Race Reports - Derrick B's Ironman Journey

Ironman South Africa 2026 Race Report

Created: Sunday, 05 July 2026

This was an epic race in so many ways! My 14th full Ironman, 7th international, qualification race for the Kona World Championship, and achieving my goal of racing in Africa. This race is also known for having the hardest swim of all the Ironmans. This race was extra special because I have never raced an Ironman with so many athletes that looked just like me. Literally, I am usually the only one, or one of a few, or a part of an organized group to increase our numbers. This race was authentically African and I loved everything about it.

This was also the African Championship, bringing out the strongest athletes from all over the world! 64 different countries were represented. Everyone looked like an elite athlete, there were no casual competitors.

Ironman Wisconsin 2025

Created: Sunday, 05 July 2026

Ironman #13!!! The plan was to take this year off from racing. But Ironman changed their qualification rules (again) for the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which changed the number of qualification years of eligibility starting with my first 70.3 Ironman race. So to keep my qualification alive, I signed up for IM Wisconsin, even though I’m undecided about actually racing in Kona, I’ll keep the option open by keeping my qualification active.

IM Barcelona 2023 Race Report

Created: Friday, 12 January 2024

After racing in Italy and Portugal, it was time for another epic destination for my 10th Ironman race! After making a list of exciting possibilities, the only reasonable airfare option led me to IM Barcelona! This course looked ideal, with a single loop for the swim, and a flat bike and run. My wife and I flew out on the Wednesday before the Sunday race, landing on Thursday.

The check-in was smooth. I was now used to the European ways of racing. QR codes on my wrist, timing chip pickup during the bike check-in, and needing to remember to wear my bib during the bike leg. But other rules still caught me by surprise, like needing to have my helmet buckled and bib on my waist before I’m permitted to check in my bike. Everything was in English, so there were no language issues.

Ironman Japan 2024 Race Report

Created: Monday, 14 October 2024

IM Japan Race Report Ironman Japan was my 11th full distance race and my 7th country. Ironically, the most interesting parts of this trip were the mishaps and challenging logistics. This will be different race report from most, so I’ll provide a quick summary first. I made it easy to jump to the section you want to read about.

Summary

The journey started with the Delta plane I was on (A350) crashing into a much smaller plane (CRJ) and knocking its entire tail wings off! Instead of the planned 2 days of travel, it took 3 days to get to Hokkaido, Japan. I got checked in, and made sure my bike was ready to fly. 2.4 mile swim in the sea. 112 mile bike on the highway. 26.2 mile run through the town of Hokadate.

IM Hawaii IM 70.3 2023 Race Report

Created: Friday, 12 January 2024

There’s no more beautiful place to race than Kona, Hawaii! The big island. This was my first 70.3 distance race since Panama City Beach Florida, 2021. I entered the race under trained due to a couple of last minute trips to see my parents and work travel. A race in paradise can’t be bad! Thankful that my father was out of the hospital, I was glad to be able to focus, and proud to dedicate this race to them.

My wife, Stephanie, and I arrived on Wednesday, checked in on Thursday, checked in bike and gear on Friday, and raced Saturday. When I reassembled my bike, my front wheel was bent. I fixed it myself, and it was all good for race day.

Reports

Schedule

Race Schedule