IF YOU GO
Race Starts: 6:50 a.m. swim start, shuttle available from Ross’ Landing Awards: 4 p.m., Ross’s Landing WHERE TO WATCH Swim: Veterans and Market Street bridges, Tennessee Riverwalk, Ross’s Landing Bike: Ross’s Landing, Riverfront Parkway, Market Street, Highway 193 Run: Ross’s Landing, Riverfront Parkway, Tennessee Riverwalk, Veterans Bridge, Coolidge Park, Walnut Street Bridge
On Sunday, the inaugural Sunbelt Bakery Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga takes place in water and on land all over the greater Chattanooga area.
The race consists of a 1.2-mile swim that starts on the northeastern side of Maclellan Island and ends at Ross’s Landing Park, a 56-mile bike ride that takes riders south of the city and on a loop through North Georgia, and closes with a 13.1-mile run up Riverfront Parkway and along the Tennessee Riverwalk.
Set-up for the event started Thursday, with road closures on Riverfront Parkway between Molly Lane and Aquarium Way, Chestnut Street between Aquarium Way and Riverfront Parkway, and Power Alley from the parking lot to Riverfront Parkway in effect until 5 a.m. Monday.
Spectators have plenty of opportunities to watch the race. The best views of the swim can be had from the Veterans and Market Street bridges, the Tennessee Riverwalk and Ross’s Landing Park, where the athletes will be exiting the water and transitioning to the bike and run portions of the race. Ross’s Landing is also the finish line of the race and the site of the awards ceremony. A shuttle bus will be available to take athletes and spectators from check-in at Ross’s Landing to the swim start across the river between 4:30 a.m. and 6:45 a.m. The shuttle will begin taking spectators from the swim start back to Ross’s Landing at 7:30 a.m.
Sunday’s race is half of a traditional Ironman race, which usually features a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Chattanooga hosted its first Ironman race last September, with another full race planned this September. Despite being half the normal distance, race organizers say, Sunday’s race offers athletes a great training opportunity, as well as 30 slots in the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Austria.
Race director Brian Myrick was finishing set-up Friday night, gearing up for today’s 1-mile and 1/4-mile Ironkids fun-run, starting at Ross’s Landing at 9 a.m. He said 3,000 athletes from all over the world were registered for Sunday, and he expects anywhere between 2,400-2,600 to race. He said Ironman organizers are excited to be back in Chattanooga.
“Chattanooga was a great host for the inaugural race in September,” Myrick said. “We had tremendous support from the community and city officials. We look forward to putting on another tremendous race this weekend.”
Contact Will Healey at whealey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.
RACE DAY ROAD CLOSURES
Bike course impact: Duration: 5 a.m.-1 p.m. Closed: 1-24 exit/on ramp to Market Street One lane closed: Southbound riverfront from Molly Way to Market Street, eastbound West 20th from Riverfront Parkway to Market Street, southbound Market Street to Alton Park Boulevard Expect delays: Intersection of West 20th and Broad streets, intersection of St. Elmo Avenue and 45th Street, Highway 193 at Highway 341, and Highway 136 at Highways 193 and 341. Run course impact: Duration: 5 a.m.-1 p.m. Lane closed: Westbound Riverside Drive/Amnicola Highway from Lindsey to Riverport Road, Veterans Bridge/Barton Avenue/Hixson Pike between 4th Street and Riverview Road, and eastbound Frazier Avenue between Walnut Street Bridge and Barton Avenue