COEUR d'ALENE - The world is full of gainers and losers.

About 200 of them took over the North Idaho College soccer field Saturday morning. The Peak Health and Wellness Center's Biggest Loser Challenge included 17 teams that participated in relay challenges followed by a run along the beach and ending back on the soccer field.

"Once we start, they're go, go, go," said Coeur d'Alene Peak's fitness director Lindsay Herbert.

Anticipation and enthusiasm was strong as team members stretched, kicked and warmed up. Members of the green team wore not only their green T-shirts but fun costumes, like Garry Stark's green mohawk, mask, bathrobe and striped socks.

"I've got my original terrycloth bathrobe I've had for 30 years. My wife wanted to throw it away but I wouldn't let her," he said with a smile.

Stark, of Coeur d'Alene, set a goal to gain muscle. He participated in the challenge last spring and lost muscle mass.

"But I lost weight too, so that was good," he said.

During the relay races, determined challengers had to make their way back and forth across the soccer field doing a number of things: jumping rope, running with a band around their ankles, carrying a stick overhead, crisscrossing a ball beneath their legs as they lunged to teammates on the other side, and more.

This is the third week of the eight-week-long challenge, which is based on a point system. Participants have weekly assignments and weigh-ins to measure gaining and losing progress. At weeks three and six, the teams compete for points. Herbert said the challenge can be scary for some people, but the unity of the team and the constant interaction with the trainer helps.

"You're little ducklings for the eight weeks," she said. "Their trainer is like their mom."

Todd King of Coeur d'Alene and fiancee Angela Deegan were also on the green team, "ready to kick some butt," King said. This was King's first time doing the challenge and so far he's lost almost 20 pounds.

"The challenges are mostly within," he said. "You have to push yourself and you have to be disciplined and dedicated, but you definitely have great support."

Green team trainer Bryan Janzen of Coeur d'Alene has been a trainer for 17 years and a team leader for nine out of the Biggest Loser Challenge's 10 seasons. He said a difficulty as a trainer can be keeping people committed to coming back.

"A lot of it is people are doing things that they don't think they're able to do," he said. This year, he said his team is seeing great results. Janzen said it is rewarding to see people keep those results down the road, like a man he helped lose 50 pounds.

"He was crying because he had lost 50 pounds and he'd never been able to do that before," he said. "I think that part of it you see just a real life change."

About an hour after it began, people started crossing the finish line. Ironman competitors Justin and Holly Wuest of Dalton Gardens said they felt the Biggest Loser Challenge went smooth. They were part of the orange team.

"I thought it was a lot of fun," Holly said.

"There was good camaraderie," Justin added. "Everyone did good pushing each other."

This was the first year all three area Peaks (Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Hayden) combined to make the biggest Biggest Loser Challenge yet. The challenge happens twice a year.

Info: www.thepeakid.com