MACHIAS – Bob Hepler of Machias will compete with the most proficient endurance athletes in the world when he competes in October’s Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Hepler, the director of athletics and the director of the Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of Maine at Machias, is one of 1,400 qualifiers for the Oct. 19 race. More than 50,000 athletes competed in the 24 qualifying races.

Hepler has been a member of the U.S. national triathlon team, and turned heads in Maine when he cycled 30 miles to attend a road race in Pembroke, then won the race.