Pro Start Lists Revealed: Top Triathletes Head to Lahti, Finland for The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

August 15, 2023

– Defending IRONMAN 70.3 World Champions Taylor Knibb (USA) and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR) headline professional field deep in talent

– Challengers include 5-time IRONMAN World Champion and 5-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Daniela Ryf (CHE), Paula Findlay (CAN) and Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) among others in the women’s field; Ben Kanute (USA), Gustav Iden (NOR) and Lionel Sanders (CAN) highlight strong men’s professional field

– VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon set to take place in Lahti, Finland on Aug. 26 and 27, 2023

– Live coverage of both race days of the VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon will air on Outside Watch

LAHTI, Finland / TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2023)/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – An elite field of professional triathletes from around the globe will descend on Lahti, Finland for the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship triathlon with women’s professional race on Saturday, Aug. 26 and men’s professional race on Sunday, Aug. 27. The professional triathletes will be vying for a share of the $350,000 USD professional prize purse and the title of IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion. In addition to the professional field, over 6,000 age-group athletes are registered to compete as they look to be crowned world champion in their respective age-group divisions. Live coverage of both days of racing at the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon will air on Outside Watch.

“With a staggering amount of world-class talent coming to Finland, we can all expect to see a hard-fought world championship and immensely entertaining competition,” said Andrew Messick, President & Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “Lahti will be an excellent host as the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship hits this beautiful Scandinavian country for the first time; athletes and fans of the sport from all around the globe are in for a real treat whether cheering on locally or watching from afar on Outside TV.”

Professional Women’s Field

The women’s field will take center stage on Saturday, Aug. 26, as Lahti, the Finnish Lake District and its surrounding areas host a high caliber field of professional women. Reigning IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion Taylor Knibb (USA) will look to defend her crown coming into race day in top form following another impressive year of performances. Top Canadian and last year’s runner up Paula Findlay will look to continue her run of form and challenge for the top spot on the podium while 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon third-place finisher and 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship runner-up Emma Pallant-Browne (GBR) look primed for a strong performance. With five IRONMAN World Championship and five IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship titles to her name, Switzerland’s Daniela Ryf can never be counted out and has continued to show this year why she is amongst the best triathletes of all time. Germany’s Laura Philipp will be one to watch following her recent success at the IRONMAN 70.3 European Championship Tallinn triathlon. Highlighting a large contingent of strong contenders include two Brits, 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion and 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Word Championship runner up Holly Lawrence and 2021 IRONMAN World Championship runner up Kat Matthews. Australian Ellie Salthouse, American Jackie Hering, Canada’s Tamara Jewett, and many more of the sports most talented women will all join in the battle for a spot on the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship podium.

A full list of professional women’s field listed below:

*Subject to change

Professional Men’s Field

The professional men will take on the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 27. Leading the field is Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt who will look to defend his IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion crown and add another world championship title to his already impressive resume. Fellow Norwegian and defending 2022 IRONMAN World Champion Gustav Iden will look to challenge his friend and countryman and add a third IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title to his tally following wins in 2019 and 2021. Top American Ben Kanute stands ready to challenge the Norwegian contingent following a second-place finish at the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon in St. George, Utah. Denmark’s Miki Taagholt will be one to watch following a win at the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 Luxembourg triathlon and multiple top ten IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship finishes over the past two years. Additional global contenders will come from Germany’s Frederic Funk, Australia’s Steve McKenna, Canada’s Jackson Laundry and Lionel Sanders as well as Americans Jason West and Sam Long, and French dark horse Pierre Le Corre along with many other talented professional men all thirsty for a top world championship result.

A full list of professional men’s field listed below:

*Subject to change

The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon will kick off with the 1.2-mile (1.9km) ROKA Swim Course, which takes place in beautiful Lake Vesijärvi. A challenging 56-mile (91.3km) FULGAZ Bike Course follows and will lead athletes through the stunning Finnish countryside passing through the small towns of Kärkölä and Hollola and culminating with a steep incline just before returning to transition at the Sport and Fair Centre. The 13.1-mile (21.1km) HOKA Run Course will take athletes on two loops beginning indoors at the Sport and Fair Centre, passing inside the Lahti Stadium and tackling a long climb up Salpausselkä ridge before making their way back towards Lake Vesijarvi. The run path will showcase beautiful water views and eclipse the Pikku-Vesijarvi before culminating in an exhilarating finish line experience just in sight of famous Salpausselka Ski Jumps.

Tune into the two days of live race-day coverage of the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon globally via Outside Watch.

For more information about the 2023 VinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship event, please visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship. 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 the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship

In 2006 the inaugural IRONMAN^® 70.3^® World Championship triathlon was held in Clearwater, Florida, becoming another test for the world’s elite triathletes. Since that auspicious beginning, the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon has grown in stature and popularity moving first to Henderson, Nevada in 2011, where athletes encountered a more challenging terrain and then to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec—its first stop on the new “global rotation” for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship race. The event reached European soil for the first time ever in 2015, with Zell am See, Austria, hosting an epic and memorable event. In 2016, the race moved from the mountains to the beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. In 2017, the race returned to the United States, taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it became a two-day event for the first time. In 2018, the event reached the African continent for the first time and was hosted in Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa. Continuing the rotation, 2019 saw the French Riviera and Nice, France play host to the ever-growing IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship event. After a year in which the event was not able to take place due to a global pandemic, the race returned in 2021 with over 3,500 athletes competing in St. George, Utah. The event again took place in St. George, Utah, returning to a two-day format on October 28-29, 2022, and now shifts to Lahti, Finland on August 26-27, 2023 and Taupō, New Zealand on December 14-15, 2024. Historically, more than 200,000 athletes have participated annually in a series of qualifying races, consisting of over 100 global events. Hosting more than 5,000 athletes from around the world, participants in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon have ranged in age from 18 to 85-plus. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im703-world-championship.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com