IRONMAN Returns to Coeur d’Alene
- Come see the athletes from around the world
- Jun 17, 2015
- 3 min read
It’s that time of year again, when athletes from all over the world come to Coeur d’Alene to compete in the IRONMAN’s triathlon event.
This year’s Ironman competition is expected to draw 2,500 participants. Of those, about 100 are professional athletes. The number hasn’t changed in the past few years, said Keats McGonigal, Operations Manager for the event. This is Coeur d’Alene’s 11th year hosting the event.
The IRONMAN competition holds triathlon events worldwide. Its history goes back to 1978 when the first event was held in Hawaii. Currently, there are more than 40 IRONMAN events worldwide, McGonigal said.
“IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene is one that athletes come back to year after year due to the support from the local community,” he said.
That spirit is what sets the race apart from other IRONMAN competitions. Event managers want to hold events in cities where athletes will want to travel to, and Coeur d’Alene remains one of those desired cities.
“In Coeur d’Alene, those two things really come together well,” he said. “We use a number of local resources – the county sheriff, local police and fire department.” The first responders alone amount to between 150 and 200 individuals from the Kootenai Medical Center stationed throughout the race course.
In addition to city staff, IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene has about 4,000 volunteers who assist the athletes in distributing race information, transitioning from one event to another, in handing out water or whatever they might need.
The local resources are in addition to about 75 IRONMAN staff members who oversee the specific elements of the race. Needless to say, planning for an event this size is year-round.
Global Athletes Competing Locally
There are a number of regional athletes participating in the event. The number one state represented is Washington followed by Oregon, Idaho and California. However, athletes come from all 50 states and about 20 different countries worldwide, McGonigal said.
This year’s IRONMAN Coeur d’Alene will begin at 6am on Sunday, June 28th at Lake Coeur d’Alene. The professional athletes are the first to enter the water. The age-group (non-professional) athletes begin in a “self-seeded” formation, meaning that they begin in groups according to the amount of time they think they will finish the swimming portion of the race.
The athletes will swim 2.4 miles in Lake Coeur d’Alene, cycle 112 miles out and back to a section of Higgins Lake and south on 95 into Worley, turn around and finish just north of Coeur d’Alene Casino.
“Each loop begins with a scenic ride along the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene for two loops, with one steep climb at the southern turnaround point,” he said.
The athletes finish the triathlon with a 26.2-mile marathon through the neighborhoods along the lake, Tubbs Hill, Centennial Trail and back into town on Coeur d’Alene Drive.
The race course makes for a fantastic community gathering, McGonigal said. “A lot of residents have a barbeque and make a day of it watching the race from their front yards,” he said.
He expects 8,000 to 10,000 spectators. According to him, the best place to view the race is from City Park.
“Everything comes past there many times,” McGonigal said. “It’s very spectator-friendly. People can come to the side of the road. Come down, enjoy the day and be inspired.”
The athletes will be wearing electronic timers on their ankles that will keep track of their time as they go through the race course. With this device, friends and family members can track an athlete and see where they are during the race using an app, he explained.
The professional athletes will take approximately eight hours to complete the course. Age-group participants have up to 17 hours or until midnight to complete it, he said. The professional athletes are going after $100,000 in prizes split between the men and women up to tenth place. But for many, completing the triathlon is reward enough after training on average six to nine months for the event.
“The challenge of wanting to see if they can finish. It is a true lifelong dream and accomplishment for many of our athletes,” McGonigal said.
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