Chattanooga braces for Ironman crowds

photo Jon Christen, the Ironman supply coordinator, unloads a semi-trailer of nutrition in the Kenco Transportation parking lot which will be used during the inaugural Ironman Chattanooga triathlon which takes place on Sept. 28.

MORE ON THE WEB• See our Ironman Chattanooga landing page at timesfreepress.com/ironman• Lake Tahoe athletes can apply for Ironman Chattanooga

RACE DAY FREE BUSSpectators will be able to take a free bus from Ross's Landing to Chickamauga between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. Athletes will bike through the North Georgia town twice.IRONMAN VILLAGE• When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday• What: An expo of Ironman-related goods and services• Where: Ross's LandingSource: IronmanIRONMAN ROAD CLOSURESRoads closed from 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, to 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29• Riverfront Parkway: Closed from Molly Lane to Aquarium Way• Chestnut Street: Closed from Aquarium Way to Riverfront Parkway• Power Alley: Closed from parking lot to Riverfront ParkwayRoads closed on Sunday, Sept. 28, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Interstate 24 exit ramp to southbound Market Street• Southbound Market Street to the I-24 exit rampPartial closures -- one lane closed Sept. 28• Southbound Riverfront: Closed from Molly Way to Market Street, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Eastbound W. 20th: Closed from Riverfront Parkway to Market Street, 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Market Street: From Southbound Market Street to Alton Park Blvd., 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.• Westbound Riverside Drive/Amnicola Highway: From Lindsey to Riverfront Road 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.• Lindsey Street: From Riverside Drive to E. Fourth Street, 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.• Fourth Street: From Lindsey Street to Veterans Bridge, 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.• Veterans Bridge: From Fourth Street to Riverview Road, 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.• Eastbound Frazier Avenue: From Walnut Street Bridge to Barton Avenue, 5 a.m. to 1 a.m.Source: Ironman

An Ironman race needs more than just athletes, sweat and tears.

An Ironman race needs 40,000 pounds of ice, 180 Porta Potties, two semi-truck loads of Gatorade, 60 wading pools, two semi-truck loads of water and at least 140 trashcans. A race needs signs and stakes and zip ties.

"I just spent over $4,000 at Lowe's during the last two hours," Ironman race director Brian Myrick said last week. "In inaugural years, it's an unbelievable amount that we spend on small stuff. Just little things to do everything we can to be ready."

Ready or not, almost 15,000 people are expected to flood downtown Chattanooga in a few days for the city's first Ironman triathlon. Downtown hotels are sold out, local venues are bracing for a slammed weekend and law enforcement agencies are gearing up to handle the crowds.

About 2,500 athletes will participate in the daylong race, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 116-mile bike ride and a marathon. An estimated 4,000 people will work as volunteers and about 8,000 spectators are expected to visit the race course, which starts in Chattanooga, stretches into North Georgia and ends back in Chattanooga.

In all, it's enough people to fill the Lookouts AT&T Field almost three times.

And not everyone is waiting until Saturday to set up camp in the Scenic City. Some spectators and athletes are coming to town early. Jenn Blunier and her family will be in town Wednesday to do some sightseeing before Blunier's husband competes Sunday.

He expects to finish in about 12 hours. Blunier and her 4-year-old daughter plan to watch parts of his swim and parts of the run, but during the bike portion of the race -- six hours, give or take -- they'll hang out at the Creative Discovery Museum downtown.

"I'll be tracking him on the Ironman app, and when he comes in [from the bike], we'll go see him go out on the run," Blunier said.

Lynda LeVan, director of external affairs at the Creative Discovery Museum, said she expects a plethora of Ironman spectators to visit this weekend. The museum is even offering a seven-day triathlon family pass for $79 to capitalize on the crowd.

The museum is not the only business tweaking its services for the weekend. At the downtown DoubleTree by Hilton, General Manager Bill Mish said he's working to match the hotel's services to the Ironman crowd.

"From what we hear, they consume massive amounts of coffee," he said. "So we're making sure we have plenty of coffee. You have to work out all the intricacies, from food options right down to having rags available so they can clean their bikes."

Chattanooga police Chief Fred Fletcher said his department will commit about 50 on-duty officers to work the Ironman race, and that multiple law enforcement agencies are involved.

"It will be one of the bigger efforts we have regionwide," he said. "It's a pretty sophisticated public safety response."

And while most of the preparation work has been behind the scenes so far, by Wednesday roads will start to close and Chattanoogans will start to see Ironman infrastructure going up.

"It's almost go time," Myrick said.

Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips or story ideas.

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