Start List Announced: Texas‑Sized Stakes at Hand this April as Momentum Builds for the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The 2026 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® Texas North American Championship triathlon will welcome more than 100 professional triathletes to its start line on Saturday, April 18, as one of the most pivotal races of the early season unfolds in The Woodlands, Texas. As the fourth stop on the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series and the first full‑distance IRONMAN triathlon held in North America this year, the event will offer a $175,000 total professional prize purse, critical Pro Series points, six qualifying slots per gender to the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship® triathlon in Kona, Hawai`i, and the coveted IRONMAN North American Championship title.

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

The women’s race is led by athletes who have already defined the opening weeks of the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series, blending championship experience with red‑hot early‑season form. Great Britain’s Kat Matthews arrives in Texas as the two-time and reigning IRONMAN Pro Series champion, three-time and reigning Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas champion, and the current leader in the 2026 standings, having already captured two Pro Series victories this season. Matthews has established herself as one of the most complete long‑distance athletes in the sport. Her ability to control races through disciplined pacing and exceptional run strength makes her the athlete every contender will measure themselves against on race day.

Reigning IRONMAN World Champion, Norway’s Solveig Løvseth, opened her season with a strong second place result in the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN® 70.3® Oceanside triathlon, placing herself firmly among the top contenders on any start line. Taylor Knibb enters her second Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas triathlon carrying significant momentum. Fresh off an impressive win in Oceanside, the three-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion, has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to dominate races with her unmatched bike power.

New Zealand’s Hannah Berry brings big-race consistency and extensive experience to the Lone Star State. The 2026 ANZCO Foods IRONMAN New Zealand triathlon runner up and 2025 IRONMAN World Championship triathlon fourth place finisher, has quietly compiled solid results early in the season, keeping herself in contention as the series begins to take shape. Austria’s Lisa Perterer will look to kick off her season-opening campaign in Texas, following a successful 2025 that saw her finish third in the series. Spain’s Marta Sanchez has shown solid early‑season form, finishing in sixth in Oceanside and remains a serious podium threat if she can keep contact with the leaders before the run. Sweden’s Sara Svensk, who also holds a career as a medical doctor, will look to launch her season on a high note in Texas following a good late season second place result at the 2025 IRONMAN Cozumel triathlon.

American’s Jackie Hering and Danielle Lewis round out the top contenders, both with experience and recent success. Hering, the 2024 IRONMAN Pro Series runner up and 2025 Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns winner, and Lewis, the 2024 Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid winner, have demonstrated their ability to close races strongly and withstand the demands of world class IRONMAN competition.

The men’s professional field in Texas features a staggering concentration of global talent, including multiple IRONMAN World Champions and athletes already shaping the 2026 Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series storyline. Similar to Matthews, Kristian Blummenfelt comes to Texas as the reigning IRONMAN Pro Series champion, reigning Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas North American Championship winner, and the current leader in the 2026 Pro Series standings fresh off back-to-back IRONMAN 70.3 wins in Geelong and Oceanside. An IRONMAN World Champion, IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and Olympic gold medalist, Blummenfelt is already reinforcing his reputation as the best in the sport as he enters his fourth straight Pro Series event of the year.

Fellow IRONMAN World Champions Casper Stornes and Gustav Iden head to The Woodlands following solid starts in Oceanside. Reigning IRONMAN World Champion Stornes’ captivating run to secure a podium position in the final miles of the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon has primed him to kick off his first full-distance race of the season with confidence. The quartet of Norwegian IRONMAN World Champions, which includes Stornes, Blummenfelt, Iden, and Solveig Løvseth, will head into race day after completing a targeted training block together in Texas conditions.

Three-time IRONMAN World Champion Patrick Lange (DEU) returns to Texas bringing another championship pedigree to the start line in The Woodlands as he looks to win his third IRONMAN Texas title (following wins in 2016 and 2024). Meanwhile, Belgium’s Marten Van Riel will carry strong momentum into the Pro Series this year, translating his success across multiple triathlon formats into competitive IRONMAN performances. With speed, tactical awareness, and durability, Van Riel has already proven he can contend with the very best.

Germany’s Jonas Schomburg has been one of the most visible animators of the early season. Regularly at the front of IRONMAN Pro Series races, Schomburg’s impressive second place finish at the Athletic Brewing IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside – just 24 seconds off the win – proved he is once again a name to watch

Leading the American charge is Rudy Von Berg (USA), the 2023 IRONMAN Texas Champion, who finished sixth in the 2025 IRONMAN Pro Series, ,and Sam Long (USA), who narrowly missed out on a podium finish in Oceanside despite his gutsy performance against the stacked competition.

Finally, one of the most intriguing names on the start is Belgium’s Jelle Geens. Stepping up in distance, two-time and reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Geens will make his IRONMAN triathlon debut in Texas. While untested across the full-distance, the Belgian’s tenacity and run pedigree will ensure he is not one to rule out of contention for the North American Championship title.

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