this is my first ironman, and my spectator friend/moral support has never been to a triathlon before.
what tips should i give him for being a spectator?
thanks for y’all’s input!
this is my first ironman, and my spectator friend/moral support has never been to a triathlon before.
what tips should i give him for being a spectator?
thanks for y’all’s input!
Bring something to read. 
Bring a good book and stay hydrated/fed. It’s a long day.
Also good to make sure they have a phone with internet access to they can track your splits (if IMLive is working that day).
Give them an estimated window of time when you think you will pass the area they are watching from.
Everyone out there kinda looks the same - Aero Helmet, Black Shorts, tri-bike - so make sure they can identify you.
And for god’s sake - if you see them while riding, keep riding. Don’t slow down suddenly and start waving and weaving into bike traffic.
Finally - Leave the pets at home. (check the IMAZ stuff for why you shouldn’t bring a dog to an IM)
Find them a bar, a place to nap, some places to eat, a coffee shop. Buy them a lounge chair. Give them money for that days paper. Have them take pics of the swim start, then give them permission to go to the bar for 6 hours. The Sunday paper + 8 pints of Guinness makes any IM better for the spectator. Bring a grill. They can have a picnic while you run. Whatever you do, don’t blow up. Get to the finish line ASAP. Don’t drag it out.
The bikes are fast and quiet, be extra cautious stepping off the curb. I was taking photo’s on Main street at IMC several years ago and saw alot of close calls when people attempted to cross.
I started on the brandy after the first lap of the bike.
If you tell us what race, someone can give you an idea where a good place to watch from is, so your sherpa can see you multiple times. Some races are set up where you can view pretty easily from more than one spot on the run if you place yourself strategically (case in point…at the Boise 70.3, we ran along their river…spectators could cross back and forth to catch us on each side).
Definitely agree on that the spectator needs to stay hydrated and fed. It is a LONG day. This issue can be compounded if the chosen spectator is trying to track multiple athletes because you never know when one of your people is going to run by, so you don’t want to take the breaks that you need. Drink plenty of water!
Bring a chair. Finding a bar also a good idea. 
Good for them to know your anticipated times through where you will be watching from. Having a smartphone or way to make sure their splits are keeping in line with that may help unnecessary anxiety if you don’t show up on time.
Sunscreen.
Cheer for other athletes. Don’t just sit there like a bump on a log watching hundreds of people (some of whom might need some cheering) and only cheer for your athlete. Give a little. Also, as mentioned…watch out for other athletes on the course.
coeur d’alene!! thanks for the tips y’all!
They can watch from right in town…easy peasy. And they can catch you come through town after the first loop of the bike. (one loop bike courses are harder to get around, and sometimes not worth it for 5 seconds of seeing your athlete).
Tell them to stay at home. I am serious.
Watching a triathlon is on the same fun level as watching paint dry. Other then them staying home, they should volunteer and that will give them something to do all day (jobs in the transition area are the best, because there is always something going on). Also they get a free T shirt with out having to do all that swimming, biking, and running stuff. Otherwise just tell them to get drunk and meet you at the finish line. Tim
Tell them to watch the start, maybe see you go out on the bike and then find something to do for about 8 hours. A long nap, lunch and a bunch of beers sounds about right. Then they can cheer you on while you run and see you finish. After you finish, send them back to the bar and meet them a couple hours later when you are ready for a beer. Then you can both go down to the finish line at midnight. Really between the swim start and the finish from 11:30 to midnight there really is not much to see.
Cowbell. Tell them to bring a cow bell. A lot easier than yelling the whole time (assuming they, like my wife, will get into it and not only cheer for me).
And tell them to take lots of pics of EVERYONE. You’ll like looking through to see who else was racing and what they were riding/eating/etc. Might get some pros too and I’m sure the people on ST will be happy to see the pics.
a well stocked cooler, nibbles, a comfy chair shade umbrella and they will be sure to make friends to keep them entertained while waiting on you.
Spectating at an Ironman is a long, but very fun day. Volunteering part of the day is a good idea, too.
As for cheering on the athletes, please don’t say, “You’re almost there, hang in there” when they have several miles left to go on the marthon. Save that encouragement for the last mile or less. Also, telling someone they are “looking great!” when the look like hell warmed over is not helpful, even if it’s meant to make them feel better.
Have fun!
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pack food and water. Lots of food and water. It’s hard to get around and streets are closed. They might think they will be able to grab something when they are out, but it’s not always that easy.
Chair and sunscreen. Hat and comfortable shoes.
Car charger or wall charger for the phone. The battery will likely die. Reception won’t be that great/signal strength will likely be low because there are 5000 other people trying to check the splits and use a network that probably isn’t set up for quite that many people. Sometimes the system will be overloaded and too busy for all the calls people are trying to make.
For my sister’s first IM spectating experience she wore rollerblades around the run course (it was flat). She said a lot of other people were jealous of how easily/quickly she could get from point to point.
Tell them to hang out at Coeur D’alene Brewing Company in between your arrival windows…it’ll make the time go faster…
Cowbell. Tell them to bring a cow bell. A lot easier than yelling the whole time (assuming they, like my wife, will get into it and not only cheer for me).
And tell them to take lots of pics of EVERYONE. You’ll like looking through to see who else was racing and what they were riding/eating/etc. Might get some pros too and I’m sure the people on ST will be happy to see the pics.
+1000
I was at a race that supplied little cheap cowbells to all the spectators (I was a race husband for the day) and it was a great idea. Saves your voice, but lets you really get into cheering.
Tell them to stay at home. I am serious.
^ This.
Triathlon (especially Ironman) is NOT a spectator sport. If they insist on coming, tell them to come watch the swim start, go find something fun to do for x hours, and come back for the finish. My wife has attended 2 of my IMs and we’ve recently come to an agreement that I’ll most likely be traveling alone from here on out.
Tell them to stay at home. I am serious.
+1 if you acually like this person. A solo watcher will probably not have too much fun…