Once the timer started, the kicking, smacking and shoving began as participants raced from the starting line.

Schmidt says he’s never been happier than the moment a volunteer pulled his arm from the water at the end of the 2.4 miles.

“That’s when I knew I wasn’t going to die,” he laughed.

After the swim, participants have 10 minutes to transition to the bike race over Madison hills.

“That’s when I thought I might not be able to finish,” Semrad says. “There are two loops to the bike race, and the first time you go through it the crowd keeps you going. The second time, no one’s around. … But you’ve just got to tell yourself you can.”

“I thought I was going to puke,” Esser Jr. says. “And the cramps started to get me as I was climbing the hills.”

The last leg was the best part of the race for the guys.

“I thought the marathon was a blast! At that point there were so many people crowded around cheering for you,” Semrad says.

Esser Jr. felt seeing family, friends and total strangers cheering him on kept him focused and energetic during the run.

“I saw my dad first on the run and he looked good,” Esser Jr. says. “Then I saw Jake. I was so relieved because I didn’t know if he had made it through the swim until that moment.”

Esser Jr. was so proud of Schmidt, just seeing him gave them both more energy to finish strong. Soon after, he caught a glimpse of Semrad nearing the finish line.

“He was looking good as he always does. I never doubted that he would finish. His work ethic and spirit were very inspiring as we trained together,” Esser Jr. says.

After 26.2 long miles, they finally reached Camp Randall Stadium and crossed the Ironman finish line. Surrounded by screaming onlookers, Esser Jr. finished in 13 hours and 13 minutes, followed by Semrad at 14 hours and 15 minutes and Schmidt at 15 hours and 46 minutes.

“Watching my roommates, Mark and Jake, cross that finish line was awesome,” Esser Jr. says. “I never thought that all three of us could do something as hard, as intense, as an Ironman.”

But there was still someone left on the course, and his finish wasn’t just a matter of completing another race. It was a gift from a son to his father, a way for Mike Esser Sr. to win one for his dad.

Mike’s father had died of cancer Thanksgiving 2008, but he would conquer this feat in spirit.

“My goal was to finish the Ironman and give him my medal,” Esser Sr. says. “I wanted to tell him that I thought he was the real iron man. Unfortunately, I lost him. It was a bittersweet moment, a quite emotional moment.”

Esser Jr., Semrad, Schmidt and family waited anxiously. With 24 minutes left to finish, Esser Sr. appeared in the chute – a strong, middle-aged man running with an older man, whose face looked out from a small, dog-eared photograph clutched in his hand.

“I knew my grandpa was with him and me all day. He was giving us that extra push that we needed,” Esser Jr. says.

The Essers, Schmidt and Semrad all plan to run the Ironman again next year. Now, two months later, they talk about determination, focus and never giving up.

“Getting through the race is so mental,” Semrad says. “Just stay focused and disciplined, tell yourself you’re not going to quit because your friends aren’t going to.”

Running together helped Schmidt, who says he doesn’t think he could have done it alone. “There is almost no better motivation for finishing the race than knowing your best friends are somewhere out there with you,” he says.

Since the beginning of his training, Esser Sr. is healthier, handles stress in a better way, and has much more energy.

“I accomplish so much more on a daily basis. I can keep up with anyone and stay focused on the tasks at hand,” he says. “ I feel much better too, not out of breath all the time.”

But his number one motivator? “My family,” he says. “I want to be around for a long time with them.”