Ironman's Next Goal: Become a Lifestyle Brand

Scott DeRue is one of only 500 or so people ever to summit the highest peak on each continent.

- NEW YORK

NEW YORK - Scott DeRue is one of only 500 or so people ever to summit the highest peak on each continent. He has also finished the Gobi March, a punishing 250km foot-race in Mongolia.

But despite his athletic accomplishments, he has yet to complete a consecutive 3.9km swim, 180.2km bike ride and 42.2km run—an Ironman triathlon, the namesake race of the company DeRue leads. He's been "more focused on the mountains," he explains, a bit sheepishly. Next year, he promises, he will pull it off.

Since its first 15-person event in Waikiki, in Honolulu, in 1978, Ironman has grown into a globally recognized brand. In 2024, 200,000-plus brave souls registered to compete in an Ironman race—either the full Ironman or half Ironman—with double-digit growth recorded in several participant groups.

The United States had the most participants, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Australia.

"In our minds, we're not just putting on events," DeRue, 48, said during a recent hike outside Park City, Utah, where he keeps a home with his wife, two cats and two dogs, in addition to his main residence in Tampa, Florida, where the company is headquartered.

"We're creating experiences for people that espouse a certain set of values."