"Your Path to the Finish Line..."
The History of the Coeur d'Alene Triathlon
The Coeur d'Alene Triathlon was started in 1984. Dave Daboll
suggested to then Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce Manager Sandy
Emerson that a triathlon would be an excellent idea to help promote
the area. The idea was brought before the Visitor and Convention
Committee (now the Convention and Visitors Bureau) and the planning
for the first race began in the spring of 1984. This group included
Sandy Emerson, Rick Hoisington, Mike Rasor, John House, Ken Koep,
Jim Headly, and Wade Griffith. Rick Hoisington was the first race
director.
Seventy-five individuals and 20 teams boarded the cruise boats,
Mish-An-Nock and Danceawana, at the City Dock on Saturday, August
14, 1984. They cruised to Arrow Point, three miles across Lake Coeur
d'Alene. Seventy-five shivering swimmers lined upon a sinking dock
ready to plunge into 62 degree water that morning. The one mile
swim, an out and back course, was marked with Purex bottles tied to
a long rope anchored to the bottom of the lake.
The bike part of the race followed a 19 1/2 mile course back to
Coeur d'Alene along Highway 97, down Beauty Bay hill, across
Interstate 90 to the Blue Creek Road (Old US Highway 10). This
section of the course was especially tricky as it included a one
mile downhill stretch of gravel road. The course then followed
Interstate 90 into Coeur d'Alene and to the transition point in the
parking lot behind the Coeur d'Alene Mines Building at Fifth and
Front.
The run portion was much like it is today. Runners followed a five
and one-half mile course around Tubbs Hill, through the Sanders
Beach area, back to North Idaho College, and then to the finish line
at Fifth and Front Streets.
John Tindall, Coeur d'Alene finished first with a time of 2:00:32.
Cathy Chay, Pullman Washington, was second. They each received $300.
Third place went to Allen Wright of Moscow, Idaho. Wayne Wilson,
Spokane, Washington, was sixth and Randy Haddock, Coeur d'Alene, was
seventh. A major reason for the race's instant popularity was the
scenic beauty, and the challenging course, hence, the theme, "The
Scenic Challenge" was adopted.