Nearly 600 Ironman spectators and 14 athletes required medical treatment after Sunday's race

September 26, 2016 at 4:01 p.m. | Updated September 26, 2016 at 4:03 p.m.

by Steve Johnson

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/25/16. Matt Russell #4, from Sarasota, FL, recovers after crossing the finish line 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. Matt Russell #4, from Sarasota, FL, recovers after crossing the finish line 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.

Even an Ironman occasionally will bend or even break.

Erlanger officials said Monday that 14 of the 2,500-plus athletes who participated in Sunday's triathalon ended up needing medical treatment with several of them hospitalized.

Sunday was one of the hottest days on record for Sept. 25 in Chattanooga, which made the event, which included a 2.4-mile swim in the Tennessee River, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2 mile marathon, even more grueling than normal. Temperatures reached 97 degrees, the hottest recorded temperature since 1913.

Nearly 600 spectators were also treated in the medical tent, most of them for heat-related issues.

Other reported medical problems included cuts, minor orthopedic injuries, soft tissue and muscle injuries, dehydration and chest pain, according to Erlanger spokeswoman Jennifer Homa.

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