Ironman goes smoothly
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 6 months AGO
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | June 28, 2023 1:00 AM
COEUR d'ALENE — Ironman Coeur d'Alene on Sunday saw only a handful of athletes treated at the hospital.
Coeur d'Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif said firefighters transported six people competing in the 140.6-mile race to Kootenai Health.
"It was ideal weather for the race and the least amount of athletes that needed EMS services that I can recall for a full triathlon since 2003," he wrote.
The athletes who started the race were greeted with cooler morning conditions, with the high reaching about 80 degrees in the afternoon.
In years past, the temperature has climbed to the 90s and sent hundreds seeking medical assistance.
Kootenai Health reported it saw about 120 athletes in the medical tents.
About 1,100 men and women started the race that included a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike rice and 26.2-mile run, and nearly 1,000 finished it.
In 2017, there were 839 finishers, down from previous years. In 2012, there were 2,145 finishers and 2,123 in 2013.
The Coeur d’Alene City Council recently approved a new contract with the World Triathlon Corporation to keep Ironman here for three more years.
Each race will be 70.3 miles, which is a half Ironman.
ARTICLES BY BILL BULEY
Kootenai's County only warming center could exceed capacity as cold snap approaches
Area's only warming shelter could exceed capacity as cold snap approaches
The executive director of the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho is worried that the shelter, with a capacity of 25 men and women and men and has been operating “dangerously close” to capacity, may have to turn people away as the coldest conditions of winter approach.
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department bond survey underway
Gauges support, provides look at possible cost to taxpayers
Grief they are hoping for at least 400 responses over the next three weeks. A presentation of the results is scheduled to be presented to the City Council on Feb. 18.
Here's hoping 'Old Notre Dame will win over all'
At the center of it all, the ringleader, the master of ceremonies, was my father. He wanted people there. The more, the merrier. He wasn’t passionate about Notre Dame.