Lionel Sanders Announces His 2026 Season Plans
Kona is the priority, and Sanders will skip defending his Oceanside title.
Canyon
From day one, it has always been about Kona – and 2026 is no different.
For Sanders, the coming season represents another deliberate push toward the Big Island, driven by the same goal that has fueled more than a decade of professional racing: arriving at the Ironman World Championship ready to deliver his very best.
In a YouTube video released earlier today, Talbot Cox asked Sanders how many years he has left in the sport. His answer was characteristically honest. It is not really up to him, he said. His career will continue only as long as he believes he can still compete for that ultimate vision: a world championship-level performance in Kona.
That focus shapes his entire 2026 calendar.
Despite winning Oceanside four times, including back-to-back victories in 2024 and 2025, Sanders will skip the race this year. Instead, fans can expect him at Ironman 70.3 Dallas-Little Elm, Ironman Texas, Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley, Ironman Lake Placid, and finally Kona.