Gordon Haller, the First

Gordon Haller, The First

By Christophe Croze, QK Chris and Rogue Coe, nov 2016

 

Franck : Can you define triathlon in 3 words? 

Gordon : Discipline, reflective, fun

 

Franck : What is your best memory of triathlon?  

Gordon : In the first Ironman, I was running with two friends over the last 5 miles. We were running very fast, sub-6:00. We crested the last hill on Diamond Head when I first saw the finish line lights a mile away. I knew I had it won then and cruised to the finish. They asked me if I was in the race. When I said "Yes.” They said, "Well, you're done." That was it.

 

 

 Franck : Are you the first Kona triathlon winner? Can you tell us about this triathlon? Gordon : I was the first Ironman winner, but it was in Honolulu, not Kona. The race moved to Kona after 3 years on Oahu. Most people don't know that the 1980 race on Oahu and the 1981 race in Kona were not called the Ironman. They were called the "Nautilus International Triathlon." I have the T-shirts to prove it. Nobody wanted to be a Nautilus, so they changed it back to Ironman.

 

Franck : Do you think that triathlon is still an adventure or a simple sport of endurance?  

Gordon : It depends on the person, where she or he is in their triathlon experience. For first-timers it's an adventure. Later it becomes a journey, then a life style. Some races are created to provide greater challenges than a flat, fast sprint triathlon. People are always looking for a greater challenge.

 

Franck : Bicycles and running shoes have evolved. What do you think of this evolution?  

Gordon : I am proud that our creation has led to improved technology in bicycles and other athletic gear. I wish we had this stuff when I was a competitive athlete. My legs might be so beat up.

 

Franck : You participated in 16 Ironman races in Hawaii. How is this race different from others? Gordon : Oahu 1978-1980; Kona 1981-1989, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2013; Maui 1995,1996,1998; Japan 1985, Canada 1986; Lanzarote 2013. It was the first Ironman, not the first “triathlon”, but because it was in an exotic place, it captured the imagination of a lot of people who were looking for a challenge. I think it also started the concept of a racing vacation or destination race. 

 

Franck : You said that the Hawaii triathlon was done (created) for you. Can you explain why? Gordon : In 1977, I had been on the mainland racing. When I came back to Honolulu for the marathon in December, I had to drop out at about 6 miles due to sciatica. I happened to stop near a friend (I can't remember who) who was watching the race. He told me that there was a race that was invented for me. When he told me the idea, I said I could do that because that was what I did all the time for training. I had done several swim/run races and competed in Military Pentathlon (5 disciplines). I biked everywhere. As I mentioned above, for some people it is a life-style. It is my lifestyle.

 

Franck : I believe your last Ironman was in 2013. Will you comeback to Hawaii in 2018?  

Gordon : I am toying with doing it in 2017, but I will definitely be back in 2018 for the 40th anniversary!

 

Franck : Is it true that during a transition, you changed clothes in the hotel? 

Gordon : We weren't concerned with transition time in the first Ironman. The military hotel, the Hale Koa, was on the beach where we came out of the water. It seemed logical to go into the locker room, shower and change clothes before riding 112 miles. We wanted to be comfortable. In the bike/run transition, I jumped in the Aloha Tower fountain and changed into dry running clothes. I got a massage while doing an interview with the newspaper reporter while the leader was out running.

 

 

 Franck : The triathlon was anonymous. What was the event that made triathlon a popular sport?  

Gordon : You’re right. The first year, we got a paragraph mention at the back of Runner’s World Magazine. There were a couple of things that brought triathlon and the Ironman to the public’s attention. The first two years had small participation. After the second running in 1979, an article in Sports Illustrated, by Barry McDermott, caused the entries to jump from 15 to 105 in 1980. ABC Wide World of Sports filmed the 1980 race and participation jumped to over 300 in 1981. The biggest increase came after Julie Moss crashed and burned at the end of the first 1982 Ironman. Her finish replaced the ski jumper on Wide World of Sports as the "Agony of Defeat."