Chattanooga is one of two cities competing to host the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship triathlon. The other is St. George, Utah.
The 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship will be a two-day event – a format first adopted in 2017 when the event was held in Chattanooga – with the professional women and age-group women racing on one day and the professional men and age-group men racing on the other.
“Of the many fine cities that vied for consideration to host the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, both Chattanooga and St. George stood out,” says Andrew Messick, president and chief executive officer of Ironman. “Year after year, each city shines by providing world championship caliber venues and events for their athletes.”
Host to Ironman events beginning in 2014, Chattanooga provides a fast course with a swim in the Tennessee River. Four bridges cross the river over the swim and a pedestrian Riverwalk runs along the entire swim course, making it ideal for spectators.
Having played host to the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship, Chattanooga is currently looking at a new and improved bike course.
Chattanooga was recently recognized by the 2018 Ironman Athlete Choice awards for the Ironman 70.3 and Ironman triathlons, which ranked in the top 10 in multiple categories.
The Sunbelt Bakery Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga was tied for first for Will Recommend to a Friend and fifth in Overall Host City Experience. The Little Debbie Ironman Chattanooga also tied for eighth for Best Overall Bike and tied for ninth for Best Overall Venue Experience.
The 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship brought nearly 15,000 people to Chattanooga for the largest Ironman 70.3 event ever produced at the time
Athletes can compete in Chattanooga in advance of having an opportunity to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship as registration for the 2019 events in the city is now open.
The Sunbelt Bakery Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga race is scheduled for Sunday, May 19, with details available at www.ironman.com/chattanooga70.3.
The Little Debbie Ironman Chattanooga will take place Sunday, Sept. 29, with further details available at www.ironman.com/chattanooga.
Qualification for the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championship will begin in July 2020. Ironman expects approximately 200,000 athletes from around the world to compete at any of the more than 115 events in the global Ironman 70.3 Series in locations such as Australia, Brazil, Africa, Malaysia and China to earn a slot.
Source: Ironman