A competitor pours water on his head to cool down during the marathon leg of the triathlon. The Hawaiian Ironman World Championships is a grueling annual triathlon comprising a 3.86 km swim, a 180.25 km bicycle race and a 42.195 km marathon with a strict 17-hour time limit. Competitors must endure scorching temperatures and crosswinds of up to 70 kph.

Location

Hawaii, USA

Photo Credit: Donald Miralle

After completing his Bachelor's degree in fine arts at UCLA and working as a photo assistant in Los Angeles, Donald Miralle landed an entry-level job with Allsport Photography. He worked his way from the desk to the field in the first year, and went on to become a senior staff photographer for Getty Images. He did this for ten years, covering all the major sporting events worldwide for the agency. Miralle has covered six Olympic Games, and for the past four years has branched out on a freelance career, working with such clients as Newsweek, The New York Times, Golf Digest, ESPN the Magazine, Men’s Journal, Nike, Ironman, and the NFL Players Association. He is a multiple award winner at the World Press Photo Awards, Pictures of the Year International, Best of Photojournalism, and Photo District News, and has served on the contest jury for the Best of Photojournalism, Swedish Pictures of the Year, and the Wisconsin and Utah Press Photographers Associations.

In his spare time, Miralle is an elite paddleboard racer placed fifth overall at the Hennessey’s World Championships in 2011, and completing the 20-kilometer Molokai and Catalina Channel Crossing, to raise money and awareness for cancer research. He lives in the San Diego beach community of Leucadia, with his wife Lauren, his two sons Luke and Micah, and their dogs Odie and Frank.