sport kathleen mccartney hearst
Julie Moss ( born 1958 ) is an American triathlete . She first became known during the 1982 Ironman ___MASK17___ , in which she competed as part of her research for her exercise physiology thesis . She has claimed that she did not initially take the race seriously and did not have any special training beforehand . Nevertheless , she found herself with a comfortable lead , but approximately two miles before the finish line , she became severely dehydrated . She staggered and crawled towards the end of the course , only to be passed moments before the finish line by competitor Kathleen McCartney . Her struggle to finish the Ironman was broadcast around the world , and provided inspiration to many to compete in Ironman events . Kathleen McCartney Hearst is an American former triathlete who won the Ironman World Championship in February 1982 . She passed Julie Moss , who collapsed less than 10 yards from the finish line , and won the race . The New York Times credited the race with `` raising the levels of enthusiasm and participation for the sport . '' The ___MASK93___ is a long - distance ___MASK61___ event with an official distance of 42 . 195 kilometres ( 26 . 219 miles , or 26 miles 385 yards ), usually run as a road race . The event was instituted in commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Pheidippides ( more correctly , Philippides ), a messenger from the Battle of Marathon to Athens , who reported the victory . The World ___MASK17___ Corporation ( WTC ) is a for - profit corporation , owned by Dalian Wanda Group , that organizes , promotes and licenses the Ironman ___MASK17___ , Ironman 70 . 3 , the 5150 series of ___MASK17___ races and several cycling , running and multisports events . WTC is also the owner of numerous " Ironman " related trademarks used both in connection with Ironman race series and in conjunction with various goods and services . The Ironman World Championship has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978 , with an additional race in 1982 . It is owned and organized by the World ___MASK17___ Corporation . It is the annual culmination of a series of Ironman ___MASK17___ qualification races held throughout the world . History . From 1978 through 1980 the race was held on the island of Oahu , the course combining that of three events already held there : the Waikiki Roughwater Swim ( 2 . 4 mi ./ 3 . 86 km ), the Around - Oahu Bike Race ( 115 mi ./ 185 . 07 km , originally a two - day event ), and the Honolulu Marathon . The bike stage was reduced by 3 miles to link it to the start of the marathon course . In 1981 the race was moved to the less urbanized Big Island , keeping the distances the same : a open water swim in Kailua - Kona Bay , a bike ride across the Hawaiian lava desert to Hw and back , and a marathon ( 26 miles 385 yards , 42 . 195 km ) run along the coast of the Big Island from Keauhou to Keahole Point and back to Kailua - Kona , finishing on Alii Drive . The Honolulu ___MASK93___ ( branded JAL Honolulu ___MASK93___ for sponsorship reasons ) is a major ___MASK93___ in Honolulu , Hawaii . It is one of the world ' s largest marathons , taking place annually on the second Sunday in December . The ___MASK93___ is popular for its exotic location in Hawaii , and is also popular among first - time marathoners , many of whom are visitors from Japan . In addition to title sponsor Japan Airlines , the ___MASK93___ is also sponsored ( as of 2012 ) by Adidas , MUFG Financial Group , NTT Docomo , and Sato Pharmaceuticals USA . An Ironman ___MASK17___ is one of a series of long - distance ___MASK17___ races organized by the World ___MASK17___ Corporation ( WTC ), consisting of a swim , a bicycle ride and a marathon run , raced in that order and without a break . It is widely considered one of the most difficult one - day sporting events in the world .