"You are an Ironman." To many triathletes, those words conclude a months-long journey of hard work, sweat, sacrifice and determination.

"A lot of times, I meet somebody on race week and they tell me how they've been training for eight months," recounts Mike Reilly, "and every time they're out on their bike they're chanting and repeating what they know I'm going to say: 'John Smith, you are an Ironman,'"

Reilly, who has been announcing the starts and finishes for the Ironman World Championships since 1989, has heralded in thousands of goal-fulfilling triathletes--from record setting pros to the final age-grouper hustling in seconds before midnight. Leading up to race day, Reilly is often told stories of why or for whom a particular athlete is racing.

"When they come across the line and I say their name and call them an Ironman, it's like validating everything they've done for the person they're doing it for or for themselves, and you can see it in their faces," he says. "It's amazing. It's a light-up that sometimes only happens once in a lifetime to people. From what I'm told, it's equally as important as physically crossing the finish line."

In addition to announcing at the finish line in Kona, Reilly also travels to Ironman races across North America. "The passions, the emotions and the expressions are the same at all Ironman finish lines anywhere in the world. Even if someone may not do Hawaii; if they finish Ironman Wisconsin or Ironman Germany--no matter where they finish--the accomplishment is the same. They've gone the same distance. They've had to train the same amount of time."

Not to say Hawaii isn't as relevant with the growth of long-distance triathlon. After all, it is the birthplace of Ironman and remains the world championships. Says Reilly, "It's when you get to Hawaii that you've made it to the pinnacle of the sport."

For Mike Reilly's choice of 10 unforgettable Ironman Hawaii moments, click here .

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