Moccasin Bend is seen from Point Park on Thursday, Apr. 23, 2015, in Lookout Mountain, Tenn.Hundreds of out-of-town visitors are headed to Lookout Mountain this morning, and they aren’t going to exchange gifts and eat grandmother’s Christmas ham.
They might actually burn more calories than they ingest during their visit.
The Lookout Mountain 50, an ultra-running competition that is rising in popularity, is bringing in competitors from 33 states for a 50-mile run that will pass most of the mountain’s landmarks.
The defending champion is a local, however. Nathan Holland, a 31-year-old Ooltewah resident, is aiming to beat the seven-hour mark in this year’s race after missing it by just 14 minutes and 47 seconds last year.
“I may be a little biased being from Chattanooga, but it really is an awesome race,” Holland said. “You’re not going to get the huge mountain scenery that you get at ultra events out West, but one thing I’ve noticed is you don’t get as much vegetation out there. Around here there’s so much wildlife that you see.”