IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Chattanooga!

Chattanooga Hosts IRONMAN Triathlon Trifecta!

Outdoor Chattanooga News & Events September 2017

Outdoor Chattanooga's newsletter highlights the awesome outdoor activities happening in and around Chattanooga that will connect you to the outdoors and inspire you to come out and play with us!

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Outdoor Chattanooga Events

Rapid Learning Kayak Skills Program September 13, 20, & 27

September is the last month to catch our Rapid Learning Kayak Skills Program outside at the lake at Chester Frost County Park. We're there every **Wednesday evening with two session: 6-7 p.m. or 7-8 p.m. The first session is always free. No prior experience, reservations or equipment needed. Just show up and learn the basics of whitewater kayaking from our experienced staff. For more info email Outdoor Chattanooga or call (423) 643-6888.

**Note: Rapid Learning will not meet Wednesday, September 6 due to Ironman 70.3 World Championship events happening in Chattanooga all week. Instead, bring your kayak and join us for the Unofficial Paddle Parade on the Tennessee River, Thurs., Sept. 7 from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. to support the athletes during the parade of nations. **

Chickamauga Battlefield Bike Tour September 16

Join Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Outdoor Chattanooga for a free, leisurely paced, historical bike tour through Chickamauga Battlefield on Sat., Sept. 16 at 9:30 a.m. The ride is on moderately-hilly terrain, lasts about 2 hours, with frequent stops as the Ranger talks about the history of the battlefield.The rides are appropriate for ages 8 and older when accompanied by an adult. All participants are required to wear helmets. Bring your own bicycle or borrow a bicycle from the Outdoor Chattanooga's mobile bicycle fleet at no charge, thanks to sponsorship from Friends of the Park, Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Bicycle Club. Reservations for the bicycles are required and only available to riders 5' or taller. Contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at (706) 866-9241 for more information or to reserve a bicycle.

Mountain to Town Bike Adventure September 17

Join Outdoor Chattanooga for an all-inclusive, beginner friendly Mountain to Town -Downhill Bike Adventure on Sun., Sept. 17 at 9:00 a.m. Our experienced guide staff will provide a shuttle, ride support and instruction during the downhill ride. Use one of our new mountain bikes or use your own. Our mobile mountain bike fleet is provided by grants from the Ironman Foundation and Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga. Enjoy views of the city while cruising down the beginner-friendly Guild Trail, comprised of tightly packed gravel, until it connects with the paved trails of the Tennessee Riverwalk in St. Elmo all the way back into downtown Chattanooga. Ride time is about 2 hours. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. Riders must be able to independently ride, shift, maneuver, and operate a bike with hand brakes, listen and follow instructions and be able to make decisions quickly while moving at higher speeds in order to participate in this adventure. Cost: $25 per person includes bike, helmet, water bottle, transportation, guide staff and ride support. Reservations required in advance as space is limited. For more information and to make a reservation, email Outdoor Chattanooga or call (423) 643-6888.

Intro to Mountain Biking Skills Course September 15 & 26

Mountain Biking is so much more than just riding a bike through the woods! Outdoor Chattanooga's Intro to Mountain Biking classes teach the basics and reinforce the skills needed to get the most out of mountain biking. Use of open fields, built features and instructional skill drills; our instructors teach in a format that can be structured to your pace and individual learning style. Mountain bikes are available by reservation to use for class thanks to grants from the Ironman Foundation and Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga. *Participants must already know how to confidently ride a bike for this class. Fee: $10 per person per class. Ages 10 and up. Reservations required. Email Outdoor Chattanooga or call (423) 643-6888 to register and learn more.

Chattanooga Area Interscholastic Climbing League

The 2017-2018 school year is back in session, and Outdoor Chattanooga is excited to once again partner with High Point Climbing Downtown, Riverside and Tennessee Bouldering Authority to offer middle and high school students the opportunity to participate in the Chattanooga area Interscholastic Climbing League (ICL). The ICL provides a competitive climbing program for middle and high school students that introduces them to a challenging sport in an environment that emphasizes communication, teamwork, and positive social interaction without the competitive pressures often associated with traditional sports. The ICL offers six organized meets for school teams to compete in through the winter months. Students and coaches don't have to have any prior experience to participate in the league. Most area schools, including public, private and home schools have established climbing teams. Teams are comprised of a minimum of five student climbers and a coach or team sponsor. Schools can have more than one team as long as each team has a minimum of five student climbers. Interested participants are encouraged to check with their school to see if a team already exists and how to join. If a school doesn't have a team, participants can email Outdoor Chattanooga or call 423-643-6888 to find out how to form a new team or to compete individually.

More Outdoor Chattanooga Events

Community Events

Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Chattanooga September 9 & 10

Chattanooga was selected to host the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, a two-day event that brings 4,500 athletes from 91 countries around the world to the Scenic City! The professional and age-group women will race on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, and the professional and age-group men will race on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. Hosting this event makes Chattanooga the ONLY city on the planet to host a full-distance IRONMAN, a 70.3 IRONMAN and the 70.3 IRONMAN World Championships, not just in the same year, but EVER!! It's a triathlon trifecta and it's kind of a big deal! Get all the need to know information about the 70.3 World Championship right here - Schedule of events, Traffic impact, Spectator guide and Course info.

Decade in the Dirt - Trail Opening Event at Lula Lake September 16

Lula Lake Land Trust spent a decade digging in the dirt to expand their extensive trail system and they are celebrating the completion of a new trail segment called "The Moonshine Trails" on Saturday, September 16. The Moonshine Trails include the Chattanooga Connector Trail that connects Lula Lake Land Trust Core Property to Covenant College and the National Park Service trails, as well as 4 more miles of advanced spur trails. The Decade in the Dirt Celebration starts with the "Moonshine Shuffle"-a scavenger hunt style adventure race where mountain bikers and trail runners visit checkpoints along the new trails and enter for raffle prizes. After the shuffle, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, music, drinks and food on the core property. For more info, click here .

Levitt AMP Chattanooga Music Series
August 24 - October 26, 2017

The Levitt AMP Chattanooga Music Series, presented by the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, a local affiliate of the National Urban League, will invigorate the lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center in the historic Martin Luther King district, shining a light on the area's renowned musical heritage while reestablishing it as a thriving cultural destination. These family friendly concerts occur Thursday evenings August 24-October 26 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. FREE Admission. Food and beverage vendors will be on site, so bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy an evening of music on the lawn. For full concert schedule and updates due to weather, please visit the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga's Facebook page .

Wilderness First Aid Certification Course September 23-24

Here's a great opportunity to get your Disaster + Travel + Wilderness First Aid certification right here in Chattanooga! The course is offered by the awesome folks at MEDIC Solo Disaster+Wilderness Medical School. The course will be hosted at UTC September 23 and 24. Click here to find out more and get registered as space is limited!

Hamilton County Fair September 23 & 24

The Hamilton County Fair, held on the last weekend in September each year, attracts over 50,000 people during the two-day event. The Fair is held on Dallas Island in Chester Frost Park, a 280-acre lakefront Hamilton County facility located in North Hamilton County, about 15 miles from downtown. Fairgoers are shuttled to the park via Bus Shuttle. There is no admission fee to the fair, but there is a shuttle fee or $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 3-12, under 3 free. Strollers and wheelchairs are welcome aboard the transportation. The fair is open both Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24 from 10:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. and is held rain or shine. Click here for more information about fair including a map, entertainment schedule, food vendors and the shuttle pick up and drop off locations.

Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga September 24


Photo Credit IRONMAN

With all the attention on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship earlier this month, don't forget about the Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga on Sunday, September 24. Those athletes travel to Chattanooga to complete 144.6 miles of swim, bike, run in one day! Click here to find out more about the final IRONMAN race of 2017 in the Scenic City. Schedule of Events, Course Info Spectator Guide and Traffic Impact.

Noteworthy Side Note:

Wonder why Chattanooga keeps hosting IRONMAN Races? IRONMAN athletes voted Chattanooga O verall satisfaction, Overall swim, Best Race Venue, Best Host City, and Best Post-Race Celebration. All that should come as no surprise since Chattanooga was voted the Best Town Ever by Outside Magazine....Twice! As Chattanoogans, we know we're awesome, and now that we're hosting the World Championship, the world will know too!

More Community Events

This Month's Local and Global Outdoor Adventure:

Ever wondered what it would be like to travel across the world to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles, then run 13.1 miles all in one day? Yeah, us either, but apparently, a lot of people spend countless hours training and dedicate themselves to accomplishing this goal. Some even do it well enough to qualify for the World Championships, which are being held right here in Chattanooga, TN, September 9 and 10.

About IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

The IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship was created in 2006 and held in Clearwater, Florida until 2011. It then moved to Henderson, Nevada, where athletes were treated to a much more challenging course. In 2014, the event took place in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec-its first stop on the new global rotation for the championship. The event headed to Europe for the first time in 2015, where Zell am See, Austria, hosted an epic and memorable event . In 2016, Australia's beautiful Sunshine Coast hosted an incredible race week.

Returning to the United States in 2017, Chattanooga, Tennessee was selected to host the two-day championship event. More than 185,000 athletes participated in a season of qualifying races for the championship, a series which consists of over 100 events in locations such as Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, South Africa and Switzerland. Approximately 4,500 athletes from around the world are registered to compete in this prestigious race. Participants in the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship range in age from 18 to 85-plus, and represent 91 countries, territories and regions. In 2018, the event reaches the African continent for the first time and will be hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. The race will then move to Nice, France for 2019.

Pre-Race Events:

Made in Tennessee Celebration September 6

The community is invited to come out and show some true southern hospitality for the thousands of athletes visiting Chattanooga for the World Championship at the MADE IN TENNESSEE Celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 6 from 6-10 p.m. This free celebration will feature bluegrass and country music from artists whose careers were made in Tennessee. The festivities will be held along Broad Street between West Aquarium Way and West 3rd Streets, with the famed Tennessee Aquarium as the backdrop for the main stage entertainment. The Broad Street restaurants and shops will showcase southern-inspired foods and beverages.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

6:00 - 10:00 pm - Southern Shop & Dine Around

6:30 - 7:30 pm - Performance from local favorite Strung Like A Horse, providing a taste of the bluegrass sounds from Chattanooga.

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Headliner and one of iHeartRadio's ON THE VERGE country music artists - Carly Pearce.

Late for the Train 5K Fun Run September 7

Want to get a taste of what the athletes experience on race day without going the whole distance? Register for the Late For The Train 5k Fun Run that occurs on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 9:00 a.m. Participants will start and finish on Riverfront Parkway at the official IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship finish line. Open to all ages. Entry fee is $25. Click here to find out more and register for the fun run.

Parade of Nations September 7

The Parade of Nations is a chance for all of the athletes representing 91 different countries that are visiting Chattanooga for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship this week to band together and parade down Riverfront Parkway into Ross' Landing. It showcases the true international flavor of this event. Come out to show your support for these incredible athletes on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 4-5 p.m.

Unofficial Paddle Parade September 7

In support of the Parade of Nations for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, a ll boaters are encouraged to bring their own kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard and meet up for the unofficial, unsanctioned, unsponsored, unchained and unhurried paddle craft cheering support crew during the Parade of Nations and welcome the athletes with a splash of southern hospitality. Click here to find out more!

IRONKIDS Fun Run September 8

IRONKIDS fun run offers young athletes the unique opportunity to feel the excitement of competition while enjoying the outdoors and promoting healthy living. Kids ages 3-13 can choose to run the 1 mile or 1/2 mile course on Friday, Sept. 8 at 9:00 a.m. Cost is $15 in advance online or $20 onsite. *no cash onsite- only accepting debit/ credit card*

Time for the Main Event:

"An Adventure for the Soul"

September 9 & 10

So, now that you know Chattanooga is the ONLY city on the planet to host a full-distance IRONMAN, a 70.3 IRONMAN and the 70.3 IRONMAN World Championships, do you feel more compelled to be a part of the action? Now that you know about the triathlon trifecta that's occurring in the Scenic City this year and that it's more than just kind of a big deal...it's actually a really big deal; will you make time to go support these amazing athletes that have traveled from the far corners of the planet just to race in our hometown? Whether you cheer from the sidelines or volunteer at the wee hours of the morning; each of us has a role to play that helps makes this event special for the dedicated athletes that trained for hours, months, and even years to become a World Champion! Find all the need to know information about the 70.3 World Championship right here - Schedule of events , Traffic impact , Spectator guide and Course info . We'll see you out there on race day!