IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley Selected to Host IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship

August 26, 2025

– IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania North American Championship set to take place in State College, Pa. on June 14, 2026

– A North American Championship title, elevated professional prize purse, and increased age group qualifying opportunities for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship all to be on the line in Happy Valley in 2026

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. / TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 26, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – IRONMAN has announced that the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Pennsylvania Happy Valley triathlon has been selected to host the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship in 2026. The event will return to central Pennsylvania on Sunday, June 14, 2026, offering a North American Championship title, elevated professional prize purse, and increased age group qualifying opportunities for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France. Registration for the event will open with priority registration this Thursday, August 28 and general registration on Tuesday, September 2 by visiting www.ironman.com/races/im703-pennsylvania.

“We are thrilled to bring the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship race to State College and the Happy Valley Community to showcase this beautiful venue,” said AJ Sills, Northeast Regional Director for IRONMAN. “State College has been a phenomenal host since the event was launched in 2023, and we could not be prouder to see this event host some of the best athletes from around the World next June with this prestigious designation.”

“Being selected to host the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship race is a tremendous opportunity for Happy Valley,” said Eric Engelbarts, Executive Director of the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance. “This event will bring thousands of athletes, families, and fans to our region, creating a powerful economic impact for our local businesses while showcasing Happy Valley as a premier sports tourism destination. We are proud to continue building a reputation that puts our region on the global stage.”

“We are thrilled that the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Series is returning to Happy Valley in a big way,” said Fritz Smith, President and CEO of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. “From a visitation perspective, hosting the North American Championship is of course wonderful news. But it means more than that. For the past three years, the community has fully embraced the event – from turning out in large numbers to volunteer or to simply cheer on these elite athletes. This announcement is equally fantastic news for residents, whom I am confident will be ready to show competitors and their families true Happy Valley hospitality.”

Located in the heart of Central Pennsylvania, Centre County is home to Penn State University. The picturesque scenery of Pennsylvania is easily accessible by just a few hours’ drive or a short flight. Head to Penns Valley and Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park for a boat ride tour through America’s ONLY All-Water Cavern & Farm-Nature-Wildlife Park. This region offers visitors and locals alike plenty to do year-round, everything from concerts, historic site tours and museums, exploring the trails, fishing, and boating in the area’s many lakes and rivers. Whatever one’s definition of adventure is, it can be found in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania.

The 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship race will treat athletes to a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park, a scenic 56-mile bike ride through the beautiful rolling hills of Centre and Clinton Counties, culminating with a 13.1-mile run on the campus of Penn State University including a unique finish line experience for athletes alongside the iconic Beaver Stadium, home to the Penn State University Nittany Lions.

For more information about the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/im703-pennsylvania. For more information on the IRONMAN^® brand and global event series, please visit www.ironman.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About Happy Valley, PA

Surrounded by more than 750,000 acres of state forests, Happy Valley, PA makes an excellent base camp for outdoor activities. Happy Valley has plenty of biking/hiking/kayaking fun from the Harvest Fields Community Trails to Foster Sayers Dam at Bald Eagle State Park.
Unique attractions include Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park (#seeitbyboat), and the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum. The 14-member Central Pennsylvania Tasting Trail features locally crafted beer, spirits, wine and cider. Happy Valley is home to Penn State University and Nittany Lion pride. Delicious farm-fresh ice cream is served up daily at Penn State’s famous Berkey Creamery, a Penn State tradition since 1865. In Happy Valley, you’ll discover the vibrant, small Big Ten university city of State College, and charming small communities like historic Bellefonte, Philipsburg and Millheim. Happy Valley, PA is accessible, affordable, accommodating, artsy and adventurous – and located right in the middle of beautiful Pennsylvania scenery just a few hours’ drive or a short flight away. Whatever one’s definition of adventure is, we believe it can be found here in #HappyValleyPA. For more inspiration, visit www.happyvalley.com, dispatch.happyvalley.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

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, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ 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.