Ironman picks Chattanooga as 2014 host

The Tennessee city of Chattanooga is to host the eleventh race in the US Ironman Series, due to take place on 28 September 2014, with the route involving a dip in the Tennessee River, a rural bike leg and a run downtown.

Ironman Chattanooga will offer a $25k professional prize purse and will offer 50 age-group slots to the 2015 Ironman World Championship taking place on 10 October 2015 in Hawaii. General registration for Chattanooga will open on 4 September 2013 at www.ironman.com/chattanooga.

Andrew Messick, CEO of Ironman, commented: "We selected Chattanooga as it is a beautiful city and a premier outdoor sports destination. We are thrilled to bring Ironman here and to partner with the city to deliver a top level event."

The Chattanooga event will commence with a single-loop, 2.4-mile swim in the Tennessee River, followed by a two-loop, 56-mile bike route with scenic farmland and mountain views. It will conclude with a two-and-a-half loop 26.2-mile run course through downtown Chattanooga, the South Side, Riverview and the North Shore.