Colin F Cross/EPIC5 event photographer
Chad Esker, of Mosinee, will start the final day of the EPIC5 Challenge — five Ironman-distance triathlons, on five different Hawaiian Islands, in five days.
Chad Esker of Mosinee became the first man in the Midwest to ever finish the EPIC5 Challenge — five Ironman-distance triathlons in five days on five different Hawaiian Islands.
Esker finished the race in the early morning hours of Wednesday, May 10 — around 8:30 am Wisconsin time.
Esker looked strong as he crossed the finished line in Kona, despite starting the fifth and final day with only a few hours of rest. Prior to this year’s challenge, only 11 people had ever finished the five courses, which combined are considered one of the toughest physical challenges in the world, race organizers say. No one from the Midwest had completed it before Esker.
An Ironman triathlon is 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running done in one event. The triathlons that comprise the EPIC5 aren’t associated with the official Ironman events but are the same distance.
Esker received plenty of support throughout the five days. His on-site support crew kept his nearly 1,000-member group updated throughout the five days, and central Wisconsin residents posted support videos cheering Esker on, which crew members would show him at rest stops.
Video from the finish line shows Esker running all the way to the end, and still having energy to stand and hug his supporters, with Hawaiian leis around his neck.
According to the EPIC5 Challenge’s social media feed, at least two others completed the race. All ten competitors to attempt the challenge made it through the first four days, something unprecedented in EPIC5 history, event officials say.
Want to know more about Esker and his EPIC5 challenge here: EPIC5
Join Esker’s Facebook Group and see more for yourself: EPIC5FB
