It’s official—the full-length Ironman series will return to Coeur d’Alene in 2021 as part of a rotating series, and local athletes are stoked. The full Ironman distance (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) has been absent from the region since 2017. While Coeur d’Alene has continued to host the Ironman 70.3, the return of the full Ironman on June 27, 2021, ups the competitive spirit again in the area.
“The excitement for the return of the full Ironman is in full swing,” says James Gable, President of Team Blaze Spokane, the largest triathlon training group in the Inland Northwest. “It’s a lifestyle for a lot of these athletes.”
Part of that lifestyle comes from community training. Gable says his group races and volunteers at Ironman Coeur d’Alene to support an event that inspires a healthy community. “[Coeur d’Alene] is a wonderful venue, and the rotating schedule is great for athletes to experience both distances,” he says.
The rotating full Ironman will take place in St. George, Utah, in 2020, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in 2021, and a location yet to be announced in 2022. Meanwhile, this year’s Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene will offer 40 slots to the 2020 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupo, New Zealand.
Editor’s Note: Check event websites for any schedule changes and to confirm dates. As of the date this story was posted online, Ironman 70.3 has not been re-scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
