By Greg Welch for Ironmanlive.com
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2006...what a year. I would like to say it was the year of the Aussie, but I will have to wait until I'm describing the latter part of this fantastic year for that.

The early part of this year started off a little rocky. For me one of the single best decisions a race director has made came in early March at the Bonita Ironman New Zealand. That doesn't mean it was an easy one, though.

The weather was a little dodgey leading up to race day with rain wind and an Antarctic front gutting the Land of the long white clouding. A storm predicted to arrive race day was a little early -- Friday ended up being windy and rainy. That night, as I stood talking to other race directors and sponsors at a nice little yacht club perched upon Lake Taupo, it was almost surreal. The wind stopped and the sun shone brightly through the clouds. It was as if the Lord had opened his skies to give us a perfect race day.

Well, not exactly … by race morning a wind swept Lake Taupo with four foot waves. The temperature dipped to a brisk six degree Celsius (mid to high 30’s Fahrenheit). Winds were blowing up to 70 miles per hour (over 100 kilometers).

As the conditions worsened by the second, a race director's living nightmare was about to happen. Wayne Reardon, in his inaugural year as race director, was faced with a decision that would make or break him. Event manager Jane Patterson was also juggling her duties and having to meet the needs of the athletes.

This is where these guys earn their keep. They are there for the safety of the athletes and that’s primo!

I was asked as a representative of Ironman to sit in on a panel with the race referee and Jane and Wayne. After the review of more than two contingency plans it was unanimously voted that the swim was absolutely not an option. As a former surf Ironman competitor in Australia, I can tell through experience that that was the best decision of 2006!

I know the race director copped flak and still does to the day but it was the right thing to do. After shifting into race mode everything was done to accomodate the athletes and a race happened. I tip my hat to the good ol' folks in Lake Taupo for working as hard as they did, and to the athletes who still braved the horrendous conditions mother nature served up.

Ok, now that’s out of the way, on to Australia. Port Macquarie, the new home to Ironman OZ was sensational according to Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman. Chris McCormack won his fifth consecutive Aussie Ironman and Lisa Bentley also captured number five.

I feel for Belinda Granger, who has primed herself to win this event for years, but Lisa out-races her and nips her each time. (Look for her sweet revenge later!)

Rumor has it that the course will have minor changes for 2007 and, like all new courses, teething problems will occur. Regardless, this sounds like a must-do event.

Moving forward in the year, Ironman announced that Louisville Kentucky would be the site of a new event for 2007. Wow, the Kentucky Derby, and now a bunch of humans racing around the streets in their undies. Maybe I’ll have a wager! That’s awesome news as Ironman continues to grow.

Sparkasse Ironman European Championship, formerly known as Ironman Germany. This race is STELLAR! I have been there to witness possibly the largest crowd at any triathlon. It has the feel of the Tour de France. The streets, whether out in the suburbs of surrounding Frankfurt, or in the city itself, are lined with spectators and volunteers alike.

The race ends in the Romerplatz, one of Germany's most historic in the center of this booming financial district.

At night time the race is spectacular as they offer great entertainment and dancing in the streets is enjoyed by all. The laser light show was amazing too.

If you want to feel like a true hero, go, you wont regret it. Thumbs up to another great year there, but for me, it really was one of the moments of 2006 for Cam Brown. He finally won this race after years of trying, and if you think it was easy, well, the German men have had a stranglehold on this event in the past. Try beating a German in Germany.

I mentioned earlier Lisa Bentley and Belinda Granger in their own little rivalry. Well Belinda was able to reverse the tables for the very first time and it happened exactly how I didn’t think. She beat Lisa in Canada, a race Lisa loves and races at with her heart on her sleeve.

This year it was Belinda in her best ever victory in my opinion. There was pressure all the way, especially when you race from the front and run scared, with arguably one of the fastest all time runners in the sport (and I don’t mean just females -- Lisa has run around 3 hours on more than ten occasions) chasing you.

Ironman Kona! What can I say?

Team Breen, my gosh, NBC needs to stop making grown men cry, or is that OK? I think its OK, because it makes you want to instantly become a better person, to do something for someone, or yourself. John Blais is one of my favourite warriors and if you see more and more people rolling across the finish line, you’ll now know why!

The Hoyts, is it the end of an era for them? I don’t know but what I will say is that this quote is humbling, it comes from Dick:

”Rick wants to be an athlete, he is an athlete, I just have the arms and legs.”

Come on, crikey mate. I lost it, with no one around me, sniffling and wiping tears from my eyes, I thought I was a baby, but I guess I get emotional, especially when warriors do things they do. Ironman does that to you. That’s why, when Mike Reilly calls you an Ironman, you feel it, in your heart and in your soul. It's not easy. It's damn tough, but when you make it, you know that you can do whatever you want.

I know the NBC show has its moments with stories, but it shares the race action too. The action this year wasn’t as devastating as 2004 for Normann Stadler though. In 2004 Normann had a 24 minute buffer on Peter Reid, a three-time champion. This year the margin was much less but Normann got there much earlier. The athletes gave us a race. Peter Reid said somewhere that Normann couldn’t run, which sparked Normann I believe. Why wouldn’t it? I actually know something that a lot of you know too. Normann is a duathlon world champion. I think he can run! Talk about fuelling a fire that already is outta control. Normann had an excellent race and deserves credit for being the best in the world on the day. After all, it is the day that matters.

OK, an Aussie year? I think so.

MJ, also known as "Mi-kik-e-bum" Michellie Jones is one of the three greatest triathletes to have ever graced our races. MJ has won more Olympic distance races than any other man or woman. She has has an Olympic silver medal. Now she is the Ironman World Champion. How does that feel MIchellie? Darn proud to be an Aussie I am.

That’s not where it stops for the women. Three more things. Firstly let me say this, Desiree Ficker, WOW! Good on ya luv! What a great race, and the future belongs to you.

Lisa Bentley, you amaze me. Lisa last year raced with a burst appendix, she pulled out after 6 hours of racing, went home, then off to hospital and had an emergency appendectomy, WHAT?

Ladies and Gentlemen, she won Aussie Ironman, second in Canada, and had her best finish ever in Kona with a third. Good on ya, smiley.

And lastly, Natascha Badmann. The question is: is she finished? Are you kidding? No way. NB was sick as a dog. She stopped several times, throwing up, yet still kept smiling. On the TV coverage you can clearly see the pain she was in, bent over in Sister Madonna Buder style. She walked. She contemplated stopping, but the noise and the lift of the crowd pulled her through. She picked her slouched body up, slapped her hands on her hips, said “Come on, I can do this,” and took off in a huff. Is that class or what?

That is a class act. A future Hall of Famer smiling and thrusting herself at the finish line as if she had won. Mate, that got me, don’t know about you.

This year was a year with new Champions too.

Ironman Florida, just two weeks post Kona, was the day. A nobody ( not anymore) Jan Raphael...won his first ever Ironman, in his first try. His resume had one thing on it: he raced in the world university games! What? Talk about a nice kid, smiles all the way. He took the race early on the bike and barely hung on, but he got it. His speech was hilarious -- something of comical and champions proportions.

The Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3.

Well, well, well. Its arrived. Clearwater Beach is amazing. The race was an instant classic and the ceremonies were to die for. Besides Kona, Clearwater's Welcome dinner and awards banquets location were second to…..NONE!

In finishing, Ironman North America had a name change, and also a change of presidency. The new name: North America Sports. The El Presidente…drum roll…PNF. Paula Newby-Fraser was announced as its new leader. Ah gosh, now I have to hear it! Good stuff Paula, a born leader, does that mean you get shots in golf?

Take care everyone, have a safe holiday season and good luck in the 2007 season.

Greg