Chattanooga's Southern hospitality will be on full display this weekend when more than 2,500 athletes come to town for the 2018 Sunbelt Bakery Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, presented by McKee: A Family Bakery.
Athletes ages 18 and older will test their mental and physical endurance on Sunday, May 20, as they complete a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run. Race routes were chosen to highlight the scenic beauty of Chattanooga and the North Georgia area.
Athlete check-in and Ironman Village at Ross's Landing will open Friday, May 18, at noon.
On Saturday, May 19, registration opens at 7:30 a.m. for the Ironkids fun run. The fun run starts at Ross's Landing at 9 a.m. that morning.
Racers and spectators will be up before dawn on Sunday. The transition area at Ross's Landing opens at 4:30 a.m., where athletes and spectators can catch a shuttle to the swim start. The triathlon begins at 6:50 a.m. Awards will be presented around 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Traffic Advisory: Riverfront Parkway from Molly Lane to Aquarium Way is closed until Monday, May 21, at 5 a.m.
For more information: www.ironman.com.
IRONMAN 70.3 CHATTANOOGA RACE COURSE
Swim
The point-to-point swim in the Tennessee River will start 1 mile upstream of the transition area at Ross's Landing. Spectators can watch the swim from Veterans or Market Street bridges as well as the Tennessee Riverwalk. Athletes will exit the water at Ross's Landing Park.
Bike
The bike course takes riders 11 miles south of town before beginning a 34-mile loop in North Georgia. Athletes will ride through downtown to St. Elmo into North Georgia. As athletes near the end of the loop, they will ride through historic Chickamauga. The 56-mile course has approximately 2,400 feet of climbing.
Run
Athletes will have a chance to see the Scenic City as they complete 13.1 miles in two loops through downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee Riverwalk, Veterans Bridge, North Shore and Walnut Street Bridge to the final stretch down Riverfront Parkway to finish at Ross's Landing.