Ironman Hawaii winners, movers and shakers 1993-2000

Timothy Carlson has been at Ironman Hawaii since 1993 and has captured stunning images along the way. This is the first part of a gallery honoring the Ironman Hawaii winners and key contenders and ranges from Mark Allen's win in 1993 through Peter Reid's 2000 victory. Plus it has all the winners in between, other standouts, interesting bike technologies and curious fashions.

This is really more than one era at the sacred stage of Ironman Hawaii. You might call it the Passing of the Torch to the Second Wave of the Giants – or pseudo-scientifically, the Middle Konazoic Period. It begins with the final bows and curtain calls of The Man ('94 and '96) and the Grip ('93 and '95) and the final wins (’93, ’94, ’96) of the incomparable Paula Newby-Fraser. It includes the 1994 victory of triathlon’s Incomparable Imp, Greg Welch, over a noble 40-year old Dave Scott. In Natascha Badmann’s 1996 baptism on the Queen K, she offers stiff resistance to Paula Newby-Fraser’s 8th win and then begins her own dynasty in 1998 and 2000. In that same epochal year of 1996, rookie Luc Van Lierde jolted the Kona landscape with his shocking 8:04:08, smashing recently retired Mark Allen’s hallowed course record. The next year, the daring cycling power of Thomas Hellriegel, who pushed to the brink both Mark Allen in his 1995 farewell and Luc Van Lierde in his 1996 hello, was merged with a top run. That combination allowed Hell on Wheels to become the first German to take the Kona crown. This era also includes the arrival of the Canadians into the halls of Kona greatness, led by Heather Fuhr’s breakthrough win in 1997, followed by the derring-do of Canada’s Iron Couple, Peter Reid (1998 and 2000) and Lori Bowden (1999). This photographer deeply regrets that his crazy quilt filing system misplaced photos of the great Karen Smyers’ brilliant 1995 win.

All images © Timothy Carlson

Mark Allen overtakes Finland’s Pauli Kiuru at Mile 17 of the Energy Lab. They started the 1993 run virtually tied, Kiuru took a big lead, and then The Grip crushed all hope.

Mark Allen won his 5th Ironman Hawaii in a race record 8:07:45, closing the door on Kiuru’s early marathon surge, 2:48:05 to 2:55:16.

Coming off her still-standing record 8:55:28 performance in 1992, 26-minutes faster than runner-up Julieanne White Empfield, Paula Newby-Fraser faced formidable Erin Baker.

Newby Fraser started with a 5-minute cushion on the swim as Baker was kicked in the head, then iced it with still-standing bike record 4:48:30 on her Jim Felt-designed Easton.

In 1994, Paula won the swim and lost the run to Karen Smyers, but gained her 8-minute margin of victory with the fastest bike (5:02:25) to take her 7th win in 9:20:14.

Greg Welch leaps with joy after outdueling 40-year-old Dave Scott 8:20:27 to 8:24:32. After an over exuberant post-race party stunt, Welchy left Kona ’94 with a broken arm.

Was this six-time Ironman champion Dave Scott’s greatest performance? The Man hung within 12 seconds of the plucky Aussie at the Energy Lab, finally surrendering 5 minutes.

Mark Allen started the run 13 minutes down to Thomas “Hell on Wheels” Hellriegel, then ran a 2:42:09 to pass the Kona rookie at Mile 23 on his way to his 6th and final win.

Rookie Luc Van Lierde of Belgium shocked the Ironman world with a still-standing record 8:04:08 (including a 3-minute drafting penalty), passing Hellriegel at Mile 23.

Luc Van Lierde’s 2:41:48 run in 1996 has only been topped by Mark and Dave in 1989. Surprised U.S. Ironman experts missed Van Lierde’s prior Nice win, ITU Worlds silver.

Chris Legh fought his way among the leaders on the bike, but succumbed to dehydration just 100 yards from the finish. The next day, surgeons removed 12 inches from his colon.

Canada’s Heather Fuhr ran down leaders Wendy Ingraham, Lori Bowden, Fernanda Keller and Sian Welch with a race-best 3:06:45 marathon to win 1997 in 9:31:43.

After blasting to big leads on the bike getting run down at Mile 23 by Mark Allen and Luc Van Lierde, Thomas Hellriegel finally led the final miles in 1997.

After surging to the lead mid-run, then getting run down by Paula Newby-Fraser in 1996, getting sick in 1997, Swiss Miss Natascha Badmann began her 6-win dynasty in 1998.

Following in the 1997 footsteps of fellow Canadian Heather Fuhr, Peter Reid won Ironman Hawaii in 1998, topping Ironman sensation Luc Van Lierde.

Van Lierde rebounded from a slightly sub-par 1998 Kona to take his second Ironman Hawaii crown in 1999. Van Lierde’s killer surge 4 miles into the run iced his alpha status.

In 1999, Lori Bowden reversed the usual protocols dictating which member of a couple takes charge in finish line kisses. Winner Bowden leaps into the arms of runner-up Reid.

Natascha Badmann missed Ironman Hawaii trying to make the Swiss Olympic team in 1999. In 2000, Badmann flew like an eagle through brutal winds to take her second win.

Peter Reid didn’t have to face Van Lierde, who dropped out with nervous exhaustion before the race, but ran 2:48:10 to withstand DeBoom’s charge in 2000.

Peter Reid experiences a bone deep exhaustion after withstanding Tim DeBoom’s late race surge in 2000. For the next two years, Reid struggled to regain his energy.