Marino Vanhoenacker spent the past few weeks cycling around Chattanooga, running along the Tennessee River, swimming at the Baylor School and eating at the Waffle House at the intersection of Dayton Boulevard and Signal Mountain Road.
After all, Vanhoenacker is from Belgium, where a good waffle is appreciated.
The 40-year-old veteran triathlete made himself at home in Chattanooga for the better part of September, then capped off his stay with a convincing win over a field of younger challengers in Sunday’s scorching Little Debbie Ironman Chattanooga.
Vanhoenacker finished the 144.6-mile triathlon in 8 hours, 12 minutes, 22 seconds, earning his 14th career Ironman victory and the last laugh in a round of prerace banter within the field of 25 male professionals.
“There were four guys, you heard them say it at a press conference, that they planned to run me down,” Vanhoenacker said. “On paper, that’s what was going to happen. So I needed some space.”