Iron War: Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run

by Matt Fitzgerald

Overview

The classic account of an unforgettable endurance test, now updated with a new introduction

The 1989 Ironman World Championship was the greatest race ever in endurance sports. In a spectacular duel that became known as the Iron War, the world's two strongest athletes raced side by side at world-record pace for a grueling 139 miles.

Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Dave Scott and Mark Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through Ironman's 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record—and cross the finish line a mere 58 seconds apart.

In Iron War, sports journalist Matt Fitzgerald writes a riveting epic about how Allen and Scott drove themselves and each other through the most awe-inspiring race in sports history. Iron War goes beyond the pulse-pounding race story to offer a fascinating exploration of the lives of the world's two toughest men and their unquenchable desire to succeed.

Weaving an examination of mental resolve into a gripping tale of athletic adventure, Iron War is a soaring narrative of two champions and the paths that led to their stunning final showdown.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629379814
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,140,657
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Matt Fitzgerald is an award-winning endurance sports journalist and bestselling author of more than 20 books on running, triathlon, fitness, nutrition, and weight loss, including Brain Training for Runners and Racing Weight. His byline appears regularly in national publications including Men's Journal, Outside, and Women's Running. An experienced running and triathlon coach and certified sports nutritionist, Matt serves as a Training Intelligence Specialist for PEAR Sports and as a featured coach on active.com.

Table of Contents

1 The Moment

2 A Drop Too Much

3 Get a Grip

4 Pain Community

5 You Again

6 Dig Me Beach

7 Iron Will

8 Shot out of a Cannon

9 Burning Matches

10 Vision Quest

11 Breaking Point

12 The Man's Search for Meaning

13 Shaman Surfer

Epilogue

Notes

Photo Credits

Course Map

Iron War Timeline

Acknowledgments

About the Author 

 

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Captivating, animated, uniquely readable and downright thrilling. [Iron War] is a truly great read—and an ode to our sport with all its quirky characters and epic venues…It is absolutely comparable to Krakauer, Bowden (Blackhawk Down), or Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm)… Iron War is what we buy books for: Excitement, entertainment, information and inspiration.” — TriSports.com  “A true page-turner about a too-little-known great moment in sports.” — Booklist (American Library Association) “For any triathlete or endurance athlete, or anyone who wonders what it takes to be the best in sport, Iron War is an excellent read…Readers will come away with a very strong understanding and appreciation for two of the true legends of our sport…as well as a very clear look at the greatest race ever run.” — Triathlete.com “Iron War really is a book that should be on your bookshelf if you have even the slightest interest in the sport of triathlon, but it also is a great read for anyone looking for inspiration in general.” — Slowtwitch.com  “Fitzgerald eases readers into the nuances of the sport, capturing imaginations with a satisfying study of two exceptional athletes and what makes them tick.” — ForeWord magazine  “Iron War is the very first time our sport has engaged in Krakauer-style journalism, where full-featured personalities are presented to readers without excuse, or pause, or an author's self-censorship. Iron War is Fitzgerald's Krakauer moment.” — Slowtwitch.com  “Iron War by Matt Fitzgerald recounts the fabled Ironman world championship battle between triathlete legends Dave Scott and Mark Allen. By the end of the story, [triathletes] will feel like [they] personally know the athletes, raced side-by-side with them, and understands the amazing contribution they made to the sport.” — Active.com “In his new book Iron War, Fitzgerald recounts in gripping detail the showdown between Mark Allen and Dave Scott. Iron War delves into the vastly different personalities and psyches of these two iconic athletes and presents an anatomy of mental toughness that both men shared.” — Triathlete magazine  “In an exhaustively researched book, Fitzgerald recreates the famous race between Dave Scott and Mark Allen in the 1989 Ironman World Championship….[Iron War] captures the strength of character of both athletes better than any other publication to date.” — Xtri.com “The real gems of [Iron War]…are the robust descriptions of the race itself: the pain and suffering, the strategy, the story arc. The telling of this story gives insight into the race far beyond what we could see on the ABC special…or on YouTube today. It’s an insight that casual fans (and perhaps even athletes themselves) don’t often get. And for that reason alone, [Iron War] was one I could not put down.” — TriMadness

Editorial Reviews

"Captivating, animated, uniquely readable and downright thrilling. [Iron War] is a truly great read--and an ode to our sport with all its quirky characters and epic venues...It is absolutely comparable to Krakauer, Bowden (Blackhawk Down), or Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm)...Iron War is what we buy books for: Excitement, entertainment, information and inspiration." -- TriSports.com

"A true page-turner about a too-little-known great moment in sports." -- Booklist (American Library Association)

"For any triathlete or endurance athlete, or anyone who wonders what it takes to be the best in sport, Iron War is an excellent read...Readers will come away with a very strong understanding and appreciation for two of the true legends of our sport...as well as a very clear look at the greatest race ever run." -- Triathlete.com

"Iron War really is a book that should be on your bookshelf if you have even the slightest interest in the sport of triathlon, but it also is a great read for anyone looking for inspiration in general." -- Slowtwitch.com

"Fitzgerald eases readers into the nuances of the sport, capturing imaginations with a satisfying study of two exceptional athletes and what makes them tick." -- ForeWord magazine

"Iron War is the very first time our sport has engaged in Krakauer-style journalism, where full-featured personalities are presented to readers without excuse, or pause, or an author's self-censorship. Iron War is Fitzgerald's Krakauer moment." -- Slowtwitch.com

"Iron War by Matt Fitzgerald recounts the fabled Ironman world championship battle between triathlete legends Dave Scott and Mark Allen. By the end of the story, [triathletes] will feel like [they] personally know the athletes, raced side-by-side with them, and understands the amazing contribution they made to the sport." -- Active.com

"In his new book Iron War, Fitzgerald recounts in gripping detail the showdown between Mark Allen and Dave Scott. Iron War delves into the vastly different personalities and psyches of these two iconic athletes and presents an anatomy of mental toughness that both men shared." -- Triathlete magazine

"In an exhaustively researched book, Fitzgerald recreates the famous race between Dave Scott and Mark Allen in the 1989 Ironman World Championship....[Iron War] captures the strength of character of both athletes better than any other publication to date." -- Xtri.com

"The real gems of [Iron War]...are the robust descriptions of the race itself: the pain and suffering, the strategy, the story arc. The telling of this story gives insight into the race far beyond what we could see on the ABC special...or on YouTube today. It's an insight that casual fans (and perhaps even athletes themselves) don't often get. And for that reason alone, [Iron War] was one I could not put down." -- TriMadness

From the Publisher