There was a gaggle of supporters cheering at the top of the gentle incline of the Walnut Street Bridge on Sunday.
Granted, "gentle" is a matter of perspective since I was walking, and the field of thousands wrapping up the 2019 Sunbelt Baker Ironman 70.3 were pushing through the physical pain that few know.
The folks lining the rails on Walnut Street, screaming encouragement, waving signs and looking the part of super fans somewhere between soccer hooligans and college football tailgaters were eye-popping.
There was a group of young ladies in electric-colored wigs and skin-toned unitards. There was a collection of casual fans who were petting dogs, sipping coffee or snapping photos in between cheers for the runners.
There were even a pair of women who held a poster that read "Smile if you peed on your bicycle," referring to the 50-plus-mile ride before the 13.1-mile run to end the event that is part lifetime goal and anti-Geneva Convention punishment.
"No," one runner said between huffs and puffs, "I was too dehydrated," which made everyone smile.
The environment - among competitors, friends, fans, and everyone else - was more than awesome.
Too often these days, we are divided on everything.
Politics. Points of views. Even sports.
Well, the biggest takeaway from Sunday's event was the true community feel of the event.
It's easy to scoff at the 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on the trunks of Subarus. But the effort and angst, the agony and the investment is unlike any other individual sporting event.
And that effort is honored - by fellow participants, by family members, by fitness enthusiasts and random sports fans everywhere.
Especially here.
"That's part of it," Mike Hummel of Dallas, Texas, said when asked about the respect we have for humans pushing their mental and physical limits. "But you guys [here in Chattanooga] have really raised it to another level.
"This is my second [half-triathlon] but the scenery here and the course and these fans " he said as his bare feet were bleeding and his eyes were scanning for his neighbor Daniel Sage, who also competed Sunday. "It makes it even more special."
Hummel finished in the top 20 overall and third in his age group.
Jill Willis of Columbus, Georgia, was shuffling a handful of posterboards featuring humorous phrases and fortune-cookie motivational musings.
"The crowds are always very supportive and very encouraging," Willis said as she was cheering everyone through the home stretch, including her husband Chris, a multi-event veteran who was making his second trip to Chattanooga for a half-Ironman.
One of the signs Jill lifted had the words set to the tune of "Baby Shark" that has become an viral sensation and is impossible to get out of your head once it gets there.
"Once you get this deep into a race this hard you are looking for anything else to think about so you can finish."
It was gratifying to see so many strangers looking for ways to help competitors finish because they knew how demanding the race is.
It was joyous to watch people cheering for the competitors and not the result.
It was pure seeing the effort demand respect rather than the participants crave respect before the effort.
It was, simply put, a great example of praising the try among these triathletes.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.