Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
When he’s not delivering mail to homes in Oregon, Marc Ensign spends his time competing as a triathlete in contests all over the country, with his biggest competition yet coming up Oct. 10 at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, a competition in which only three percent of all triathletes get selected.
“It’s not an easy task, and I think when I get there, it’s just going to be overwhelming for sure,” Ensign said. “I’ve been watching Kona since it was on VCR tapes. It’s been done by so many cool people throughout the years, and it means a lot just to be one of them.”
With that, Ensign admits he’s a bit nervous to compete in the event, which has been around since 1978. He earned a ticket to this year’s competition through its legacy program, which provides devoted athletes who haven’t previously competed in the IRONMAN World Championship an opportunity to do so by officially participating in at least 12 IRONMAN-branded competitions.
Ensign did that, and he will now endure a 140.6-mile test of willpower and endurance, swimming the waters of Kailua Bay, biking across the volcanic landscape of the Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and running along Ali’i Drive.
It’s a point that Ensign didn’t believe he’d reach when he began racing.
“It’ll be an exciting experience, it’s definitely been a long road,” Ensign said. “I’ve been racing for almost 35 years and didn’t think it would get to this.”
Born in Toledo and raised in southeast Michigan’s Bedford Township, Ensign decided to move to West Palm Beach, Fla. in 1988, with his wife Marti. He began running in 1993, and his first marathon was at Disney in 1995.
“I started running primarily just because I was working in retail, so I wanted to get in shape, and it kind of led to the local triathlon,” Marc Ensign said.
Since then, Ensign has competed in various triathlons and marathons. In 1997, he and his wife moved back to Toledo, where he started competing in the Sylvania triathlon and joined the Team Toledo Triathlon Club.
Although he originally participated in these contests to stay active, he’s learned a lot throughout his experiences.
“When I went to my first 5K, I was amazed at how many people were fast … when I realized how fit a guy is in his 40s, I realized that you really have to work at it, and that’s when I started paying more attention,” Ensign said.
After spending most of his time doing smaller races, Ensign initially didn’t think about doing an IRONMAN.
“In 2001, I did my first IRONMAN and we went down to Deer Creek, Ohio, and it was only like 150 people,” Ensign said. “It was a hard day, but after that, I kind of got hooked.”
Ensign has competed in a total of 18 IRONMAN races, which have occurred in places like Chattanooga, Louisville and Lake Placid. With the trip to Kona being no exception, the Ensigns make sure not to take these experiences for granted.
“We try to make it like a vacation, too, instead of just going for the race,” Marti Ensign said. “I think that’s what’s allowed us to have him continue to do it.”
As a mail carrier in Oregon, Ensign walks six to 10 miles per day, which he incorporates in his training. This year, with the IRONMAN being on the horizon, he hired a coach for the first time, who tweaked his training regimen based on what he already does.
“She cut my running back,” he said. “I do have a physical job, but I feel it helps with the heat.”
Having raced since 1993, Marc Ensign said a piece of advice he would give to younger athletes wanting to do an IRONMAN would be to start slow.
“I just think a lot of people jump into things too quickly, as with any sport, and people get hurt,” Ensign said. “I think just start easy … if you’re already a runner for high school, then just pick up the other sports.”
The IRONMAN World Championship will be even more meaningful for the Ensigns, as they will be joined on the trip by their granddaughter, who will be a freshman at Clay this fall. She is a runner, and her grandparents believe it will be a good way for her to see that hard work pays off.
“It’ll be amazing for her,” Marc Ensign added. “She’s going to see the best of the world reach the finish line, which is everything in IRONMAN.”
Being 66 years old, this once-in-a-lifetime experience is one he’ll never forget.
“It’s even more exciting in the sense that I didn’t think I’d be doing a lot at 66, and I think it keeps me going,” Ensign said. “I know I’m going to be retiring in a year, so this is something.”
