Start List Revealed: Historic First for Happy Valley as Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series and IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship Arrive in Central Pennsylvania

May 28, 2026

• Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series makes its Keystone State debut with 2,500 points and $75,000 USD prize purse on the line
• Paula Findlay (CAN), Hannah Berry (NZL), and Grace Alexander (USA) highlight a deep women’s field alongside a competitive men’s lineup led by Matt Hanson (USA), Sam Long (USA), and Trevor Foley (USA)
• State College, Pennsylvania prepares to host a Championship-caliber race as professionals and age-group athletes converge in the heart of Happy Valley

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (May 28, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – For the first time, the Experience Oman IRONMAN^® Pro Series will make its way to the Keystone State for its seventh stop of 2026, when State College hosts the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship on Sunday, June 14.

With 2,500 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series points on offer and a total professional prize purse of $75,000 USD up for grabs, the race is poised to play a key role in Series standings. In addition to the professional racing, a strong field of age-group athletes will take to the course, adding to the energy and championship atmosphere in the heart of Happy Valley marking the first time the IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship has been hosted in Pennsylvania.

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 in France, ESPN (within Disney+), SuperSport, hr-Fernsehen, NRD, RTVE, iQIYI, and Outside TV. Broadcast and streaming information can be found at www.ironman.com/proseries/how-to-watch.

The women’s race features a stacked international lineup led by Paula Findlay (CAN), one of the most consistent middle-distance athletes on the circuit. Findlay, a multiple IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon champion and Olympian, will arrive in strong form following a runner-up finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga early in May and will be a top contender for the North American Championship title.

Also headlining the field and current Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series leader, Hannah Berry (NZL), continues to build momentum following a second-place finish at ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand and a top-10 placing at the IRONMAN Texas North American Championship earlier this season. She also delivered a career-best fourth-place finish at the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, underlining her ability to compete against the world best.

A strong U.S. contingent is led by Grace Alexander (USA), who arrives in top form following back-to-back victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast and IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga in May 2026, where she successfully defended her title. She is joined by veteran Jackie Hering (USA), who heads into the race with a string of top-five finishes this season. Danielle Lewis (USA) has also been a consistent presence at the front of major races, highlighted by her victory at the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid in 2025. Lydia Russell (USA) returns as the defending champion and will don bib F1 after securing a career-defining win in Happy Valley in 2025.

International depth is further bolstered by Grace Thek (AUS), who is currently fourth in the Series after top five finishes at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North American Championship, Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside and IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong, and Tamara Jewett (CAN), who currently sits seventh in the Series, has started off her season well with top five performances at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong and the ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand.

The men’s race is equally competitive and sets the stage for a true North American Championship showdown. Veteran triathlete Matt Hanson (USA), currently sitting second in the standings, continues to demonstrate elite consistency. His recent performances include a third-place finish at IRONMAN New Zealand in 2026, where he set a run course best, a fifth-place showing at IRONMAN Arizona in late 2025, and a return to the podium at IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga in 2026.

Fan favorite Sam Long (USA) returns to racing looking to rebound from a challenging outing at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North American Championship. Currently sitting seventh in the standings, he will be aiming for a strong result to regain momentum. Olympian and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship podium finisher Ben Kanute (USA), who ranks eighth in the standings, has remained a consistent force at the front of major races, including a third-place finish at IRONMAN Arizona in 2025. Rounding out the field is veteran pro Sam Appleton (AUS), a seasoned competitor with multiple podium finishes who continues to deliver consistent performances across the global circuit.

2026 ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand champion Trevor Foley (USA), and 2026 IRONMAN African champion Matthew Marquardt (USA), two of the sport’s emerging talents with impressive recent performances, round out a group of athletes capable of impacting the podium.

With a deep and competitive field across both the women’s and men’s races, the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship promises exciting racing as athletes vie for critical Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series points and mid-season momentum.

Below is the professional start list, (subject to change):

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

For more information on the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley North American Championship triathlon, visit www.ironman.com/races/im703-pennsylvania. 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.