The story
Mike Reilly | The Voice of IRONMAN
For more than four decades, Mike Reilly has been one of the most recognizable voices in endurance sports.
Best known as the longtime “Voice of IRONMAN,” Mike has welcomed hundreds of thousands of athletes across finish lines around the world with his iconic call, “You are an IRONMAN!” His career has taken him to hundreds of IRONMAN events and more than 1,000 triathlon and running events across 10 countries.
Mike’s impact on endurance sports has earned him a distinction no other announcer has achieved: induction into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, and Running USA Hall of Champions.
Mike’s connection to endurance sports began in San Diego, where he discovered running and triathlon while competing in events throughout Southern California. He ran the first of his 12 marathons in 1978 and completed his first triathlon in 1979, the same year he first picked up a microphone at an event. Two years later, he announced the first professional triathlon in Solana Beach, California.
What began locally would eventually become a career that helped define the sound and emotion of endurance sports. In addition to his decades with IRONMAN, Mike announced the first 10 years of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and became a fixture at running and triathlon events around the world.
Mike’s impact on the endurance industry extends well beyond the announcer’s booth. In 1983, he and his brother Don opened The Swift Pair, a running specialty store in San Diego. After selling the store, Mike joined Saucony as a sports sales representative and developed a long relationship with Road Runner Sports. In 2017, he was honored with a star on the company’s “Run of Fame.”
In 1984, Mike and his wife, Rose, founded RACEPLACE Magazine in San Diego. Rose led the publication for 30 years before their son, Andy, took over the business and continued its evolution into a digital destination for endurance athletes and events.
Mike was also among the early team members at Active.com, joining in 1999 and leading endurance event sales for 15 years. He spent 19 years co-hosting the Competitor Endurance Sports Awards with Bob Babbitt and 16 years as a lead committee member and emcee for the Running USA National Conference.
Throughout his career, Mike has also used endurance sports as a platform to give back. He has served as an Ambassador Captain for the IRONMAN Foundation, supporting its work to provide grants and funding to communities where IRONMAN events are held.
While the races, destinations, and accomplishments have made Mike’s career remarkable, his connection with athletes has defined it. For generations of endurance athletes, hearing Mike’s voice at the finish line represented the culmination of months or years of training, sacrifice, and belief.
Mike and his wife, Rose, live in San Diego. They have two children, Erin and Andy, both accomplished endurance athletes, and three grandsons, Graham, Leo, and Brooks.
After a lifetime spent celebrating athletes at their biggest moments, Mike Reilly remains one of the most influential and beloved voices in endurance sports.
The long version
Forty-plus years, in order
1978
First marathon.
1979
First triathlon, and the first time somebody handed him a microphone.
1981
Calls his first professional triathlon in Solana Beach, California.
1983
Co-founds The Swift Pair.
1984
Co-founds RACEPLACE Magazine.
1999
Joins Active.com as an early member; spends fifteen years heading endurance event sales.
2011
Inducted into the IRONMAN Hall of Fame.
2017
Inducted into the Roadrunner Sports Run of Fame and USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.
2019
Publishes Finding My Voice: Tales from IRONMAN and narrates the audiobook.
2022
Calls his 33rd IRONMAN World Championship.
2026
Publishes Finding Your Finish Line, written with Sarah Wassner Flynn.
Press & media
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His new book is out now
Finding Your Finish Line. Paperback, Kindle, and audiobook narrated by Mike.