Ironman 70.3 Coeur d'Alene is roughly one week away and hundreds of volunteers are still needed.

Dani Zibell-Wolfe, volunteer director for Ironman Coeur d'Alene, said the half-Ironman will require about 1,500 total volunteers and at least 600 are still needed. The key positions where volunteers are needed include crowd control, aid stations and athlete massage.

Safety is the main reason for so many volunteers, Zibell-Wolfe said. Crowd control volunteers will help ensure the safety of pedestrians and direct people to where they need to go.

She said they would like to offer each athlete a 10- to 15-minute massage as they complete the course, and with more than 3,000 athletes signed up, they are in "dire need" of massage therapists. The aid station that supports the Boys and Girls Club needs some help, as does a new aid station by Northwest North Pole Adventures that will be set up in McEuen Park along the new run route, which she said will be a "great place" to view the race as well.

Volunteer shifts are generally three to five hours. Each volunteer will receive a T-shirt, a light meal and as much water and Gatorade as they can drink.

"Probably the best thing about volunteering is knowing that you are a part of something as incredible as these athletes," Zibell-Wolfe said. "They have put in so much time, and the emotion that you see on that athlete’s face when they finish the race — they've trained, they've struggled, and it's just an incredible feeling to know that you are a part of that and made someone's day."

And for the athletes, don't forget to pick up a silicon wristband during registration. Each wristband has a simple message attached: "It takes one." When an athlete encounters someone who makes a difference in their day, whether it be a volunteer with a cup of water at just the right time, a spectator, family member or even another athlete, the wristband can be given to that person as a way to say "Thanks, I couldn't have done it without you."

Volunteers can sign up online at www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/coeur-d-alene.