weeks. Until October of that same year, every meal, every workout, was carefully designed to enable him to finish the Ironman. Like many before him, training would become a lifestyle.
Today, this type of lifestyle is gaining popularity. The first informal triathlon took place in 1974, when members of the San Diego Track Club combined three sports—swimming, biking, and running—for the sole purpose of training more effectively for marathons and 10K races. Four years later, on the beaches of Waikiki, 15 men began what would become one of the most challenging sports: The Hawaii Ironman.
The spirit of the event attracted attention and, in April 1982, the USA Triathlon group emerged to formalize the sport. After appearing in the 1994 Goodwill Games and the 1995 Pan American Games, triathlon qualified as a medal sport for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The expansive media coverage heralded the sport, attracting athletes from different disciplines, and at all levels.