Woodlands Resident Competes in Ironman

Man with an Iron Will

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- October 14, 2009 -- Tens-of-thousands of triathletes compete for the coveted Ironman competition every year, but only 1,800 succeed in the opportunity to participate in one of the toughest challenges the sports world has to offer: 2.4-miles of swimming, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon which is run through tough ocean waves, and challenging lava-covered terrain in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Kevin Barr of The Woodlands earned the chance to compete in a lottery for one of the 150 United States slots for the Ford Ironman World Championship this past weekend.

Barr played tennis and soccer in high school, and was a nationally ranked racquetball player through college, none of which are endurance sports. But Ironman has been a goal of Kevin’s since he was a child, watching a friend’s father train here in The Woodlands. What’s truly amazing is that Kevin competed in his first triathlon, an Olympic-distance race, just last June. The 'irony' is that unlike many of his competitors who train full time, Barr’s training is sandwiched in between his full-time job as a commercial real estate broker and developer, and helping his wife, Amy, raise a family of three children.

At thirty-three years of age, Kevin finished the 140.6-mile course 128th in an international field of competitors. To even complete the grueling triathlon is an amazing feat in itself, but for those who do, they earn the distinction of being called an “Ironman."

For those who have been following Barr’s sojourn to the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, his times were as follows:

Individual categories:

Swim: 2.4 mi(1:13:46)1:56/100m 1080 131

Bike: 112 mi(6:41:55)16.72 mph 1373 132

Run: 26.2 mi(5:28:12)12:31/mile 1384 128

Overall Time: 13:37:58

Rank: 1384

Division Position: 128