Introduction
Change is intrinsic to triathlons, but especially to the Ironman. Racers have to change their diet, sleep patterns, exercise habits and relationships to even have a hope of completing one of the most grueling events on the planet. Every aspect of one’s life must change for the ability to move 140.6 miles in one day powered by nothing but endurance.The host city changes for the race, too. Restaurants and hotels prepare for a swell of new customers. Over 4,500 volunteers detour from their daily schedules to solve a logistics nightmare of giving every competitor what they need, when they need it. And Chattanooga does a damn good job at it.In the first year of the Ironman Chattanooga, the race scored a 97 percent satisfaction rate with athletes, according to Lisa Anderson, director of the volunteer effort. It was the highest rate ever achieved at an Ironman event, Anderson says.Next year, the Scenic City will host its first Ironman World Championship, making Chattanooga the only city on the planet to host the half Ironman, the full Ironman and the world championship — an evolution that our city could not have anticipated when planning the first race back in 2014.Sometimes to change is a challenge that can look insurmountable. Imagine finishing an Ironman triathlon, and weeks later being diagnosed with a motor neuron disease that will ravage the muscles in your hands, leaving you unable to tie your shoes or change a tire on your bike. Could you come back in 2015 to race after being given two to five years to live? What about in 2016, would you come back again as a volunteer to make the event as amazing as possible?Whether change is a decision or something thrust upon you, we all have to rise to the occasion.Here are a few stories from racers, trainers and volunteers who have been a part of Chattanooga’s Ironman since the first race in 2014 and have witnessed with their own eyes the transformative power that is the Ironman Chattanooga.
This year, McPhail is confident she'll cross the finish line. She's doubled down on her training, and hopes her story can help motivate other racers to overcome their obstacles.Best Spectator Spots
SwimmingSunday, Sept. 25; 7:20-9:40 a.m.Fans can walk along with the racers on the Chattanooga Riverwalk to offer encouragement and watch the athletes. The swim portion of the event finishes at Ross’s Landing Park.CyclingSunday, Sept. 25; 9:40 a.m. - 5:50 p.m.The athletes will pass through scenic Lookout Mountain and historic Chickamauga, Georgia. Spectators can spot the cyclists as they fly by along Riverfront Parkway in downtown Chattanooga or Chickamauga Road, West Cove Road and Cove Road in Chickamauga, Georgia.RunningSunday, Sept. 25; 5:50 p.m. - midnightAthletes will loop twice around a path in and around some of the best sights Chattanooga has to offer, including the Tennessee Riverwalk, Veterans Bridge, the North Shore, Walnut Street Bridge and Riverfront Parkway. The ending stretch of the race will conclude at Ross’s Landing on the Tennessee River. Spectators are encouraged to take a spot on one of the bridges or along the river to watch the finale.
Not many get to experience the joy and frustration of having a nemesis, someone or something confounding you at every turn. Carie Balton McPhail, though, knows exactly what her nemesis is: the Ironman Chattanooga.
She's raced in her fair share of triathlons, including Ironman events in Memphis and Birmingham, but the only event she's yet to complete is Chattanooga's Ironman. Her 2014 bid crumbled under the weight of mechanical bike malfunctions with only a third of the cycling portion remaining. Her shot in 2015 was dashed after a particularly nasty crash, once again during the cycling portion, that left her with a broken ankle.
"Me and Chattanooga just have it out for one another," the Memphis native laughs.
On the 2015 course immediately following the accident, she lamented that if she only had a roll of medical tape for her ankle, she might still be able to finish. Her husband reminded her that she still had a full marathon ahead of her.
Alas, her feet have yet to touch the marathon portion of the event. But she knows she'll cross the finish line eventually.
"I left a lot of emotion out on that course," McPhail says. "It took me about a week to decide whether I was going to challenge it again."
Her family, friends and training partners were a little more sure. As soon as she went down in 2015, she says, they knew she'd be back the following year.
After her ankle was treated, she hobbled to the finish line on crutches to witness her friends and training partners cross it in victory. She celebrated with them, of course, though the elusive feeling of accomplishment that comes with crossing the finish line on your own two feet was absent.
Through her training in preparation for 2016, she's become more adamant - more hellbent - on ending up as more than a "Did Not Finish."
"There's definitely an emotion that you can't understand without crossing the finish line," says McPhail. "I've made sacrifices for it, and it's going to happen."
Training for the Ironman eats up hundreds of hours in the preceding months, precious time that could be spent with family or friends. While it's true there is an element of luck when dealing with injuries, she acknowledges that there was always some aspect of her training that could be improved on. Whether it was focusing more on controlling her bike around corners or being constantly aware of her surroundings, it could always be tighter.
Still, though, in the back of her mind, the cycling portion of the Ironman taunts her every time she hops on her bike.
By her own account, she's persevered more for 2016 than any race before, and that determination, she says, has bled into other parts of her life.
"I'm pushing through more at work, I'm more persistent about achieving the goals I set for myself; it's everywhere," says McPhail. "It's made me realize you don't get things the first time you try. You have to be willing to push as hard as possible to get what you want."
And she is confident that 2016 is her year.
Ironman Features
Check out the rest of our Ironman coverage here. Carie Balton McPhail's elusive triumph Kimberly Townsend bends without breaking Robyn and Stephen Wilham coach each other Lee Allen extends a helping hand
By the Numbers
3: Number of hours it took before Ironman 2016 sold out to participants11: Number of Ironman events that will have taken place in Chattanooga by 2017 — more than any other city on Earth4,500: Projected number of volunteers for 201660,000: Amount of money in grant funds awarded in 2015110: Number of volunteers assigned to each water station on the run course1: Number of water stations per mile27,000: Total number of hours worked by volunteers in preparation for and during the race13.2 million: The estimated revenue Ironman 2016 is expected to bring in to Chattanooga100 million: The estimated revenue all Ironman events in Chattanooga are expected to bring in by 201797: Approval percentage from athletes in Chattanooga’s Ironman in 2014 — the highest ever recorded
Schedule of events
*Pre-Race*Thursday, Sept. 22 - at Ross’s Landing9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Athlete check-in9 a.m. to 5 p.m. VIP credential pickup9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2017 IRONMAN Chattanooga On-Site Registration for 2016 athletes only9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. IRONKIDS Chattanooga Fun Run Registration Presented by Sunbelt Bakery11 a.m. Athlete briefing2 p.m. Athlete briefing6 p.m. IRONKIDS Chattanooga Fun Run Presented by Sunbelt Bakery*Friday, Sept. 23 - at Ross’s Landing9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Athlete check-in9 a.m. to 5 p.m. VIP credential pickup9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2017 IRONMAN Chattanooga On-Site Registration for 2016 athletes only11 a.m. Athlete briefingNoon: Athlete pro panel2 p.m. Athlete briefing5-6 p.m. Live music6-7 p.m. Opening ceremony*Saturday, Sept. 24 - at Ross’s Landing9 a.m. to 5 p.m. VIP credential pickup10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mandatory Athlete Bike & Gear Check-In11 a.m. Athlete briefing2 p.m. Athlete briefing*Race Day*Sunday, Sept. 25 - at Ross’s Landing*4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Transition area open and body marking*4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Athlete and spectator shuttle from T1 to swim start at Curtain Pole Riverwalk Park*7:20 a.m. Pro start*7:30 a.m. Age group start*6:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. Mandatory bike and gear checkout*10 p.m. to midnight: Finisher party*Midnight: Race ends*Post-Race*Monday, Sept. 26 - at the Chattanooga Convention Center*8 a.m. to noon: Athlete Celebration Day*9:30 a.m. Awards ceremony*11 a.m. 2017 IRONMAN World Championship slot allocation/rolldown cremony*5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Volunteer appreciation party