In regular street clothes, Scott Layton is an unassuming contender for what is possibly the most demanding, and highly regarded triathlon in the world. Much of the day, this 39 year-old father works in the offices of Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding Company as a business developer. But before work or late in the evening, you might just catch a glimpse of him on the roads or at Lake Megunticook, running, swimming, biking.

While everyone else is fighting the urge to be in bed, this man is out conditioning for the Oct. 10 Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, which involves a  2.4-mile swim, followed by the 112-mile bicycle ride, followed by the 26.2-mile run.

Layton, of Rockport, has qualified for the Kona World Championship Ironman Triathlon, a competition that many aspire to, and few achieve. This is the triathlon, covered annually by NBC Sports.

Thousands of the world’s top athletes must prove their stuff in sub-Ironman competitions in order to qualify for the Kona race, which developed from a couple’s idea of combining the three toughest endurance races in Hawaii into one race.

They issued a challenge to see who the toughest athletes were: swimmers, bikers, or runners. On February 18, 1978, 15 competitors raced into the Hawaiian surf to inaugurate the first IRONMAN challenge. 

Layton doesn’t care about the title. He participates out of love for the competition. He pushes hard for the joy of seeing what he is capable of.

In July, Layton proved his ability to complete the distance parameters by crossing the finish line of the Lake Placid, N.Y., Ironman-qualifying race with a time of 10 hours and 16 minutes. This finishing time placed him fifth in his age group (35 to 39) and 30th overall in a field of 2,799.

As he sipped an evening wine at the Waterfront in Camden last week, he reported that he was still sore from this event, but ready to begin training for the Oct. 10 Hawaiian event. In Kona he will prove his endurance following “the Kona Coast, where black lava rock dominates the panorama, and athletes battle the "ho’omumuku" crosswinds of 45 mph, 95-degree temperatures and a scorching sun,” according to the Ironman World Championship webpage.

Layton is strong. In youth, he played soccer and tennis, and skied in winter.

“I wasn’t on a track team or anything like that,” he said. “I knew how to swim. I swam, but I wasn’t on the swim team. I couldn’t do the early mornings.”

Now, Layton, who works 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., four days a week, is up at 4:45 a.m. for his first of two daily workouts, which range from intensive hill repeats to yoga and cross-country skiing. On a recent Sunday, he rode 70-plus miles on his bike through the Midcoast into Montville and Morrill, and back down to Knox County.

In college, Layton developed an interest in triathlons, considering the idea of competing in one near the end of his senior year. A broken collarbone waylaid that notion.

Years later, the desire to balance his work life led to running.

Then he met Kate, a former Bates collegiate swimmer whom he eventually married. She gifted him with a YMCA membership, which led to swimming at Masters.

“A little bit of a male ego hit because she’s in the fastest lane and I was in the slowest lane,” said Layton. “I could barely make it. I thought I was a good swimmer, but I clearly was not.”

He and Kate competed in their first triathlon at the 2007 Maine Sport Triathlon. Four Lake Placid Tris followed in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. Layton didn’t compete in 2013 due to Kate’s breast cancer diagnosis that year. But Layton has also competed in Belfast, Camden, and New Hampshire races.

Kate and their daughter, Flynn, will accompany Layton to Hawaii. They are his support staff. Though they will not be running, they are a part of the training, the pain, and the exhilaration.

Layton has competed in the following competitions:

Hope Sprint Tri a number of times. Won twice.

Maine Sport Olympic Tri. Won twice.

Belfast Sprint Tri. Won twice.

Timberman Half Ironman once, Mooseman Half Ironman four times, Lobsterman Olympic Tri three times, Boston Marathon five or six times. Portland half marathon five or six times.

After the Kona Ironman, Layton plans to relax, for a bit. He will be the man sitting in the shade of palm trees for a week, watching his family play. 

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com