Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Ironman Wisconsin numbers are mindboggling. Approximately 2.000 registered triathletes at the start line at 7 am Sunday, September 7, 2025. A course that stretches out over 140.6 miles around Madison, WI. A race that lasts as long as 17 hours.
What kind of support is required to keep 2,000 triathletes moving through the swim, bike, and run stages while properly equipped, hydrated, fueled, and, most importantly, safe on the course?
Here’s another set of numbers to ponder. Ironman Wisconsin staff, both national and local, will recruit more than 2,000 volunteers to work 3,000 shifts at 82 different designated locations.
Throughout the day, triathletes crossing the finish line may hear the distinctive call from the announcer, “Today, you are an Ironman!” At the 2.4-mile swim, the 112-mile bike course, and the two-loop 26.2-mile marathon course, thousands of neon T-shirt-clad volunteers work tirelessly with many people overlooking their contributions. Ironman Wisconsin would not happen without the help of volunteers.
Recruiting takes months of diligent logistical planning and attention to the most minor details. The first step is understanding the raw numbers. How many volunteers are needed? Next, where are volunteers needed?
The recruiting process formally begins each April. With twenty years of experience running the event, Ironman Wisconsin has the logistical process dialed in. Each different role is assigned a captain with an expected number of volunteers needed at a specific location for designated time slots.
Division of labor is the key. “There’s a hierarchy for managing the volunteers. We have a lead for every discipline. We have a registration lead. We have a transition lead, we have a swim, bike, and run lead, and a merchandise lead,” said Ryan Richards, Midwest Regional Director, The Ironman Group.
Under those leads, volunteer captains are responsible for managing the volunteers within their specific areas and communicating with those volunteers.
Alison Plumer, volunteer director, Ironman Wisconsin, explained, “ We have 82 different volunteer areas. Everything from athlete check-in, food tent, transition areas, bike and run aid stations, bike corral, timing, gear bags, finish line catchers, awards, and a long list of other important responsibilities.”
Recruiting is handled through email and social media outreach, as well as appearances at events and word-of-mouth recommendations. Typically, people tell us where they’re available. Everybody’s lives are busy, and we want them to be able to sign up for our position or role that they’re comfortable with and that they know they’re going to be able to fulfill,” said Richards.
With all the preplanning, volunteer coordinators often receive last-minute requests to help when spectators realize how much time there is between race segments. “We get people that show up on the day of the race and say, I’m here to help. I can do x, y, and z. We’ll find a role or position for them,” said Richards.
“We’re finding spots for more volunteers to go and getting them into a place where they can help out as well. When the gear bag area opens at 6:00 pm on Sunday, athletes can return to pick up their gear. There’s a huge rush of people waiting to get in and collect their belongings. We’re shifting people around at different points throughout the day to address peaks and valleys and where people are needed,” said Plumer.
The majority of volunteers are interchangeable elements that can shift from one place to another and from one role to another. Richards also recruits highly specialized, talented volunteers for medical services and motorcycle support. Traffic control is handled by local municipal law enforcement and local contractors.
“The recruiting process is different since you are looking for specific credentials or resumes. Our motorcycle captain knows what questions to ask. Are you comfortable riding with a person on the back? Do you have saddlebags or panniers that could also hold photography equipment?
“Motorcyclists attend a safety briefing and go out for a ride before the event as a group, so they can go over certain aspects of the route and talk about the hills, places to pull off, and how our aid stations work. They know the bike course is a very busy place,” said Richards.
Plumer adds, We do rely on volunteers even in those specialty roles. We’re fortunate that we’ve got people who continue to come back year after year and handle those responsibilities.”
Volunteer Fatigue?
The first Ironman Wisconsin was held in 2002. This year will be the 24th year in Madison. Year by year, Ironman staff have faced the task of recruiting thousands of volunteers to support the iconic event.
In recent years, a long list of new events has appeared on Madison’s race calendar, including the Madison Marathon, Mad City Ultras 50K and 100K, and the Badger Challenge. A quick search reveals that at least 20 significant running events are scheduled for 2025. Each one requires a small army of committed volunteers to manage every aspect of race operations.
Ironman Wisconsin stands apart from many local events, but with thousands of volunteers needed for the race, do race directors see any reluctance to sign up for a day-long assignment?
“There’s some volunteer fatigue. A lot is going on, and we understand that people can’t volunteer year in and year out. But the number of captains that have been with us since year one is well over 50 percent. Those are people who have given over 20 years of service to the event and lead a specific area,” said Richards. “Several of those people are coming with the same group of people. Some of the faces may change within the group, but they’re still coming with their triathlon club, their cheerleading group, and their volunteer firefighters. The faces might change, but the backbone to those groups is still there, and a lot of that is with those captains.”
Supporting triathletes is the primary attraction for volunteers, but there is also a fundraising component. “Volunteers aren’t paid but we do incentivize them with grants and donations if they’re part of a nonprofit organization,” said Richards.
The Ironman Wisconsin Foundation awards grants to groups that provide at least 15 to 20 volunteers. The Foundation gives back between $50,000 and $70,000 annually to communities.
Many groups come out and bring their teams, whether it’s the UW swim club or the Verona High School cross-country team. “Once they’ve volunteered, they really enjoy the experience, and it’s a great way for those groups to raise a little bit of money for themselves, but also be a part of this huge iconic Wisconsin event each year,” said Plumer. “We’re very fortunate that we do see good returns. A lot of people reach out every year who are new to Ironman and have heard about it and want to get involved.”
An appreciation banquet the day after the race acknowledges the contributions of thousands of volunteers.
Motivations
Every triathlete in Madison on race day comes with a deeply held personal story. The reasons they compete are as numerous as the miles they have to cover by day’s end. They race to give their teenagers lessons in commitment to a goal, they race to prove something to themselves, they race to chase the thrill of hanging an Ironman Wisconsin finisher’s medal around their neck.
What about the people who manage thousands of volunteers on race day? The expected answer is that’s their job. Listening to their voices crack with emotion describing their race day responsibilities, their motivation is far more important than a paycheck.
“Everyone has their own story. Everyone has their reason. Getting to hear those reasons, getting to hear some of those stories, and getting to know some of these people, it’s a special treat to be able to be involved in this race,” said Richards. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to be involved for a long time, and the people I’ve met, the stories I’ve heard, the athletes, the volunteers. I mean, just that, that whole energy that surrounds it is infectious, and it is what keeps me coming back year after year.”
Plumer tells a story about a volunteer named John, whose last name is unknown, who showed up at 4 am to volunteer for Saturday’s Ironman Wisconsin 70.3 race. More than twenty-four hours later, she saw him again at the finish line on Sunday night. “He worked all weekend, just out there volunteering. You feel like you know someone for a lifetime when you’ve gone through a weekend of Ironman with them. There’s a cool bond just among everyone that’s part of the event,” she said.
Volunteer organizers and staff, exhausted from 20-hour shifts tap into the intense feelings the triathletes feel at the finish line. “Just after they cross the finish line, the emotions that they let go at that point is sheer elation. There’s some pain, because it’s not an easy day, by any means. After they’ve gone through to reach that finish line, whether they were the winner of the event or came in late, missing the time cutoff, and we still let them finish, all of that effort needs to be celebrated individually,” said Richards. “There’s never been an Ironman race that I’ve been to that I haven’t that I haven’t shed a tear. You’re emotional, you’re tired, but to be able to see the joy, or to be able to see the pain on these athletes’ faces and what the volunteers have done for them to support them.”
Race Day Operations
Ironman Wisconsin hosts races on both Saturday and Sunday. A 70.3-mile race on Saturday and the full 140.6 miles twenty-four hours later. A massive undertaking that would only work with separate teams working on each event.
On race day, the event management teams have trained extensively to handle emergencies in whatever form they occur. “We do a tremendous amount of preplanning with local EMS, local law enforcement, and municipalities, as well as training and planning amongst our staff. We train for things to look out for, things to be prepared for, and communicate that amongst ourselves, “said Richards.
During the race, we share a communication center filled with members of each of the law enforcement agencies, such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police, Madison Police, County Sheriff Departments from Fitchburg, Verona, and all the municipalities we are going through, as well as communication with their fire and EMS and all those districts as well. We are sitting in a room, a few feet away from each other, so that communication is open and flowing, so people who hear things or see things from their people in the field.
Despite all the preplanning work, race days always come with last-minute challenges. Course marshals may need to adjust the route due to unforeseen circumstances, such as construction projects, sidewalk cracks, or road crossings.
“We’ve got to put people in places to make sure that athletes are going in the right direction. We’ve got people on the course that are mobile, who are there just in case we’ve got an uncovered spot and can go to where they need extra coverage,” said Plumer.
On the bike course, vehicles called sag wagons are operated by mechanics who can assist the triathletes. If needed, they transport them back to the transition area.
As the triathletes spend hours covering the course, volunteer coordinator shifts can last as long as 20 hours. “Typically work from 3 am until 3 am. We’re there before transition opens and then we’re there through the race. Then there are some things to tie up at the end, just helping to tear down, because by the next morning, when people come to work in downtown Madison, people may not even know that there was a race the day before, “said Richards.
The intensity of Plumer’s work begins on the Wednesday of race week. “We’re down at the terrace for the majority of the day, hosting, getting things set up, making sure people know where to go, last-minute logistical things.
On Saturday morning for the half Ironman event, she arrives at 3:30 am and wraps up with a team meeting at 7 pm Saturday. After a few hours of sleep, she returns on Sunday around 3:30 am and works until about 1 am on Monday.
“Yeah, that’s a long day. It’s a long weekend,” said Plumer.
Madison’s Vibe
Ironman Wisconsin has been held in Madison since 2002. The setting for the 140.6-mile race is one of the best in Ironman’s list of host cities. “The special races stand out. Ironman Wisconsin, Ironman Florida, Ironman Lake Placid. Those are iconic races that have been on the docket for Ironman for decades,” said Richards.
Located next to Lake Monona, the unique Monona Terrace provides a convenient transition between the swim and bike segments, as well as the bike and run segments. The physical location is clearly well-suited for the three-segment race. Still, the way the community embraces the triathletes and their supporters lifts the race to a special place in Wisconsin’s endurance sport calendar.
The race headquarters location serves both triathletes and their families equally well. “We have a lake in the downtown vicinity and one of the more beautiful convention centers in the country, and to be able to utilize that building in the ways that we do just, you know, makes it unique, and it makes it special,” said Richards.
“We hear from racers that this is different. We are also fortunate, in terms of how the race is set up, that the finish line is at the Capitol. There are a lot of other communities where the race is out in a field somewhere, the transitions and the finish line are not in a place like we’ve got with the terrace,” said Plumer.
For families and supporters, there are enjoyable ways to spend time between transitions. “We have beautiful places to be for the families and people when they’re not racing. We have the state capitol building. We have a university. We have museums that people can go to. We have lots of good bars and restaurants that you can eat and drink at and celebrate. Madison has the full package,” said Richards.
For the triathletes, Madison is more than a race-day location. Many competitors from outside the city come to train on the bike and run courses.
“We are a city of triathletes. It’s a big sport here; the community is very supportive of these types of events and experiences. That speaks to the culture here,” said Plumer. “Midwest nice is a real thing, and people want to reach out to others. “When people think of Ironman, just don’t think of it as a race that is a global company, dropping into Madison and running it. It is people who are part of this community year-round, and all coming together to make this happen. People should feel proud and invested in the race.
Racers finish in a slight downhill run through a finisher’s chute with the brightly lit Wisconsin Capitol Dome behind them. Families, friends, and T-shirt-clad volunteers crowd the barricades. It’s an incredible way to finish the race.
Plumer notes, “Not every race has the ability to provide that sort of atmosphere. People tell you that once they get over the idea of staying up late on a Sunday night, that being at the finish line at midnight is the best part of the day.”
The crowd cheers for the late-night finishers, even if they have no connection to them.” Those are the people who work the hardest for it, and so seeing them finish, I get emotional just thinking about it. Seeing those people finish, that emotion is just contagious. Everyone is feeling it with those athletes at that time of day, as much as it’s hard to be up and be there. It’s worth it,” said Plumer.
Long After Dark
At the swim start at dawn on race day morning, every triathlete truly believes they will hear the “You are an Ironman” greeting at the finish line. After months of training, no one wants to see “DNF” behind their name on the official published race finish list.
For some, their race will end early due to ill health, an untimely mechanical problem, or a dozen other valid reasons. Fellow competitors offer condolences, empathic words of support, and encouragement for next year.
Whether on the swim or bike leg, cutoff times are non-negotiable. It’s a hard conversation to tell a competitor that their race is finished for the day. “The first conversation with an athlete is typically conducted by one of our leads or administrative staff. That’s not a role we would assign to a volunteer to inform an athlete that they can’t continue at that point. We know a little bit better about what the athlete has done to get that far,” said Richards.
Long after dark, long after the fastest finishers have returned to their hotels to recover, there are still runners on the marathon course pushing their aching bodies toward the finish line.
It’s 10:45 pm and a runner is at mile 18, continuing to move forward but probably not at a pace that will bring them to the finish line before the midnight cutoff. Volunteers, usually riding golf carts, have been watching and offering whispered words of encouragement for some time.
“Especially late at night, when there are fewer runners out there, and the volunteers look into their eyes and tell them that they’re there for them, and make sure that they’re okay and they’re moving forward, and say, I’ll see you on the next lap. It gives those athletes that are still out there some peace of mind and comfort, knowing that there are people out there to take care of them, and that they’re not alone out there, that they have all the support in the world,” said Richards.
Some may rally and become an Ironman at 11:56 pm. For a few, there’s a hard conversation coming. “That’s so, so hard. They are people who we want in that role. We want somebody who knows what it’s like to be out on the course and to actually have done the race, so that they have some kind of community and empathy for that person, because that is a very, very tough job,” said Plumer.
Richards adds, “We track those athletes and watch after them, make sure that if they need some help, we can be there with the golf cart to offer a place to sit, or a ride back, or a way to connect them with your friends and family.”
After the last triathlete crosses the finish line, Ironman volunteers head for home. Unsung heroes who moved a steady line of thousands of triathletes from start to finish safely. Thank you.
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Sidebars:
Ironman Wisconsin Average Finishing Time
13 hours 45 minutes 48 seconds
Swim: 1 hour 22 minutes 13 seconds
Bike: 6 hours 52 minutes 15 seconds
Run: 5 hours 9 minutes 50 seconds
The Ironman Wisconsin Community Grants, supported through the IRONMAN Foundation and distributed in partnership with the Madison Area Sports Commission (MASC), recognize nonprofit initiatives that benefit youth sports and wellness in Dane County. For the most recent grant cycle, the following projects and organizations were awarded community grants:
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