IRONMAN 70.3 Coeur d'Alene: Locals take the love to the home course

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — Sure, there were nerves.

Probably some fear in Coeur d’Alene native Chauntae Peterson as well.

But that didn’t stop her.

Not in her hometown.

No way.

Peterson was the first local female across the finish line in Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene.

“This is my sixth triathlon ever,” Peterson said. “This was my second Ironman, and I’m born and raised here. It’s very special because it’s local, it’s my hometown. It’s fun.”

Peterson is a graduate of Coeur d’Alene High.

“It’s a beautiful course,” Peterson said. “I think they should bring worlds here. It’s just a gorgeous course. You’ve got the lake and everything around it.”

Peterson finished fourth out of 28 competitors (5 hours, 10 minutes, 38 seconds) in her age division (40 to 44-years old) and was 13th out of 307 females.

“This was my first time racing here,” Peterson said. “I just started running and biking two years ago, and swimming a year and a half ago. I just wanted to do a race in my hometown, so I was really excited about that.”

Now, about those nerves.

“I just started swimming a year and a half ago, so I was really nervous about the swim,” Peterson said. “You know, but I didn’t quit.”

In 12 seasons as girls basketball coach at Lakeside High, Chris Dohrman hasn’t been one to back down from a challenge.

Sunday’s task, conquering another Ironman in Coeur d’Alene.

“I love the challenge and the work and preparation you’ve got to put in for it,” Dohrman said. “The finish, it’s not easy. It’s a lot of fun.”

Dohrman finished the 56-mile bike portion in 2 hours, 47 minutes and 50 seconds.

“The bike is my favorite part, and I really enjoy the run too,” Dohrman said. “I didn’t quite have the legs today and was struggling in the water a little bit. But it’s a challenge, kind of like life. But it’s fun.”

Dohrman finished in 5 hours, 23 minutes and 47 seconds and was 161st out of 1,087 male competitors.

“I enjoy the training,” said Dorhman, who is the finance director for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. “Racing is just a reason to train. I need to spend a little more time training and less time working.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Dohrman — the mayor of Plummer — will compete in another 70.3 in California, and is currently coaching the Lakeside girls basketball team in summer league games.

“In September, I’m going to Santa Cruz to do a 70.3 down there,” Dohrman said. “I’ll play a little bit of softball and we’ve got summer league games at West Valley High right now, so I’m staying pretty busy.”

You could excuse Hayden's Suzanne Endsley if she opted out of Sunday’s race. She’d already competed in an Ironman 70.3 in Pennsylvania last weekend.

But, to miss this one, she was all-in for Coeur d’Alene.

“It’s a hometown thing,” Endsley said. “The one in Pennsylvania, it was the North American championships. I’d heard this winter that this race might not happen, so I signed up for it, even though I was going to race the weekend before.”

Endsley finished in 5 hours, 36 minutes and 24 seconds.

With the new location of the finish line in city park instead of Sherman Avenue, Endsley admitted it threw her off at first.

“I’ve done this so many times, I could run it blind because of all the turns and that stuff,” Endsley said. “I did miss Sherman Avenue, because that’s the best. And I thought, ‘oh man, we’re not even going to run down Sherman Avenue.’ The finish was a little wonky this year, but it was fine.”

Endsley added that she just ran to compete, with no pressure whatsoever.

“I came into it with no expectations at all,” Endsley said. “It was excellent to do it, right in my back yard. But I probably would have done a swim, a bike ride or run on the first day of summer. It was a gorgeous day.”

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Chris Dohrman, longtime Lakeside High girls basketball coach, crosses the finish line of Sunday's Ironman 70.3 Coeur d'Alene.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Hayden's Suzanne Endsley, left, and Coeur d'Alene native Brayden Osterdock, run down the final stretch of the Ironman 70.3 Coeur d'Alene course on Sunday in city park.