Scenic City Half Marathon,
5K & Charity Challenge
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010
Chattanooga
Nestled in the Tennessee River Valley near the Georgia and Alabama borders, Chattanooga offers visitors a wide variety of activities to please the entire family.
History: The area, which was first settled by Native American Indians during the Upper Paleolithic period, has a rich and diverse history. During the Civil War, Confederate and Union forces fought for control of the city and its important rail lines in the Fall of 1863. Following a series of battles at Chickamauga, GA, Lookout Mountain, TN and Missionary Ridge,TN the Union Army gained control of the city and the surrounding area, opening the door for General Sherman to march on Atlanta. Following the Civil War Chattanooga became an manufacturing and railway hub. In 1941, Glen Miller made the city famous with his hit song "Chattanooga Choo Choo." The city was also the birth place of Blues songstress Bessie Smith.
Places to See: Chattanooga offers visitors a wide variety of activities and attractions. Downtown Chattanooga features many exciting attractions within walking distance of the half marathon and 5k start/finish including:
Chattanooga Choo Choo - The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel and Convention Center is located on 24 acres on the South Side of downtown Chattanooga. The hotel has over 360 rooms and several restaurants. There are 48 Victorian Train cars and a steam locomotive that is identical to the one made famous by the Glen Miller song about the Cincinnati to Chattanooga passenger train that operated in 1880. The complex includes a model train museum, botanical garden, retail shops, and an indoor and outdoor pool. The Choo Choo is also adjacent to the Chattanooga Area Regional Transit Authority (CARTA) terminal which features free electric bus service to downtown attractions and restaurants.
Ross's Landing, Cherokee Passage & Chattanooga Pier - part of Chattanooga's newly built riverfront and part of the course for the Half Marathon race.
Tennessee Aquarium - explore two distinct aquatic worlds in the River and Ocean buildings. Along the way visit three living forests, pet a sturgeon, walk through a butterfly garden, and hang out with macaroni and gentoo penguins.
Creative Discovery Museum - a hands-on learning experience for children 12 and under.
Bluff View Art District - a historic neighborhood with an art gallery, a bed & breakfast, a coffee house, and several restaurants. For the Half Marathon runners, when you run up the small steep hill (only about 30 yards) at about mile 9 you have arrived in the Bluff View Art District.
Southern Belle Riverboat - cruise the Tennessee River aboard a traditional riverboat.
Tennessee Riverwalk - a 10-mile greenway running along side of the Tennessee River from downtown Chattanooga to the Chickamauga dam. A portion of the Half Marathon from mile xxx to mile xxx is run on the Riverwalk.
Hunter Museum of American Art - overlooking the Tennessee River, the Hunter houses one of the South's finest collections of American art. The Hunter Museum will be right after the Half Marathon 2 mile mark/water station. You can admire the beautiful historic and modern architecture of the museum complex while you run up the Riverside Drive hill.
Chattanooga African American Museum - learn about African American history in Chattanooga
Just outside downtown, visitors can also check out:
•The Incline Railway - the world’s steepest passenger railroad, the Incline Railway takes you straight up Lookout Mountain where you can take in breathtaking views of the city and the surrounding area.
•Rock City - home to over 400 species of plants, flowers, and shrubs, as well as the world-famous Lover's Leap, Fairyland Caverns, and Mother Goose Village.
•Ruby Falls - a 145-foot waterfall inside Lookout Mountain.
•Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum - take a ride aboard one of the museums restored trains through a pre-Civil War tunnel through Missionary Ridge.
•Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park - visit the nation's oldest military park with battlefields atop Lookout Mountain and in Chickamauga, GA.
For More Information
To learn more about Chattanooga please visit:
Incline Railway
Chattanooga
Choo Choo Hotel
Tennessee
Aquarium
Ross’s Landing
