9 7 9 ▁on ▁O ahu , ▁Warren ▁arrived ▁as ▁an ▁unknown ▁quantity ▁from ▁San ▁Diego . ▁" No ▁one ▁thought ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁sal oon keeper ," ▁wrote ▁Sports ▁Illustr ated ''' s ▁Barry ▁Mc D erm ott . ▁Warren ▁ended ▁up ▁winning ▁in ▁ 1 1 ▁hours , ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes , ▁ 5 6 ▁seconds , ▁be ating ▁out ▁Gordon ▁Hall er , ▁the ▁first ▁year ' s ▁champion . ▁Mc D erm ott ' s ▁Sports ▁Illustr ated ▁article ▁featuring ▁the ▁three ▁leaders ▁in ▁the ▁competition , ▁including ▁Warren , ▁" was ▁Iron man ’ s ▁spark ," ▁wrote ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times , ▁prompt ing ▁“ ABC ’ s ▁W ide ▁World ▁of ▁Sports ” ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁third ▁Iron man ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁with ▁ 1 0 8 ▁athlet es ▁compet ing . ▁Warren , ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁appeared ▁on ▁" The ▁Ton ight ▁Show " ▁to ▁talk ▁with ▁Johnny ▁Car son ▁about ▁the ▁win . ▁ ▁Warren ▁has ▁been ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁Iron man ▁Tri ath lon ▁World ▁Championship ▁in ▁Hawai i ▁ 2 0 ▁times , ▁finishing ▁ 1 6 ▁of ▁them . ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times '' ▁called ▁Warren ▁an ▁" ult ra - s port ▁pione er ." ▁ ▁Since ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Warren ▁has ▁been ▁co - owner ▁of ▁Sch ro eder ’ s ▁at ▁T ango ▁del ▁Rey , ▁a ▁t ango , ▁s