SoCal Showdown: IRONMAN World Champions and Top Talent Go Head-to-Head as the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series Returns to Southern California at the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside Triathlon

March 17, 2026

• The 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series arrives in the United States as Oceanside prepares to host more than 100 professional triathletes on Saturday, March 28 Athletes will compete for a $50,000 USD professional prize purse, 2,500 series points, and three qualifying slots per gender to the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, FranceA star‑studded women’s
• field will be headlined by 2025 IRONMAN World Champion Solveig Løvseth (NOR), three-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb (USA), Paula Findlay (CAN), Jackie Hering (USA), and Marta Sanchez (ESP)
• An equally formidable men’s lineup brings together the Norwegian trio of World Champions including Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), Casper Stornes (NOR), Gustav Iden (NOR), as well as Rudy Von Berg (USA), Sam Long (USA), and Leon Chevalier (FRA)

OCEANSIDE, Calif. (March 17, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN^® Pro Series will make its highly anticipated first North American stop as a deep professional field lines up on the edge of Oceanside Harbor for the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Oceanside triathlon on Saturday, March 28. Serving for decades as one of triathlon’s most beloved early‑season tests, Oceanside once again promises fast racing, passionate crowds, and defining storylines as the world’s best athletes will go head-to-head on Southern California’s coastline.

More than 100 professional triathletes will vie for a $50,000 USD prize purse, three qualifying slots per gender to the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship race in Nice, France, and a valuable 2,500 series points toward the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings.

The race will be broadcast live, free for all international audiences across IRONMAN YouTube, ironman.com/proseries, and DAZN, with additional regional live broadcast and highlight shows also available including L’Équipe Live, ESPN (within Disney+), SuperSport, hr-Fernsehen, RTVE, iQIYI, and Outside TV. Broadcast and streaming information can be found at www.ironman.com/proseries/how-to-watch.

The Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside race has historically attracted some of the biggest names in the sport to produce thrilling races with unforgettable performances and 2026 is shaping up to be another race for the ages.

The women’s professional field promises to bring fireworks as reigning IRONMAN World Champion Solveig Løvseth (NOR) will make her first start of the year following a successful 2025 campaign that ended in Spain with a second-place finish in the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series. Løvseth will face serious competition from three-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and Olympic silver medalist, Taylor Knibb (USA), one of the sport’s most powerful cyclists. Knibb’s ability to reshape a race during the bike segment makes her a major favorite year after year on the fast yet demanding Oceanside bike course.

Adding even more excitement, all three of last year’s Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside podium finishers, defending champion Paula Findlay (CAN), runner-up Jackie Hering (USA), and third-place finisher Danielle Lewis (USA), will return to chase early-season success once again. Findlay will look to open her season with another commanding performance. Hering enters in strong form following a win at IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas–Little Elm last weekend, while Lewis, 2024 IRONMAN Lake Placid Champion who is known for her strength on the bike, rounds out a deep American contingent poised to make a major impact.

Additional threats such as Spain’s Marta Sanchez, Brazil’s Vittoria Lopes, and Australia’s Grace Thek ensure that the women’s race will be highly competitive from the opening harbor swim through the final miles along The Strand. With a field this deep and internationally diverse, the women’s contest at Oceanside promises excitement, unpredictability, and world-class performances.

The men’s lineup features the powerhouse Norwegian trio of IRONMAN World Champions, Kristian Blummenfelt, Gustav Iden, and Casper Stornes, all returning to sunny Southern California. Known for redefining the boundaries of elite long course racing, this group brings an extraordinary blend of speed, strategy, and World Championship pedigree. Blummenfelt’s Olympic and IRONMAN World Champion titles, paired with an aggressive start to his 2026 season that included a challenging day at ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand and his appearance on the IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong start list, underscore his early‑year ambitions. Stornes’ breakout IRONMAN World Champion victory last year and consistent front pack presence, and Iden’s multiple World Championship titles along with his third‑place finish at the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside in 2025 collectively set the stage for one of the most competitive men’s fields assembled in recent years.

Also, returning to Oceanside, American standout Rudy Von Berg, last year’s runner up, brings a long record of podium performances and success in Southern California, while Sam Long (USA) returns to Oceanside looking to start his season with success. Adding even more depth, Jason West (USA) ensures the battle for the IRONMAN Pro Series points will demand excellence across all three disciplines. With additional contenders such as France’s Leon Chevalier, Australia’s Sam Appleton, and American Ben Kanute in the mix, the Oceanside men’s field sets the stage for a thrilling and unpredictable season‑defining clash..

Below are the professional start lists, (subject to change):

In addition to the professional field, more than 3,000 age group athletes will compete at the 2026 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon alongside the professionals on the same course, looking to earn age group qualifying slots to the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon taking place in Nice, France on Sept. 12–13, 2026.

For more information on the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series visit here.

For more information on the 2026 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/im703-oceanside. To learn more about the IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 brands and series of events, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About Experience Oman

The Sultanate of Oman is a country of breath-taking natural beauty, interwoven with a kaleidoscope of history and legends. As the oldest independent state in the Arab World, Oman has embraced modernisation and progress while retaining the core aspects of its culture and heritage – making it the perfect travel destination for those seeking an authentic Arabian experience. The Sultanate of Oman is the only country in the world composed mostly of oceanic crust and rocks that originate from the Earth’s mantle. Evidence of continental drift can be witnessed in many of the unusual rock formations and topography around Oman, including the coastline around Muscat. Oman’s culture is deeply rooted in the Sultanate’s proud heritage and history of seafaring, trading and exploration. Today, long-standing traditions blend seamlessly with modern day living, with the latest fashion and electronics brands sold alongside traditional hand-made crafts, jewellery, and even goats and cattle at souqs around the country. Omanis are very welcoming of visitors from other countries, a fact that is reflected in the generous hospitality extended to guests. Welcome to the Sultanate of Oman. https://experienceoman.om/

About the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series

The Experience Oman IRONMAN^® Pro Series is a year-long performance-based world series that showcases and rewards top professional triathletes as they vie for points and event prize money, on their way to claiming the title of IRONMAN Pro Series champion and a lion’s share of the lucrative $1.7 million USD year-end bonus prize pool.  Along the way, athletes will battle for the prize money offered at each individual IRONMAN Pro Series triathlon, equating to over $2.4 million USD, as well as coveted world championship qualifying slots. Open to approximately 1,100 eligible professional triathletes worldwide, the IRONMAN Pro Series ushers in a new era of IRONMAN racing where Every Second Matters – every second behind the race winner equates to a point earned or lost. Incorporating iconic distances, challenging courses, and stunning destinations, every IRONMAN Pro Series race will be broadcast live and free to a global audience. In 2026, the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series will be contested over 17 events and 16 race locations around the globe, including a combination of six IRONMAN^® and eight IRONMAN^® 70.3^® triathlons, as well as the IRONMAN World Championship^® and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlons. Beyond the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series, more than 50 additional global events will feature IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 professional racing fields, offering IRONMAN World Championship qualifying opportunities and over $1.9 million USD in prize money. In total, the professional prize purse for 2026 will exceed $6 million USD, visit www.ironman.com/proseries.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group is the world’s largest operator of participation sports with a portfolio of brands, events, media, partners, merchandise, and digital platforms operating in over 50 countries worldwide. A global portfolio consisting of hundreds of events includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150^® Triathlon Series, IRONKIDS^®, premier running events including the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series and City2Surf^®, the UTMB^® World Series of trail running, the Epic Series™ of mountain biking including the Absa Cape Epic^®, and a collection of road cycling and other multisport races. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, millions of athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. From its beginnings as a single race among friends in Hawai’i, The IRONMAN Group has become a global sensation and collection of high-growth lifestyle brands that inspire people to unlock their potential in life. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about/ironman-group.