Ironman Chattanooga - good idea?

Very very under-rated town. Lot's of things to do with the family downtown, and it's VERY walking friendly. The aquarium, IMAX, Choo-Choo are all downtown, and lots of stuff like Lookout mountain, etc right outside of town. It is a well regarded town for it's Outdoor quality of life (think Boulder here).

The course sounds like it will be awesome, starting with the current aided swim in the river. Sub 1 hour maybe?? seriously. The bike will be rolling in the Northern Georgia countryside so no steep climbs. Don't know about the run, but I would say that would be the highlight of the whole IM.

It's a no brainer for me, as it is 70 from my house down I-24.

mta; Weather SHOULD be perfect that time of year. Cool morning and warm/moderate afternoon, back to cool evening finish.

Edited by Chris.1333 2013-08-19 1:25 PM

I agree. If you are bringing a family, it is a great city. Chattanooga used to be a dump but has really turned around the past 10-15 years or so. I live in Nashville and we'll usually take a weekend trip there once a year with the kids. As previous poster noted, there is lots to do within walking distance (TN Aquarium, Children's Museum, etc). There are also several outdoor activities - Lookout Mtn, Ruby Falls, Rock City, etc within a very short drive.

I'm doing IM Louisville this weekend for my first full. If I survive, I will likely register for IMChatt.

Edited by jkintn 2013-08-19 3:20 PM

Best of luck for Louisville! I'll be registering for Chat as well, hope I get in given all of the buzz!

I agree with the top two posts about the town and family friendly

I was considering Louisville for my first ironman in 2014. Just now hearing about Chattenooga I'm wondering which I should do?

I'm a little bias since the race is only 15 minutes from my doorstep, but I can assure you it will be one of the best race experiences you've ever had. The town is really getting behind it. I moved here almost 20 years ago and downtown was a crap hole. Now it is one of my favorite places to go. There is lots to do for everyone. I personally think it is the best small city in the country. Outdoor Magazine even rated this place as the best outdoor city.

The swim should be fast, but it all depends upon the water flow. I did the Chattanooga Rat Race (1.2 miles) in a time a 29:05 without a wetsuit and I'm only an average swimmer at best. It should also be wetsuit legal at that time of the year which will be great. A lot of racers will be under an hour.

The weather is usually fantastic at the end of September. The humidity usually goes away by then and the temperature drops to a comfortable level. I personally think that is the perfect time of year for this race.

If you are looking for a place to stay, stay downtown. I've heard people talking about staying at Hamilton Place. I wouldn't recommend it. I would stay downtown. Getting around by car is easy since you are only a few blocks from major interstates. If you want to get around without a car, downtown Chattanooga has free electric shuttle buses. One warning is that parking is limited and the parking nazis are in force.

I hope you come and enjoy this experience.

It'll be a great race and IMO will draw quite a few people from Louisville. I'm in the Huntsville area and my family tends to take a yearly trip up to Chattanooga.

Thanks for the input.

I'm sold on Tennessee!!! The question for me really is whether I want to commit to a full Ironman in general. I got less than a week to decide...