How to Pack Your Ironman Gear Bags (Complete Race Day Checklist)
So you’ve signed up for an IRONMAN…
Congratulations!
You’re probably equal parts excited and terrified. That’s totally normal.
Because doing an Ironman is such a big undertaking, I’ve created a Ironman and 70.3 Guide For Beginners. Check it out here.
But, this post is specifically about packing gear bags.
In this post, we’ll cover:
What IRONMAN gear bags are for.
What to put inside your gear bags.
Where to find your gear bags on course.
What are Ironman triathlon gear bags for?
Tip: Put clear packing tape over top of your number stickers so they don’t fall off.
Besides the longer distance, the main reason why long-course racing is different than your local sprint triathlon 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 pretty 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. Also, the procedure will be slightly different if you’re doing a 70.3 or a full IRONMAN (140.6). We will talk about both.
All IRONMAN races employ the use of gear bags in some capacity. At most 70.3 races, you only have a white morning clothes bag and will set up the rest of your bike and run gear underneath your rear wheel in one centrally-located transition area.
The white morning clothes bag is where you will put items like the hoodie you wore on race morning, glasses, a pair of shoes, or a water bottle— anything you might need to drop off before the swim start and want delivered to the finish line.
However, if your race has a split transition, where T1 (swim to bike) and T2 (bike to run) are located in different places, in addition to a morning clothes bag, you will also use a blue bike bag and a red run bag to store your gear. Read how to do a triathlon with a split transition here: How to do a Triathlon With Split Transitions.
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
TIP: Notice how the colors match the names of the bags. Blue is for bike and red is for run!
What’s special needs in an Ironman Triathlon?
We’ve already covered the white morning clothes bag that’s 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. 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.
So, what’s special needs? It’s a section at the halfway point of the bike in an IRONMAN (around 56 miles) and the halfway point on the run (around 13.1 miles) where you can access additional personal items. Here’s how it works. You will drop off these special needs bags (bike and run) the morning of the race. These bags will be transported out on course.
For the bike special needs, you will ride up to an area that’s manned with volunteers. Typically, you will shout out your bib number as you approach and that information will be relayed to a volunteer who will get your bag and deliver it to you. Some people worry about the efficiency of the process, but every time I have done an IRONMAN they got my bag to me in 30 seconds or less! Simply take what you need out of your bag and get back on your way. It’s the same process with the special needs area of the run.
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 this bag so you can transport your gear 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, glasses, etc. into the bag and drop it off in the designated area by the swim start. You will pick up these bags at the finish line.
TIP: You can’t put large items in this bag, like a bike pump or a backpack. Those items will have to be left with a spectator.
Blue bike bag
This bag is for everything you will need for the cycling portion of the race, including a helmet, cycling shoes, socks, sunglasses, etc. Some athletes will wear a tri suit for the entirety of an IRONMAN, while others prefer to put on cycling gear for the bike ride. So this is where you’ll 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 pedals, check it see if it’s allowed at your specific race. Some races don’t allow flying mounts for athlete and volunteer safety, typically if bike catching volunteers are used in T2.
After the swim, you will 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 on your bike.
Red run bag
This bag holds all of the gear you will need for the marathon. This includes items like running shoes, a race belt, hat, sunglasses, nutrition, etc. After you dismount your bike, you will grab your run bag and go into the changing tent. (There are different tents for men and women.) After changing out of your cycling gear and into your run gear, you will put your bike gear back into this bag and drop it off in a 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. It’s all a matter of what you’re comfortable wearing for a race that will take 9-17 hours.
It’s also a good idea to consider the swim course at your race when planning your attire for the day. Why? When I did IRONMAN Florida, I knew it was a saltwater swim. Although there’s a shower you get to run underneath on the way to transition, it doesn’t get much of the saltwater off. As the salt dries, it can cause chafing… So I chose to change into dry, salt-free clothes for the rest of the race.
TIP: If you use a run belt for the marathon consider putting a small bag with some type of antacid inside, 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.
Because the special needs bags we will talk about next often contain nutrition, they’re dropped off on race morning.
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Orange special needs bike bag
(Note, the color of this bag may change depending on the race.)
You’ll 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 extra ready-made 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.
Consider what the weather will be like at your race. If it’s going to be a very hot day, many people just put powder inside their special needs bottles and then fill them up with cold water at the next aid station. You can follow this procedure during the bike and the run.
Another thing I put in this bag is a spare tube and extra Co2 cartridge. Although you need to carry a flat kit on your bike, I like having the security of another tube, just in case.
Keep in mind that special needs bags will not be returned at the end of the race, so you’re sacrificing any items you choose to leave behind.
Black special needs run bag
(Note, the color of this bag may change depending on the race.)
You will be able to access this bag at the halfway point of the run. What goes in this bag? You might include extra nutrition like gels, salt tabs, and a small bag of powder with carb mix for your run bottle or flask.
If it’s a cold race, you might include a dry shirt, chapstick, or a pair of gloves.
If you’re expecting to finish after dark, you might even add a headlamp to this bag. Although, IRONMAN races are typically well-lit.
Some people even include a special treat in this bag— like some Skittles or gummy candy, as a fun boost during the latter stages of the marathon.
Remember, unlike your main blue bike bag and red run bag, these special needs bags will not be returned to you, so don’t leave anything behind that you want to keep.
Recap
Let’s recap:
For a typical 70.3 triathlon with a single transition area, you will use a:
White morning clothes bag
For a 70.3 triathlon with split transition (where T1 and T2 are in different places) you will use a:
White morning clothes bag
Blue bike bag
Red run bag
For a full IRONMAN, you will use a:
White morning clothes bag
Blue bike bag
Red run bag
Orange special needs bike bag
Black special needs run bag
I hope this post has helped you better understand what IRONMAN gear bags are for, where to find them on course, and what to put inside them.
Getting ready for a 70.3 or IRONMAN can be intimidating. That’s why I created an Ironman and 70.3 Guide For Beginners. It includes everything you need to know about training, skills to learn, nutrition, pacing, mindset, rules, and more. Check it out here.
And if you liked this post, you will love my weekly newsletter with triathlon tips and race day strategies delivered to your inbox, sign up for Triple Threat Life Weekly here.