Race to the volunteer sign-up

Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene is seeking volunteers that can go the distance.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene depends on 1,200 to 1,500 volunteers. Volunteers will work at more than 100 stations and shifts to keep the race running smoothly.

Volunteers can choose from lots of jobs, from handing water bottle to runners, monitoring swimmers and checking in bicycles, volunteer director Dani Zibell-Wolfe said.

Volunteers may choose their shifts and workstations. Zibell-Wolfe said people who want to be more involved can serve as a captain. Captains are in charge of an entire station and manage a team of volunteers.

The nonprofit Ironman Foundation gives volunteer groups $20,000 in grants each year, Zibell-Wolfe said.

Captains Debbie and Dan Pierce — who’ve volunteered for the past 12 years with their son and daughter — work with the Washington Basset Rescue based in Spokane and donate their Ironman grant funds to help the organization spay and neuter pets. Helping the Basset rescue and connecting with the racers is the most emotionally rewarding volunteer work Debbie said she’d ever done.

“They are some of the best people, and we have the best community for volunteering, I think, in the world,” Zibell-Wolfe said.

Lena and Brian Meier began volunteering seven years ago to help raise funds for their daughter’s high school. They were named captains of the year in 2017. Lena said volunteering each year was fulfilling.

“I see a lot of athletes that are struggling, and they have a few miles left, so for me to be able to give them a little encouragement or high five and see them finish — it is so fulfilling and exciting to know we were a part of their journey,” she said.

The triathlon, which begins at 6 a.m. June 30, consists of a 1.2 mile swim across Lake Coeur d’Alene, a 56-mile bike ride and a 15.5 mile run for a total distance of 70.3 miles.

Ironman Coeur d’Alene still has volunteer positions available for all ages. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt, lunch or breakfast and all the free water and Gatorade they can consume. Registration and open shifts can be accessed online at www.ironman.com/coeurdalene70.3.