What to Know:
Sunbelt Bakery IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery Triathlon is back! The event offers 75 qualifying slots for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and 25 places for Women for Tri. The anticipated economic impact in our community for this event is $7 million, attracting 10-12,000 people, including over 3,500 athletes, visitors, and spectators.
All pre-and post-race IRONMAN 70.3 race activities will occur at the IRONMAN Village located at Ross’s Landing. During the race, athletes will swim 1.24 miles down the Tennessee River, bike a 56-mile loop into Northern Georgia, and run 13.1 miles through downtown Chattanooga neighborhoods and the Tennessee Riverwalk to finish at Ross’s Landing. This route was designed to fully showcase Chattanooga’s unique setting and will inevitably cause an impact on traffic. For the safety of the participants, road closures and traffic detours will be put in place, and all travelers are asked to proceed with caution and cooperation.
Schedule:
IRONMAN 70.3 Weekend – May 20-22, 2022
IRONKIDS Fun Run – Saturday, May 21, 2022 | Race starts at 9 am
IRONMAN 70.3 – Sunday, May 22, 2022 | Pro Racers start at 6:50 am, Age Group Racers start at 7 am
Awards Ceremony – Sunday, May 22, 2022 | 4 pm
Who to Watch:
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST
Flora Duffy, Age 34
Bermuda
Flora Duffy is a Bermudian triathlete who has competed in four Olympic games and won the gold medal in the Women's Triathlon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Her gold medal is Bermuda's first and only gold medal. Duffy began competing in triathlons at age seven. She quickly moved up through the sport's ranks to become the first-ever Bermudian Olympic gold medalist and the only person to win three triathlon world titles in the same year in 2016. Her participation in IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga on May 22 is part of her build-up training in hopes of defending her title in the 2024 Pairs Summer Olympics.
USA PARALYMPIAN
Chris Hammer, Age 36
USA
Chris Hammer is an American triathlete born without his left hand but has never let that slow him down. Hammer grew up playing multiple sports but did not begin triathlon training until 2013. Since his debut in the sport, he has collected 12 World Triathlon Para Series medals, three World Championship podiums, and three national titles. He has competed in three Paralympian Games, including the inaugural paratriathlon event at the 2016 Rio Games, where he placed fourth. After Hammer's impressive performance, winning his age division and finishing 16th overall in the September 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta, he received his elite card from USA Triathlon. He will compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga on May 22 as the first challenged athlete in history to become a professional triathlete.
LOCAL NEWLYWEDS FIRST IRONMAN
DeLeslyn & Jason Sullivan, Ages 46
Ringgold, GA
Back in August 2021, DeLeslyn and Jason tied the knot at 45 years old! DeLeslyn has been an avid runner and triathlete trainee for a while now and has competed in a few IRONMAN races! She and her new husband, Jason, are now in it together, pushing each other to their best abilities. This past April, the athletic couple raced in a half marathon as part of their training for IRONMAN Chattanooga on May 22, which will be Jason’s first triathlon ever!
LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY FROM BEING HOMELESS TO BEING AN IRONMAN ATHLETE
Michael Savage, Age 38
Sidney, IL
Michael Savage shared his touching story with IRONMAN when he signed up for IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga. His journey has been anything but easy. Michael is a recovering heroin addict who was homeless and living on the streets before he found fitness. A few years back, prior to his recovery from addiction, Michael recalls being on his death bed in the ICU. He survived and got a second chance at life. This is when he turned his life around and found fitness as an outlet and as a way back to a healthy life. Michael is proud to compete in his first IRONMAN 70.3 on May 22 and can’t wait to see what he can accomplish.
How to Watch:
On race day, IRONMAN participants test their physical and mental limits and count on encouragement and motivation from spectators.
LIVE race coverage of the 2022 Sunbelt Bakery IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery triathlon will air on Outside TV. Coverage of the event will feature several camera angles and locations that will immerse viewers into all the action. Coverage will begin with a pre-race show at 6:30 am that previews the pro field and course while also including exclusive interviews with triathlon personalities and other special guests.
Fans can also use the Chattanooga Tourism Co.’s Spectators Guide and IRONMAN’s Athlete Tracker App available for download on IOS or Android to watch, follow along, and cheer on the triathletes competing in the Sunbelt Bakery IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Chattanooga presented by McKee A Family Bakery.
