Athlete check in for Ironman Coeur d’Alene usually begins on Thursday. You will have a chance to check in on Thursday or Friday. I usually check in on Friday. The check in tent is located at the transition area in beautiful City Park. Take this opportunity to find some nice IM CDA items for sale. The volunteers here do an excellent job of checking in athletes and you will be delighted with the speed at which you’re done.
Parking is available all around the park. You can usually snag a spot directly across the street from City Park at the baseball field. From there it’s just a short walk to the check in tent. There’s also parking available at the nearby North Idaho College. It’s a longer walk, but you can take in the spectacular view of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Saturday is traditionally the mandatory bike and gear bag check in. Last year, they started taking pictures of everyone’s bike upon entering transition. There might have been issues in the past with people taking the wrong bike, etc., so they want to make sure there will be no issues later on. The gear bags go right next to the bike area and closest to the lake. It should be noted that you cannot put your bike shoes on the pedals – they must be in the bike gear bag. You will have a chance on Sunday morning to fill water bottles and adjust bike computers, etc., as well as add items to your gear bags if necessary. The bags will be outside overnight, and it does rain sometimes, so just be sure to have the opening of the bags tucked underneath to keep them resistant to any rain.
That’s all there is to the check in process for Ironman Coeur d’Alene! It may seem daunting at first, but you will find that it’s relatively painless.
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I live in Orlando, Florida and participate in marathons and triathlons.
