Triathlon’s top professional talent will convene in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i on October 8 for the 38th annual Ironman World Championship, the most iconic one-day endurance event in the world. Boasting one of the most competitive professional fields in the sport, history can be made in this weekend’s pinnacle event.
“There is no other endurance competition in the world that brings together such a talented and fiercely competitive group of professional athletes,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer for Ironman. “The Ironman World Championship is the marquee event of the endurance world, and these passionately devoted competitors have been preparing for this moment and will no doubt put on a spectacular race.”
Leading the women's professional field is 2015 Ironman World Champion and two-time defending Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Daniela Ryf (CHE). Also vying for the title is 2014 Ironman World Championship winner Mirinda Carfrae (AUS), who is seeking redemption after an injury forced her to withdraw from last year’s race; Heather Jackson (USA), who burst onto the scene in Kona last year as the top American finisher and later set a course record victory at the 2016 Ironman Lake Placid; and dominant veteran Melissa Hauschildt (AUS), who won the 2016 Mainova Ironman European Championship and has also claimed a pair of Ironman 70.3 World Championships.
“This year has been about Saturday,” Jackson said. “I set myself up as best as I can to prep for this day. Lake Placid was huge for me, and I was able to draw a lot of confidence from training. I’ve been focusing on Saturday, and I’m excited to race and grateful to be here.”
Among other seasoned competitors headlining the female group are Julia Gajer (DEU), the 2016 Ironman North American Champion, and exciting newcomer Kaisa Lehtonen (FIN), who captured the 2016 Ironman African Championship South Africa.
The men’s group is equally crowded with titleholders and contenders, including reigning Ironman World Champion, Jan Frodeno (DEU), who made history in 2015 by becoming the first Ironman competitor to capture triathlon’s triple crown – he previously won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was triumphant at the 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Frodeno’s fellow German rival, 2014 Ironman World Champion Sebastian Kienle (DEU), is coming off a slender second-place finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, and is poised to attempt to reclaim his Kona title.
“It was a very thin wire to walk, but I was happy to pay this race the respect it deserves,” Frodeno said about his decision to focus on defending his title and forgo racing in this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship. “I needed a break and I had to learn from my mistakes in the past. In the end it was a smart move.”
Fans around the world will also be keeping their eyes on 2016 Ironman South America champion Brent McMahon (CAN), and Tim O’Donnell (USA), whose third-place finish in Kona last year made him the top American male for a second time since 2013. Multi-time Ironman champion Andy Potts (USA) and the 2016 Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship winner Timothy Van Berkel (AUS) highlight an impressive field.
The 2016 Ironman World Championship will offer a $650,000 total professional prize purse which will be distributed to male and female first through tenth place finishers.
In addition to the competitive professional field, more than 2,300 registered age-group are registered to compete in this year’s Ironman World Championship. The largest international athlete field in this race’s history represents 64 countries and territories on six continents. Athletes ranging in age from 19 to 83 have earned their championship opportunity by having finished among the best at one of more than 40 qualifying Ironman events worldwide.
Live race coverage of the 2016 Ironman World Championship can be viewed on www.ironman.com. Comprehensive coverage will capture every aspect of the race and feature a hosted show, athlete tracker and live blog. In addition, NBC will air the Ironman World Championship special on Saturday, December 10 at 2:30 p.m. ET (check local listings for details).
