Kailua-Kona Woman Wins Ultraman in First Try
Kailua-Kona’s Staci Studer was the first female finisher of last weekend’s Ultraman World Championships, held Friday through Sunday throughout much of the Big Island.
The Ultraman World Championships consists of a 6.2-mile ocean swim, a 261.4-mile bike ride, and 52.4-mile ultra marathon run, lasting over the course of three days.
Studer completed the first day’s swimming section in 3:10:20. She followed that up with 90 miles of her bike ride in 6:51:17, both bests among all female competitors.
On day two, Studer completed the last portion of the bike ride in 9:42:21. She finished the final day’s run with a time of 8:45:30, giving her an overall finishing time of 28:29:28.
Studer is a physical therapist at Club Rehab in Kona. Her win came in her first ever Ultraman World Championships.
One other Big Island athlete finished the race. John Howerton, an Oregon-born competitor who now lives in Kailua-Kona, finished 17th with an overall time of 28:54:27.