IRONMAN Director Discusses Event’s Unique Security Challenges

Image of the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The swimming portion is 3.8km. [Image courtesy of wellnessexplored.com]
Image of the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The swimming portion is 3.8km. [Image courtesy of wellnessexplored.com]

When we asked John Bertsch, director of public safety emergency management for the IRONMAN Triathlon World Championships, what safety and security issues keep him up at night he chuckled and replied, "A lot. We are on a volcanic island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with 2,700 world-class athletes representing more than 80 countries ocean swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles — in 90-degree temperatures and 80 percent humidity — and running a 26.2-mile marathon through the lava fields."

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