By Dave Corrigan & Karin Stanton

WAIKOLOA, Hawaii: One of the most imposing parts of the Ironman race is the 112 mile bike ride through the hot and windy Kohala lava fields.

Its a memorable stretch for tourists, who will recognize this stretch of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway from the coral graffiti and the upscale resort entrances.

But for the participants in the Ironman race, it is an unforgiving portion of the contest… where technical difficulties often sideline the best in the sport.

Once again, volunteers play a big role out here, far from the Kailua Village finish line.

Tomorrow, we have more on how the Kohala resorts are trying to capitalize on the Ironman craze.