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Xtri Chats With The Voice Of Ironman, Mike Reilly
By Betsy Delcour
11/2/2009 |
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Whether you've participated in an Ironman race or spent a very long day as a spectator/supporter at an Ironman, chances are you've heard Mike Reilly emceeing. For the athletes, you hear his voice in transition, and you hear him calling you home for the last half mile of the race - and then as you approach that sweet finish line, you hear that phrase you've been imagining for the last 12 months that you've been training for this moment: "YOU! Are an Ironman!" We recently had the chance to chat with the man behind the voice, Mike Reilly. As you can imagine, Mike's more than "just" an announcer - it takes a special person to keep his voice and enthusiasm fresh for what can be an 18 hour day...
Hi Mike, and thanks for chatting with us! You’re known in the triathlon world as the Voice of Ironman. How did you obtain this unique profession? Do you have a background in broadcast?
I don’t know if it is an obtained profession as much as it is a lifestyle profession. I’ve always been involved with endurance sports and triathlon since the late 70’s. It seemed natural for me to be on a microphone talking about something I have a passion for. I did not have a broadcast background which I think is a good thing. What I do is live and a lot of spur of the moment stuff in order to capture and keep a crowd alive and on their toes giving the finishing athletes all they deserve.
Can you list which events you attend as the announcer? Is it always the same events every year, or do you change it up once in a while?
The Ironmans are pretty consistent. I’ll announce 8 this year with New Zealand, CDA, Lake Placid, Louisville, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Florida and Arizona. Hawaii has been 21 years now and I have worked every US American Ironman except one since their inception in 1999. I’ve also done IM Canada and Australia. I do like going to new events as much as I can. This year I worked Buffalo Springs 70.3 for the first time and had a blast plus worked Kansas 70.3 and am looking forward to IM St. George next May with possibly going back to Australia after a hiatus. The way I keep it mixed up is by announcing running races like marathons throughout the year.
Announcing for a race, especially an IM, must be a lot more difficult than people think – it’s not “just” announcing for the 17 hours that the race takes! Can you tell us what goes into each race you work? Is there a team of people who work with you?
I’ve always prepared as much as I can for an Ironman so it is easier. There is the research of the database of all the athletes. I like to go through it at least 5 to 10 times before the event to become familiar with all the names and who is there. The other parts of Ironman are the ceremonies. Each one as you know have a welcome dinner then the awards dinner. They have to be scripted with speakers lined up and a schedule to be maintained. We try to make sure they are entertaining and keep the athletes relaxed. For the North America Ironmans Tom Ziebart works with me and in Hawaii its Whit Raymond. These guys are so good at what they do it is a pleasure to work with them. When I am in New Zealand or Australia there are local announcers I work with.
How do you keep your voice fresh, and how do you maintain your enthusiasm from the time the champions cross the line to the time of the very last finisher?
That is the million dollar question everyone asks. Part of me doesn’t really know why, lucky I guess. But I never yell into the microphone letting the sound system work for me. Plus breathing out when you are speaking letting the diaphragm work eases up strain on the voice. But I think the biggest reason is fear! The fear of losing my voice for those final finishers, I never want that to happen!
Your job is more than announcing at these races. Can you tell us the other part of your professional life?
First off I have never looked at announcing as a job but a passion. I’ve always been involved in the Endurance business when it came to producing income. For years I was a sports rep for lines like Powerbar, Tinley and Saucony and in 1999 was one of the originals of Active.com. I am still at Active as the VP of Major Events so like my announcing I am in the thick of it. We have so many great athletes that work here and a great number of our younger team members who have done their first triathlon in the past 2 years. It’s all my social life for the most part.
Have you ever been surprised by how some people finish their races? Besides the occasional marriage proposal, have there been any surprises at the finish line?
Wow, don’t know if I can answer that question since I have seen so much at the finish lines. The marriage proposals are pretty cool if spontaneous. At the finish we’ve seen break dancing, cart wheels, forward and back flips, nudity, screaming, crying and most of all the imitation of Greg Welch jump finishes especially by the Aussies. But I was surprised one time by a guy who ran up to the finish and turned around before he went across the timing mats to go high five the crowd. I even told him to cross the mats first but he kept heading out to the crowd. I was thinking why add extra time to your race. But unbeknownst to him the extra time knocked him from 5th to 6th place in his age group so off the podium for awards. OUCH!
You also have a long history as a multisport athlete, having been involved in triathlons since 1979. How has the sport changed? Is it more serious than it was 30 years ago?
Sure the sport has changed and I think for the better. It is easy to say lets go back to the good old days and I hate hearing that. While I loved the good old days and miss a lot of that small family atmosphere triathlon needed to grow and grow we did! At the Pro level I don’t think the pros today are more serious then the Allen’s, Newby-Fraser’s or Molina’s on race day. That intensity today matches the intensity of yesterday. Now when it comes to playing and relaxing after the race or during the off season the Pros of old have it way over today’s Pro’s. They partied and relaxed like crazy! But at the age group level it is different. The amateurs today take the sport very seriously all most too serious. To the point that their lives seem out of balance, they are so one sided to triathlon they are missing personal relationships and other experiences in their lives. I love their passion and desire to race and perform but there has to be a balance with one’s life.
Have you raced an IM yourself? I imagine it would be nerve-wracking for that race’s announcer to bring you through to the finish line!
No race announcer has ever had to be nervous because I have never crossed an Ironman finish line. In 1989 my plan was to do Hawaii but then I got the call. The call to come to Kona and announce, how could I turn that down and I figured I can always race it later? Well 21 years later and 90 Ironmans on the microphone the later hasn’t come yet. I’ve only attended one Ironman in my life that I was not working. So one day it will happen. The best part is I get to train like I’m doing one to stay in shape but I don’t have the stress of race day. I’ve always thought of who would call me in and I would love my daughter or son to do it. They with my wife have been hearing me say “You are an Ironman” for as long as they can remember.
What are your favorite races to work? Can you give us your top 5 best experiences as the IM announcer?
Hawaii is my favorite, how can it not be? It’s the World Championships of our sport and the passion on that island is matched nowhere in the world. Right behind Hawaii is Lake Placid and New Zealand. When I am in LP and NZ it’s like a vacation.
Top 5 best, I have redone this list so many times but here is most recent. But I have 6 lsited.
• 1989 Mark Allen and Dave Scott performance in Hawaii in which they swam, rode and ran side by side all day long. Mark’s run is still the course record at 2:40:04. We thought the “Man” Dave Scott would never be beat but he was.
• The athletic performance’s of Paula Newby-Fraser in 1992 & Chrissie Wellington last month when they set the Ironman Hawaii course records Paula’s 8:55:28 and Chrissie’s 8:54:02. Amazing to witness and hear the spotter’s split times all day as they raced and they both finished in the top 25 overall! It was also an honor to be with Paula on race day watching Chrissie break her record. The true Champion she is she was proud of Chrissie and her performance.
• The finish in 2005 of Sarah Reinertsen the first female leg amputee to complete an Ironman. It was a very emotional finish since the year before (2004) she failed to make the bike cut off and couldn’t continue. The smile and emotion on her face told an incredible story that we all felt in our hearts. She finished her unfinished business.
• The finishes of Jim Ward of Florida and Bill Bell of California. Jim dominated his age division of 75-79 when he set a then course record at 75 years old in 1992 of 15:51. Jim is no longer with us and we miss him. And Bill’s finishes in Kona are always special being one of the oldest finishers ever. Jim and Bill set the standard so young men like 80 year old Robert McKeague of Illinois would come to Kona in 2005 and finish with his grandchildren in tow.
• Wendy Ingraham and Sian Welch crawling across the finish line in 1997 on their hands and knees completely spent. When I saw both of them traversing back and forth across Alii Dr. about 100 yards from the finish I knew something was wrong. In unison they began to look like Gumby dolls and when they hit the finish line carpet they looked like they were looking for quarters. It was an amazing site and Wendy outreached Sian for 4th place.
• I have to list one more. Matt Long a former fire fighter out of NY City. He finished Lake Placid this past July just before the 17 hour mark. His story is well chronicled of being run over by a city bus a few years back never to walk again. When he came in to his Mom & Dad waiting for him there wasn’t dry eye in the house including mine.
You’ve watched thousands and thousands of people cross the line on what is most likely the biggest accomplishment of their life, so you’ve got a front row seat of raw human emotion. What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned from being a part of so many IM’s?
Humility plain and simple! Life is so fragile and we seem to take it for granted all too much. Having the honor and privilege of that front row seat puts into perspective the power of the human spirit, the power of mind over matter. I wish I could focus the world’s eyes on the finish line of an Ironman. It would no doubt cure so much bad that is going on today. It would strengthen the will power of all people to succeed. It has kept me grounded in my personal and business life. Like a lot of spectators at a finish line I will see someone come across and say to myself I can’t believe he/she just did an Ironman! But believing is seeing and knowing that person probably went thru hell to get there reconfirms with me each time that Anything is Possible!
Thanks Mike! And thanks for making an IM finish line that much more special for thousands of us! |
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