Ironman brings a gold rush

On Sunday morning, Mike Gaertner will don a wet suit and plunge into Lake Coeur d’Alene with about 2,000 other Ironman competitors. For the next few days, however, tending to business at his bike shop is Gaertner’s first priority.

Vertical Earth in Coeur d’Alene typically doubles or triples its sales in the week leading up to the Ironman Triathlon. Gaertner, the owner, will put in 12- to 14-hour days – assembling bikes that have been shipped to Coeur d’Alene in pieces, performing emergency repairs on brake and steering systems, and selling souvenirs.

Fortunately for Gaertner, “training’s tapering off by this time,” he said.

Hundreds of businesses are lining up to profit from Ironman 2006. Athletes and supporters will spend an estimated $4 million on food, lodging, shopping and entertainment in the coming week, according to past economic models.

Summer is always a busy tourist time in North Idaho. “But what’s so powerful about Ironman is that the athletes usually stay for five nights,” said Jonathan Coe, manager of the Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce.

Competitors come early to try out the course and usually stay for a day or two after completing the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26-mile run. This is the fourth year that Ironman has held a competition in the Coeur d’Alene-Post Falls area. The elite sports event attracts an affluent crowd, Coe said.

According to a 2003 study, out-of-town guests spent an average of $127 a day while they were here. About 95 percent of the athletes hailed from outside the area, and they typically traveled with two or three family members or friends.

“It’s a great group of people,” said Robin McKellar, owner of Log Spirit Bed & Breakfast in Athol. “They’re very friendly, and they tend to be curious about the area.”

Log Spirit’s five guest rooms have been booked for Ironman since February. One athlete later canceled his reservations due to injuries, but the vacancy was quickly filled by another Ironman participant.

Many of Kootenai County’s hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and campgrounds are full through Monday. About 30 private homes, renting from $85 to $400 per night, are also full.

Since the 3-on-3 Hoopfest basketball tournament takes place in Spokane this weekend, hotel rooms are in short supply throughout the region.

“We have a lot of frustrated people calling us,” McKellar said.

Local athletes also contribute to Ironman’s financial impact.

At Vertical Earth, Gaertner has noticed a modest increase in business from local triathletes. About 100 of the athletes who preregistered are from North Idaho. Those people are buying wet suits and new bikes, along with padded shorts that can double for swimming and cycling, Gaertner said.

Local gyms are also benefiting. World Gym in Post Falls offers a six-month triathlon conditioning, which runs from January to early June, and costs $120.

Interest from triathletes also prompted Ironwood Athletic Club in Coeur d’Alene to add classes on swimming in open water. The six-week sessions, which cost about $45, always fill up, said Shannon Burgess, the instructor.

Many of the athletes come from running or cycling backgrounds. “They say, ‘If I can survive the swim, the rest is a piece of cake,’ ” she said.