Florida man makes history as first person with Down Syndrome to finish IRONMAN triathlon Chris Nikic, a 21-year-old Special Olympics Florida athlete from Maitland, crossed the finish line in 16:46.09 on Saturday, Nov. 7. The IRONMAN triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run totaling 140.6 miles, all to be completed in 17 hours. Nikic is the first person with Down Syndrome to finish a full-distance IRONMAN triathlon. It's the second time this year that Nikic, a native of Maitland, Florida, has made history after becoming the first person with Down Syndrome to complete a half-distance triathlon (70.3 miles) in May.