A Returning Champion, IRONMAN World Champion and Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series Contenders Headline Professional Field for the 2026 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid Triathlon

July 9, 2026

• The Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon offers a maximum of 5,000 points toward the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings and a $125,000 USD professional prize purse
• Women’s field features a star-studded lineup including 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Chelsea Sodaro (USA), 2025 podium finishers Lisa Perterer (AUT) and Marta Sanchez (ESP), and three-time reigning IRONMAN 70.3 North American Champion Paula Findlay (CAN) making her highly anticipated full-distance IRONMAN debut
• An equally strong men’s field sees defending champion Matthew Marquardt (USA), IRONMAN 70.3 North American Champion Trevor Foley (USA), Marten Van Riel (BEL), Kristian Høgenhaug (DNK), Rudy Von Berg (USA), and Leon Chevalier (FRA) go head-to-head

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (July 9, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/  – On Sunday, July 19, the Experience Oman IRONMAN^® Pro Series returns to New York’s Adirondack Mountains as nearly 80 of the world’s top professional triathletes converge to compete in the 27th edition of the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN^® Lake Placid triathlon. The event will offer a maximum of 5,000 points toward the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings, a $125,000 USD professional prize purse, and critical momentum as athletes continue their pursuit of Series points and qualification to the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship^® race in Kona, Hawai`i – with four slots per gender on offer.

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 on L’Équipe Live in France, 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.

Women’s Professional Field

The women’s race brings together a compelling mix of established champions, rising stars, and athletes firmly entrenched in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series title chase.

Wearing the number one bib this year is Austria’s Lisa Perterer, who finished as runner-up last year in Lake Placid. The Austrian was third overall in last year’s IRONMAN Pro Series and has started her 2026 campaign well, recently delivering an impressive fifth-place finish at the 2026 IRONMAN Hamburg European Championship. Joining her is Spain’s Marta Sanchez, who finished third last year in Lake Placid. Sanchez currently sits ninth in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings and has been one of the most consistent performers on the circuit this season, having amassed over 7,000 points through a series of strong performances.

American Chelsea Sodaro, the 2022 IRONMAN World Champion, will make her debut at one of the sport’s most iconic venues this year looking to add another marquee victory to her resume.

Australia’s Grace Thek arrives as one of the most in-form athletes in the women’s field. Currently sixth in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings, Thek has emerged as a genuine Series contender through a string of outstanding results in 2026. Canadian Tamara Jewett, currently eighth in the Series standings, brings one of the strongest run resumes in the sport and will be aiming to gain valuable ground in the latter stages of the race.

Fellow Canadian Paula Findlay enters Lake Placid fresh off a dominant victory at the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship, where she claimed her third straight North American Championship win against a highly competitive field. One of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in triathlon, Findlay will make her highly anticipated full-distance IRONMAN series debut in Lake Placid, adding an intriguing storyline to an already stacked women’s field. Her career to date has included victories and podium finishes across the IRONMAN 70.3 circuit, and many will be eagerly watching to see how her renowned swim-bike-run strength translates over 140.6 miles.

Other contenders include America’s Rachel Zilinskas, Great Britain’s Rhianne Hughes, Denmark’s Shiva Leisner, France’s Anne Basso, Canada’s Danielle Fauteux and Ireland’s Fiona Moriarty, highlighting the depth and international flavor of the women’s professional field.

Men’s Professional Field

The men’s race promises to be one of the strongest professional fields assembled at Lake Placid in recent memory. Bib number one belongs to Matthew Marquardt (USA), who enters Lake Placid as the reigning champion in the Adirondacks and the 2026 ISUZU IRONMAN South Africa African Champion. Marquardt will face a formidable challenge from 2024 IRONMAN Lake Placid champion Trevor Foley (USA), who recently captured victories at the IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship and ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand races and remains unbeaten in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series this year. Foley’s ability to charge through the field on the bike and run has made him one of the sport’s most exciting athletes to watch.

Another name that be among the top picks for this race list is Belgium’s Marten Van Riel who has already demonstrated outstanding form in 2026, recently winning the IRONMAN 70.3 Elsinore triathlon after finishing second at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North American Championship. He currently sits among the top 20 athletes in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings.

Last year’s runner up, Denmark’s Kristian Høgenhaug, will also return to Lake Placid. His strong result in 2025 was pivotal to finishing second in the IRONMAN Pro Series standings. As one of the strongest cyclists in the field, Høgenhaug will be using his bike power to his advantage and amass many points as possible.

American Rudy Von Berg enters Lake Placid ranked among the top 15 athletes in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series standings and continues to establish himself as one of the premier long-course athletes in the world. Fellow Americans Jason West and Ben Kanute add even more firepower, with West coming off a podium finish at the IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship and Kanute sitting 16^th in the Series standings.

The international challenge runs deep with Sweden’s Rasmus Svenningsson, Germany’s Frederic Funk, French duo Leon Chevalier and Arnaud Guilloux, Canada’s Cody Beals, and Spain’s Diego Mentrida all possessing the experience and ability to contend for the podium.

Professional Start Lists (Subject to Change)

The iconic Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon course begins with a 2.4-mile swim in Mirror Lake before athletes tackle a two-loop, 112-mile bike course through New York’s stunning Adirondack Mountains. The race culminates with a challenging two-loop marathon that finishes on the legendary Olympic Oval, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games.

In addition to the professional field, more than 2,600 registered participants are expected to compete at the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon, one of the most storied events in the sport and a cornerstone of the North American racing calendar.

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

For more information on the 2026 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/races/im-lake-placid. 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.