More Ultraman 08 impressions

Miro Kregar of Slovenia, Ribeiro of Brazil, and Kotland of Czech Republic shared the lead at Mile 14.

Kotland refuels on the run.

Miro Kregar and Alexandre Ribeiro dropped Kotland at Mile 15 and stayed together until Kregar made a break at Mile 45.

Tony O'Keefe trailed the leaders but hung in for his fourth straight Ultraman Hawaii runner-up finish.

Shanna Armstrong set a PR on the run of 8:15 with help from a stylishly hula-skirted pacer.

Ribeiro keeps cool on the Queen K.

Kotland, just before he hit the wall at Mile 32.

Miro Kregar scored the fastest run of the day. His 6:14 mark, the fifth fastest in Ultraman history, brought the 46-year-old in third overall, three minutes ahead of Kotland.

Even the mighty can be struck low in Ultraman. Kotland walked several miles, but still managed a 7:33 double marathon.

Carlos Conceicao, a 44-year-old Brazilian, advanced from 10th to 5th overall with a 6:46 run.

Peter Mueller, a 46-year-old Swiss flight attendant, was sick and off his usual top-five form so he ran Shanna Armstrong to a new PR.

Finish line kiss after 320 Ultra miles.

Kotland recovers while less thrashed finishers chewed down.

Alexandre Ribeiro was just eight minutes off the course record while taking g his third Ultraman win in four attempts.

Corey Foulk stayed cool all three days.

Shanna Armstrong took her 5th Ultraman title.

Suzy Degazon (L) finished her 10th Ultraman in 11 tries, while Jason Lester (right) a Kailua-Kona artist, had no trouble finishing with one arm.

Vito Bialla celebrates his 8th Ultraman finish with wife Linda, the 1999 women’s Ultraman champ, ands son Benjamin, a budding soccer star.

Cowman A-Moo-Ha competed in the very first Ultraman in 1983. This year he shot video at the finish and at the awards banquet.

To the Ultra way of thinking, circumnavigating the Big Island over three days is a more fun than a simple one-day swim-bike-run.