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What to pack for IRONMAN Chattanooga

IRONMAN Chattanooga is a full distance run out of one transition at Ross's Landing — swim, bike and run all return to the same place on the Tennessee River. Unlike the North-American 70.3s nearby, this one uses the full five-bag IRONMAN scheme, so your kit is packed into colour-coded bags and handed over the day before. It is also a long day: the course stays open until 00:20 and bag check-out runs past midnight.

FullSingle transitionChattanooga, USASun 27 Sep 2026
Build my Chattanooga plan →Jump to the bags
ⓘThe layout, bags and check-in shape come from the race calendar and don't change year to year. Exact times are confirmed from the 2026 athlete guide.
how the race is laid out

A single transition, in two places.

Swim, bike and run all turn through one transition at Ross's Landing, and the finish is there too. What moves is your kit, not your location: you hand over five bags the day before, and the blue and red bags are waiting in transition when you come through.

T1 / T2 · one transitionRoss's LandingSwim exit into the blue bag, bike out; then bike in, red bag, run out — the same transition twice.
→
finishRoss's LandingRun finish on the riverfront, where your white bag comes back to you.
▪Although transition is one place, the swim start is not: an athlete shuttle runs from T1 out to the swim start from 04:30 and stops at 07:00. Transition itself closes at 06:30, so your bags and bike must be sorted before you board — there is no coming back.
what to pack

Five bags, by colour.

Chattanooga issues five gear bags at Athlete Check-In: white for morning clothes, blue for bike gear, red for run gear, and orange and black for your bike and run personal needs. Pack each one for the leg it belongs to and hand them in with your bike on Saturday.

Blue bag — Bike GearBike / T1 — what you ride in
  • Helmetstickered
  • Bike shoes
  • Sunglasses
  • Race belt + bib
  • Bike nutritiongels · bars
  • Sunscreen
  • Socksoptional
Handed in with your bike on Saturday and waiting in transition on race morning. Your swim kit goes back into this bag as you come through T1.
Red bag — Run GearRun / T2 — what you finish in
  • Running shoes
  • Run cap or visor
  • Run nutritiongels
  • Anti-chafe balm
  • Electrolytes
  • Head torchlate finishers
Waiting in transition for T2. On a 16:30 day a late finish is dark — pack a light if you expect to be out past sunset.
White bag — Morning ClothesMorning clothes — start → finish
  • Warm dry layer
  • Flip-flops or sandals
  • Small towel
  • Pre-swim throwaway top
  • Phone + keys pouch
Dropped at the swim start and moved to the finish for you — the one bag that changes location across the day.
Orange bag — Bike Personal NeedsSpecial needs / bike — mid-ride only
  • Preferred gels or bars
  • Spare tube + CO2
  • Salt tablets
  • Small sunscreen
Accessed once, at the personal-needs point on the bike course. Anything left in it is not returned — do not put anything you want back in here.
Black bag — Run Personal NeedsSpecial needs / run — mid-run only
  • Preferred gels
  • Spare socks
  • Anti-chafe balm
  • Head torchif not in red
Accessed once on the run course. Same rule as the orange bag: treat everything in it as gone.
+What you carry to the water (not in a bag): wetsuit if it is legal on the day, goggles, timing chip on your left ankle, and the marked swim cap from your race packet. Your white bag is dropped at the swim start; your blue and red bags are already in transition.
check-in & the clock

Your bike goes in the night before.

Chattanooga runs a mandatory bike and gear check-in on Saturday with the bike racked overnight. Note that Saturday's Athlete Check-In closes at 11:00 — hours before bike check-in does at 15:00 — so you cannot leave both to the same trip.

Ross's Landing
Day beforeMandatoryRacked overnightNo race-morning check-in
Bike check-in & bag drop closecut-off

The 2026 official guide is in. The times below are now confirmed for this edition — a few moved from last year.

race morning

How the morning typically runs.

Transition opens at 04:30 and closes at 06:30, and the shuttle from T1 to the swim start runs 04:30 to 07:00. The race starts at 07:30. Because transition shuts an hour before the start, treat 06:30 as your real deadline rather than 07:30.

Thursday — three days before
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up opens
Athlete Briefing
Athlete Briefing
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up closes
Friday — two days before
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up opens
Athlete Briefing
Athlete Briefing
Athlete Briefing
First Timers Briefing Q&A
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up closes
Saturday — day before
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up opens
Mandatory Bike & Gear Check-In opens
Athlete Check-In & Timing Chip Pick-Up closes
Athlete Briefing
Athlete Briefing
Mandatory Bike & Gear Check-In closescut-off
Sunday — race day
Transition Area opens
Athlete Shuttle from T1 to Swim Start opens
Transition Area closescut-off
Athlete Shuttle from T1 to Swim Start closescut-off
Race Start
Bike intermediate cut-off (start of third loop, Mile 70)
Bike & Gear Check-Out opens
Run intermediate cut-off (start of second loop, Mile 13.1)
Run intermediate cut-off (Mile 20.6)
Monday — day after
Bike & Gear Check-Out closes
Awards Ceremony & 2027 IRONMAN World Championships Slot Allocation/Rolldown Ceremony
common questions

Chattanooga, answered.

How many gear bags does IRONMAN Chattanooga use?

Five. White for morning clothes, blue for bike gear, red for run gear, orange for bike personal needs and black for run personal needs. They are issued at Athlete Check-In and handed in with your bike at Saturday's mandatory check-in.

What time does bike and gear check-in close?

Mandatory bike and gear check-in closes Saturday at 15:00, and your bike stays racked overnight. Saturday's Athlete Check-In closes much earlier at 11:00, so collect your packet and bags in the morning and rack in the afternoon. Both are confirmed from the 2026 athlete guide.

What are the cut-offs?

You have 16 hours 30 minutes overall, with the swim closing 2:20 and the bike 10:00 after the final athlete starts — durations, not clock times. Three are given as times of day: the start of the third bike loop (Mile 70) at 15:35, the start of the second run loop (Mile 13.1) at 21:30, and Mile 20.6 at 23:20. The course closes at 00:20.

When do I get my bike and bags back?

Bike and gear check-out opens at 18:15 and runs until 00:40 — past midnight, because the course is open until 00:20. If you finish early you still cannot collect before 18:15, so plan a gap rather than waiting at the rack.

Is the run in the dark?

For a large part of the field, yes. With a 07:30 start and a 16:30 limit the course stays open until 00:20, and the second run loop cut-off is already at 21:30. Pack a head torch in your red or black bag if you expect to be running after sunset.

from generic guide to your plan

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