As Coeur d'Alene's triathlon turns 40, founder reflects on the past

Several hundred athletes are competing today in the Coeur d’Alene Triathlon, Duathlon and Sprint, which all start and finish at City Park.  

This year's events mark the 40th year of the triathlon, taking place yearly since 1984 — making it one of the longest continuously running triathlon events in the country. The impact of this event isn’t confined only to the athletes: The triathlon played a key role in shaping the future of Coeur d’Alene.  

Sandy Emerson, one of the three men who started the triathlon in the 1980s, addressed a crowd of athletes Friday as they converged on City Park to sign up. “In 1980, the economy was in the tank,” explained Emerson. A leader in the Chamber of Commerce at the time, Emerson knew something needed to be done to address the stagnant local economy.  

Then, Emerson ran into Dave Daboll, the head of the Coeur d’Alene YMCA at the time, and it was as though they were sharing the same mind: “He said, 'Sandy, we need to have a triathlon!'” Emerson recalled. 

Emerson also explained how the community came together to make the triathlon a huge success. 

“A helicopter was donated by a local timber company, and the University of Idaho and North Idaho College helped with video to capture the event,” Emerson told The Press after addressing the crowd. “The video they caught is still used today.”  

The triathlon continues to attract some of the biggest names in the endurance sports world. This year, six-time Ironman world champion Mark Allen is a guest host of the event.