How to Pack Gear Bags for an IRONMAN
So you’ve signed up for an Ironman…
Congratulations!
Undoubtedly, you’re equal parts excited and terrified. That’s totally normal.
Because doing an Ironman is such a big undertaking, we have a special section of the blog dedicated to first-time Ironman athletes with posts about race selection, making the mental shift to long course triathlon, common FAQ’s, and helpful tips for your first race. There’s also wisdom and insights from a variety of triathlon coaches, a nutritionist, and professional triathletes.
In honor of my friends competing at Ironman Florida this weekend (best of luck Jamie F., Loranne, Jamie H., Ian, and Mark!) we’re going to talk about a very important part of doing an Ironman triathlon.
Packing gear bags.
Even if you’re more of a 70.3 distance athlete, stick around because some of this information will apply to you as well.
So today we’ll cover:
What Ironman gear bags are for
What to put in them
How to use the special needs area
BONUS: For Triple Threat Life Club members is Never Get Lost in Transition Again. We explain our method for navigating transition, locating gear bags among hundreds of others that look exactly the same, rules for what not to do with gear bags, and how to never get lost in transition again.
What are Ironman triathlon gear bags for?
Besides the longer distance, the main reason why long course racing is different than a local sprint in your hometown is because of the logistics involved. Simply because of the distances (70.3 miles and 140.6 miles) there’s much more planning and prep work that has to be done.
Don’t worry. It might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the basics, and get a few helpful tips, the process is simple.
But don’t underestimate its importance. As an athlete, prior planning and proper preparation is crucial to your success.
“Prior preparation prevents poor performance.” - James Baker
Unlike a short course triathlon where you can roll up on race morning with all your gear in your transition bag, Ironman races are a bit different.
All Ironman, and most 70.3 races, employ the use of gear bags in some capacity. We used gear bags at 70.3 North Carolina, just a few weeks ago. But that was a split transition race, which is a whole different can of worms.
(A split transition, or point-to-point triathlon, is when T1 and T2 are located in different places.) Check out how to prepare for, and execute, this type of transition by reading this post.
How to do a Triathlon With Split Transitions
At some half-Ironman races, like 70.3 Chattanooga, you will set up all your gear underneath your bike, just like you would at a typical short course triathlon. The only bag you need for this race is a white morning clothes bag.
Other half-Ironman races might also use a blue bike bag and a red run bag. But the most you will have for a 70.3 is three gear bags.
TIP: Notice how the colors match the names of the bags. Blue is for bike and red is for run.
Tip: Put clear packing tape over top of your number stickers so they don’t fall off.
When you get up to the full Ironman distance, you have those three bags, plus two more for special needs!
White morning clothes bag
Blue bike bag
Red run bag
Orange special needs bike bag
Black special needs run bag
What’s special needs? It’s a section at the halfway point of the bike (around 56 miles) and the halfway point on the run (around 13.1 miles) where you can access additional personal items.
The white morning clothes bag is commonly used at both 70.3 and 140.6 triathlons. It’s where you put your hoodie, shoes, and water bottle that you took with you to the swim start. These bags are delivered to the finish line. The blue bike bag and red run bag are pretty self-explanatory. They hold your cycling and run gear for those parts of the race and are accessed in T1 and T2, respectively.
Where you find these bags depends entirely on the race. I’ve done races where all athlete gear bags hang on a large rack together. I’ve also done races where gear bags lay in piles on the ground separated by numbers. I’ve even done races where gear bags hang on the rack right next to your bike.
This information can be found in the Athlete Guide for your particular race.
What do you put in Ironman triathlon gear bags?
Now that you know what each bag is for, and how to find them, you’re probably wondering what to put inside these bags.
White morning clothes bag
Think of this as a swim bag. Put your swim cap, goggles, wetsuit, and Body Glide inside so you can transport them to the swim start. We also bring a bottle of carb mix and a gel that we take 15 minutes prior to the start of the race. Once you’ve changed into your wetsuit, put your morning clothes, hotel key, any medication, or glasses into the bag and drop it off in the designated area. You will pick up these bags at the finish line.
TIP: You can’t put large items in the bag, like a bike pump or a backpack.
Blue bike bag
This bag is for everything you will need for the cycling portion of the race, like a helmet, cycling shoes, socks, sunglasses, ect. Some athletes wear a tri suit for the entirety of an Ironman, but some change into cycling gear for the bike ride. (Me). So this is where you put your cycling bibs, jersey, and chamois cream. Some people also include sunscreen in this bag, although it’s typically available in changing tents as well.
NOTE: For those athletes who do a flying mount and keep their shoes attached to their pedals, you have to see what’s allowed at your race. Some races don’t allow flying mounts for athlete and volunteer safety, typically if bike catching volunteers are used.
After the swim, change into your bike gear and put your swim gear back in the bag. Then, drop this bag in the designated area before you get your bike.
Red run bag
This bag holds all of the gear you will need for the marathon. This includes items like running shoes, race belt, hat, sunglasses, nutrition, ect. After you dismount your bike, grab your run bag and go into the changing tent. (There are different tents for men and women.) Then, all your bike gear goes into the bag, and you’ll drop it off in the designated area before starting the run.
Again, some athletes wear a tri suit for the entirety of an Ironman, while others change into running shorts and a tank for the marathon. It’s entirely personal preference. In my opinion, taking two extra minutes to change into comfortable, dry clothes for the marathon is worth it.
NOTE: Some professional triathletes do this as well. You might have seen Lionel Sanders change into running clothes for the marathon.
It’s also a good idea to consider the swim course at your race when planning your attire for the day. Why? When I raced Ironman Florida last year, I knew it was a saltwater ocean swim. Although there’s a shower you get to run underneath, it doesn’t get much of the saltwater off. As salt dries, it can cause chafing… So I chose to change clothes.
TIP: If you use a run belt for the marathon (like me) consider putting a small bag with peppermint-flavored Tums inside, just in case of any stomach upset. I also put an inhaler in my run bag as well, so I can use it before the marathon.
Before we move on to the special needs bags, let’s pause for a moment to talk about what you do with these bags after you pack them. You’ll bring the morning clothes bag with you on race morning, but the bike and run bags are dropped in a designated area the day before the race.
The special needs bags often contain nutrition, so they’re dropped off on race morning.
Orange special needs bike bag
You will be able to access this bag around the halfway point of the 112-mile bike course, so think about what you might want at that time. Because I carry my own nutrition, I put my extra carb bottles in this bag. I use three bottles for the first half of the bike and then swap them out for three new bottles for the second half.
Another thing I put in this bag is a spare tube and Co2 cartridges. Although I do carry a flat kit on my bike, I like having the security of another tube, just in case. Just know that you typically don’t get personal needs bags back at the end of the race, so you’re sacrificing any items you leave behind.
Black special needs run bag
You will be able to access this bag at the halfway point of the run. The only thing I put in this bag is extra nutrition like gels or more bottles of carb mix for my run belt. I’ve heard of athletes adding extra socks or even a second pair of shoes, if it’s going to be a rainy day, but I don’t go to those lengths. At that point of the race, I just want to keep moving.
If you’re expecting to finish after dark, I’ve heard of athletes adding a head lamp to this bag. If it’s a cold race, you could add a dry shirt, arm warmers, or gloves. Remember, you might not get this bag back. I did at Ironman Florida because it was located right by the finish line, but in the Ironman Arizona Athlete Guide it specifically says special needs bags will not be returned.