Kona champs in, Lionel Sanders out for Ironman Texas
The Canadian superstar isn't racing in Texas, but Patrick Lange, Kristian Blummenfelt, and more world champs will be toeing the line
Photo by:
Kevin Mackinnon
After his tremendous showing at 70.3 Oceanside, Lionel Sanders was eager to keep the momentum rolling at Ironman Texas on April 26. Unfortunately, the Canadian has withdrawn from the Texas start list after a brief post-Oceanside illness kept him from training over the past week. Sanders may be out, but the men’s and women’s fields are still absolutely stacked for Texas, and the race promises to be a fun one.
Sanders is out
Sanders had his eye on another big race after such a strong result in Oceanside, but he took to Instagram to announce his withdrawal from Ironman Texas. “The night after Oceanside I started getting sick and I’ve had a bad cough ever since,” he wrote. “I needed every session between these races. My body was kind to me so I need to be kind to it and so I’m giving it the time it needs to recover fully.”
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In his post-race video on YouTube from Oceanside, Sanders touched on the importance of his training in the weeks before Ironman Texas. After missing out on these key sessions due to his sickness, he simply couldn’t commit to the event. He did note that he plans to race Ironman 70.3 St. George, which is set for May 10, which will be yet another exciting day of racing.
The men’s race
Sanders may be out, but the men’s field for Texas still has a ton of star power. Reigning Ironman world champion Patrick Lange is first on the start list, making his return to Ironman Texas after taking the win there in 2024. Lange will be joined by a pair of other former world champions, Norway’s Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt.
Lange, Iden, and Blummenfelt all raced in Oceanside, with Iden finishing in third and the other two placing outside of the top 10. They will all be looking to climb the rankings to the top of the podium in Texas.
Also racing in Texas is American Rudy Von Berg (who finished second behind Sanders at 70.3 Oceanside), Denmark’s Daniel Baekkegard, Australian Cam Wurf, and many other top-tier athletes. The race is sure to be a thrilling affair, and it could go anyone’s way.
The women’s race
The women’s race also features some of the world’s best triathletes. Great Britain’s Kat Matthews will look to defend her title in Texas, but she will have to work for it. Three-time reigning 70.3 world champ Taylor Knibb of the U.S. is set to race the second Ironman of her career. Her first time racing at the full-iron distance came in Kona in 2023, when she finished an impressive fourth. Since that race in Kona, Knibb has won every long-course race that she has entered.
American Chelsea Sodaro is another former world champ on the start list in Texas. Sodaro won in Kona in 2022, and she will be ready to give Knibb and Matthews some competition for the title. Finally, Canada’s Tamara Jewett will make her Ironman debut in Texas. She is hot off a fourth-place finish at 70.3 Oceanside, and she will be looking to fly to the finish of her first full-distance race.