How Chattanooga became a premier city for Ironman

By Jim Tanner September 3, 2017 8 min read

Photo Gallery

How Chattanooga became a premier city for Ironman

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Kenneth Burnett #1239, from Fayetteville, NC, swims towards a support boater to work out a cramp before completing the final leg of the swim during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Barrett Brandon #15, from Fort Worth, TX, leads the mens professional division as they compete in the swim portion of the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Matt Russell #4, from Sarasota, FL, heads out for his first loop of the run course during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. Russell took third place overall with an overall time of 8:24:53. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Marino Vanhoenacker #2, from Jabbeke, BEL, raises his hands in victory as he wins the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. Vanhoenacker won overall with a time of 8:12:22. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Chip Walters #2515, from Harrison, TN., and other runners leave the bike to run transition during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Adam Weeks #2143, from Hickory, NC, and TinTin Rexach #437, from San Juan, PR, ride past a run mural while on the bike course during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Age group competitors finish up the final stretch of the swim portion while competing in the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Eric Limkemann, from Richmond, VA, starts the run after being third off the bike during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. Limkemann finished 8th overall. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Professional competitors draft each other while competing in the swim portion of the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Cyclists enter the bike to run transition during the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Age group competitors exit the water while competing in the swim portion of the 2016 Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga triathlon on September 25, 2016. More than 2,700 athletes registered to compete in a 2.4-mile swim, 116-mile bike and 26.2-mile run throughout Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Ironman triathlons can be a life-changing event for the athletes participating, the volunteers manning the aid stations and the spectators cheering the competitors. But the race also has helped transform a small Southern city into an internationally known outdoor destination.

Less than three years after the first Ironman Chattanooga was held in September 2014, the Scenic City will take another step in its Ironman journey next weekend when 4,500 athletes gather to compete over two days at the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championships.

The event’s impact on this area is not only economic, but also personal for some residents.

“I got back into triathlons when Ironman came to town,” Chattanooga Tri Club President Billy Day said. “I had done some back in the early 1990s, but hadn’t done one for 20 years. When Ironman came to town and you saw people complete it, that was kind of a line in the sand and you knew it was time to get back in shape.”

IRONMAN 70.3 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Next weekend, Chattanooga will host the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, during which the top professional and age-group triathletes in the world will compete over a course featuring a 1.2-mile swim, 53-mile bike and 13.1-mile run. The women’s race will begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m. at Ross’s Landing, with the men’s race scheduled for Sunday morning. More than 4,500 athletes are registered for the race with thousands of other visitors expected in Chattanooga this week.