Officials from the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announced on Thursday the creation of the Chattanooga Marathon, a new community-wide sporting event. The inaugural event will take place March 4-6, 2016.
Jim Coppinger, mayor of Hamilton County said, “We are incredibly excited about the creation of this new event and how the spotlight continues to be on Hamilton County. We have the infrastructure for hosting events such as this, from world-class natural amenities for the athletes to providing an exceptional experience for spectators. We are anticipating that many participants will come from out of town which will drive tourism- adding to the already one billion dollar impact that tourism has on Hamilton County.”
The Chattanooga Marathon weekend includes an Expo, Kids Fun Run, 5K, Team Relay and a Half and Full Marathon. The never-competed-on courses feature incredible scenic views throughout the downtown, North Shore and St. Elmo areas.
“The Chattanooga Marathon will be a showcase of what makes us such a unique city,” said Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. “From designing a course that runs through over a dozen local neighborhoods to testing tomorrow’s high tech sports applications using our Gigabit infrastructure, our marathon will be a one-of-a-kind event for both residents and visiting athletes.”
According to Tim Morgan, president of the Chattanooga Sports Committee, this event came together as a collaborate effort between government, civic and several other community organizations.
“It’s truly another great day in Chattanooga. Our community has proved repeatedly that we can host events of this caliber. This is an exciting opportunity for us to add to the incredible mix of events we already host. It gives visitors one more reason to come to Chattanooga,” said Bob Doak, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I want to thank Mayors Jim Coppinger and Andy Berke for their unwavering support and personal involvement in helping to secure these events.”
Online registration opens in July. For information on sponsorships and registration, visit www.chattanoogamarathon.com.