Held every fall in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, the race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and ending with a 26 7/32-mile marathon. These races are completed in succession within a 17-hour allotted time frame each year.

While there are thousands of triathlons around the world, it is this one that truly defines the sport. It was this race, first run in 1978 as a dare by a bunch of Navy Seals, that put triathlon on the world’s sporting map. It is triathlon’s Super Bowl, Wimbledon, World Series, World Cup, and Tour de France all rolled into one.

B.T., as well as the Ironman, has come a long way in the past 30 years. He splashed his way through swim team competitions, raced his way through BMX events and, while he never really was a runner, his experience with soccer, baseball, football and tennis managed to keep those legs moving. The Ironman Triathlon is now the world’s most challenging endurance event, attracting more than 50,000 athletes from around the world each year.

After graduating from Cathedral Prep in 1994, B.T. went on to John Carroll University in Cleveland where he graduated from the Boler School of Business in 1997. For a time after that it seemed that all sports, except for an occasional game of golf, remained dormant while he carved out his niche of entrepreneurship in the business and real estate fields in Cleveland and Erie.

That changed when Ryan Sitter, one of his best friends since Prep days, challenged him to run a marathon. He knew he was a strong swimmer and a skilled biker, but had never considered himself a runner. The challenge tempted him and he signed up. Thus, his career in endurance sports was born.

B.T. took the challenge head on and completed the Big Sur Marathon in Monterey, California, one of the most difficult and hilliest races in the world, with a competitive time of 4:50After acknowledging his unexpected success as a runner, he decided to push himself further and completed the Hamot Edinboro Triathlon (Olympic) in June 2005. Once again, his success took him by surprise and he finished the race in the impressive time of 2:24:42. He was hooked! So hooked, in fact, that he was one of the founding members of the Erie Tri Club. From there B.T. went on to compete and place in numerous races including:

Buffalo Triathlon (Olympic) – 3rd Place Clydesdale

Ashtabula Triathlon (Sprint) – 2nd Place Age Group

Cleveland Triathlon (Olympic) – 8th Place Age Group

Chicago triathlon (Sprint) – 2nd Place Age Group

Presque Isle Triathlon (Sprint) 1st Place Age Group

In 2006, finding that he was spending more time in Virginia for business than he was in Pennsylvania, B.T. purchased a condo in Virginia Beach, while retaining a house in Erie. That moved his swimming training from pools and Lake Erie, to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean! However, Kona will not be his first dip in the Pacific. During the past two years, he twice completed the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco. Also in 2006, he competed in the Chicago Triathlon (Olympic), one of the largest triathlons in the world where he placed third in Clydesdale.

In 2007, B.T. went on to challenge himself with longer distances and in July, he raced Vineman in California, his first 70.3 distance. His hard work and dedication to this race paid off as he not only finished in 5:09:17, but he also qualified for the Half Ironman Championships in Clearwater by roll down. He liked the challenge so much that he also raced the Patriots Half Ironman in September where he placed 1st in Clydesdale as well! However, despite all of his earned credentials and qualifiers, the dream of the Kona Ironman was still only that.

B.T. didn’t take much of a break after that and started training vigorously for his 2008 season. He told his coach, Diane Haupt, that he was ready to “get serious” about training and competing. His training ramped up to two workouts a day, each with a higher degree of intensity than his prior workouts, to prepare him for a successful season. Luckily, B.T. is a member of the Final Kick Triathlon club in Virginia Beach, which provides a huge source of support and training partners. In June of 2008, he raced Eagleman, another 70.3 distance, which happened to be one of the hottest years that the race has ever been held. With an over 100 degree index, the heat actually mimicked what B.T. could face in Hawaii in the infamous lava fields of Kona. His success with his races and workouts eventually spurred his determination and the decision was made that it was time to make his dream a reality. This October 11, B.T. McCune will be among those 1,800 athletes competing in the Kona Ironman World Championship!

The months leading up to the race will include the toughest training regimens that he has ever faced. They include 6-7 hour bike rides, 20-plus mile runs and 2-3 mile swims that will test him both physically and mentally. He will face exhaustion and pain daily as he prepares his body and mind for the challenge that lies ahead. Despite these barriers, B.T. will be ready to not only conquer his dream and finish the race – but to excel at the challenge. He will be sharing this moment with his friends and family, as they will be among the 10,000 spectators to personally cheer him on.

B.T.’s success in the sport of triathlons is in part due to a natural athletic ability, but his dedication and goal placement are what make him a distinguished triathlete. He will truly be put to the test on October 11. He will be honored to compete alongside the best in the world. But when that contest is completed, Brian Timothy McCune will be in every sense of the word – an Ironman!