Pittsburgh, September 19, 2003 -- Joseph C. Maroon, MD, vice chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery, will compete in the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon, October 18, in Kona, Hawaii. This 140.6-mile world championship event consists of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike race through Kona’s lava fields and a 26.2-mile run.

Dr. Maroon, a resident of Sewickley, has participated in numerous marathons over the last 20 years and more than 50 Olympic distance triathlon events. This event will mark his fifth race of Ironman distance – the most recent being the European Ironman Race in 2000, in which Dr. Maroon finished in the top 10 in his age category. He has competed in previous Ironman competitions in Hawaii, Canada, New Zealand and Germany.

Dr. Maroon qualified for the Hawaiian Ironman race by completing the Muncie, Ind., Endurathon Half Ironman Race. His finishing time of six hours and five minutes designates him as an All-American Triathlete by the United States National Triathlon Association, which sanctions all triathlon events in the United States.

Dr. Maroon will be the second University of Pittsburgh neurosurgeon to compete in an Ironman triathlon competition this season. In July, Kevin Walter, MD, completed the HSBC Ironman USA Triathlon in Lake Placid, NY.

Dr. Maroon is a professor of neurosurgery and a Heindl Scholar in Neuroscience at UPMC and has been the team neurosurgeon for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers since 1981. With his colleagues, neuropsychologists Mark Lovell, PhD, and Mickey Collins, PhD, Dr. Maroon has developed a neurocognitive testing method to evaluate concussions in sports-related injuries. The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) technique is the first completely automated system that allows athletic trainers to more accurately determine the severity of a concussion and the safety of a player’s return to play after injury. This neurocognitive test is now widely used throughout the National Football League, National Hockey League, National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and hundreds of colleges and high schools across the country.

Dr. Maroon’s current research and clinical activity concerns treating diseases and injuries to the brain and spine with an emphasis on minimally invasive treatment procedures. He is the author of eight books and 33 book chapters, 250 scientific papers and is regarded as a leading specialist in his field.

A native of Wheeling, WV, Dr. Maroon also maintains an active neurosurgical practice in the Ohio Valley, with offices in Wheeling and St. Clairsville, OH.