IRONMAN announced Tuesday that it has chosen Chattanooga to host the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon. The championship race will be a two-day event with the professional and age-group women racing on Saturday, Sept. 9, and the professional and age-group men racing on Sunday, Sept. 10.
Chattanooga beat out two other venues where IRONMAN races are held in Lake Placid, New York and St. George, Utah.
The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is the pinnacle event in the global IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon series. IRONMAN expects more than 185,000 registered athletes to race at over 100 IRONMAN 70.3 races around the world throughout the 2017 qualifying season. From those races, more than 4,000 athletes will qualify to race in the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
“We are extremely excited that our community was chosen to host the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Championship,” said Bob Doak, president and chief executive officer for the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Chattanooga is one of six cities in the country to host both an IRONMAN and an IRONMAN 70.3; Chattanooga is one of 10 cities in the world to host both an IRONMAN and an IRONMAN 70.3; and Chattanooga is the only city on the planet to host an IRONMAN, an IRONMAN 70.3 and two days of IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship racing. That’s impressive. We would not have been able to do this without the existing strong partnership with IRONMAN and the dedication and support of the entire community.
"We have now joined the ranks of world cities to host this international event. In 2014 it was held in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada; this year, it was held in Zell am See, Austria; in 2016, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia; and then in 2017, Chattanooga. The first time the United States will be eligible to host this event again will be in 2025. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
"Since 2006, the IRONMAN 70.3 race series has grown exponentially around the world and has seen global success with the annual change in host region of the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship," said Andrews Messick, chief executive officer for IRONMAN. "I am thrilled to announce that Chattanooga has been selected as the host city for 2017. Chattanooga is a first-class city, fully qualified and well-equipped to deliver an exceptional event, and we look forward to providing our athletes with an unforgettable championship race experience.”
Known throughout the Southeastern U.S. as the Scenic City due to its proximity to Lookout Mountain, striking riverfront and vibrant downtown, Chattanooga lures athletes with its dramatic backdrop, idyllic weather and low-key southern charm. Already host to annual IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events, 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. Chattanooga is full of attractions, eclectic dining spots and great places to stay, said officials.
For more information about the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, please visit www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/ironman-70.3/world-championship.