30,000 Bananas To Power Bonita Ironman In Taupo This Weekend

The 1,500 athletes competing in the Bonita Ironman in Taupo this weekend will power through 30,000 bananas during their bid to complete Saturday’s ultra-endurance event

The right food and hydration before and during Saturday’s grueling event is critical to ensuring the athlete’s body has the energy it needs to complete the 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42km run legs. Bananas are one of the main sources of that energy because they are: High in energy-giving carbs, low GI for slow release of energy, very high in potassium to replenish electrolytes, rich in vitamin B6, vitamin C and magnesium, very low in calories and fat.

Six time Ironman Champion, Jo Lawn is in Taupo this year looking to reclaim her title and says nutrition is critical to peak performance in the sport. On Saturday she’ll consume 4 bananas during the event.

Ironman, Kieran Doe says the bike leg is often called ‘the 180km rolling buffet’ as it’s the time that athletes can get enough energy on-board to replace what they’ve lost during the swim and cycle and make sure they are fueled up for the marathon run to come. “You’ll see a lot of the guys with bananas tucked into their race suits and taking them on board at the aid stations around the course.”

Competitors will burn through anywhere between 8,500 to 11,500 calories during the event as their bodies are using calories or Kilojoules that are stored in their bodies as fat, glycogen and protein.

Bonita Bananas are supplying 25,000 bananas for athletes competing in the event, most consumed by the athletes on Saturday. Another 5,000 will be bought in Taupo’s supermarkets and fruit shops by athletes and support crew during the weekend.

It’s estimated that the energy the triathletes consume through the 30,000 bananas is enough to power an average house for 3 months or to drive an average car the length of New Zealand and back.

Bonita Bananas have been New Zealand’s favourite bananas for over 50 years and the grunt behind the Ironman New Zealand for more than a decade. Bonita are proud sponsors of Ironman and Ironman champions, Jo Lawn and Kieran Doe. Bonita bananas come in nothing but their own neat, fully biodegradable wrappers – perfect for eating on the go.

BONITA IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND THE STATS:

1500 Bonita Ironman 2010 competitors
3.8km Bonita Ironman swim leg
180km Bonita Ironman Bike leg
42 km Bonita Ironman run leg
30,000 Bonita Bananas, weighing 3,000kgs will be consumed by Ironman triathletes this weekend in Taupo
6 kms The length of all those bananas laid end to end (almost 2x the distance of the Ironman swim)
403kj The energy content of an average banana
3 months The estimated amount of time you could power an average household on the energy from 30,000 bananas
2x the length of New Zealand The estimated distance you could drive an average car on the energy from 30,000 bananas