Big Names Head to IRONMAN Florida for Kona Redemption and Early 2027 Qualification

This weekend’s IRONMAN Florida race is offering a professional prize purse for the first time since 2022, and there’s some big names set to both earn themselves an early Kona qualification, along with a share of the US$100,000 up for grabs. On the men’s side Sam Long, Magnus Ditlev and Rudy von Berg will arrive as the pre-race favourites. For the women Alanis Siffert arrives as the logical woman to beat, but could be kept honest by the likes of a resurgent Holly Lawrence, who is bouncing back after a mid-season injury. (Chelsea Sodaro’s name no longer appears on the list – she could be waiting an extra few weeks to compete at IRONMAN Cozumel.)

The race is expected to see over 2,500 athletes competing, including over 1,600 (almost 62% of the field), competing in their first IRONMAN race. There are over 2,200 Americans in the field – the next largest contingents are from Canada (80), Brazil (45), the United Kingdom (39) and Mexico (24).

Siffert’s Kona Journey

After winning Challenge Roth this year – and beating both Lucy Charles-Barclay and Kat Matthews in the process – Switzerland’s Alanis Siffert won the Alpe d’Huez triathlon (for the third year in a row), then took third at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice. The bike course in Florida couldn’t be more different than racing in the Alps, but based on that stellar Roth performance, it’s hard to imagine that Siffert won’t be ready to excel on Saturday. With three Kona slots available, a solid day should set her up for her first trip to Kona next year.

Some of the women we expected to push Siffert to the line in Panama City Beach on Saturday – Lisa Perterer, Sodaro and Katrin Kristensen – have now pulled out of the race, which leaves last year’s sixth-place Kona finisher, Lawrence, as the woman most likely to be in the mix for the win. Lawrence is coming off a stress reaction that forced her to pull out of IRONMAN Hamburg in June, but wrote on Instagram that she finally “Ran long enough to feel confident to actually say out loud that I’m racing @ironmantri Florida in just under 2 weeks time.”

That’s hardly the kind of vote of confidence one thinks she’ll need to truly take on Siffert, but if she’s back in decent form one would think a runner-up finish is more than attainable. Others to keep an eye on include Germany’s Laura Janson, American Annamarie Strehlow, who took fifth in Maryland, and full-distance rookie Megan McDonald (GBR).

In Search of Kona Redemption

Many of the men expected to compete for the podium in Panama City Beach on Saturday are looking for redemption after a tough day in Kona. Sam Long is most definitely not one of those. The American, who will wear bib #1, took a brilliant sixth on the Big Island, and actually asked his Instagram audience whether they thought he should race Florida or Cozumel. Whether the decision came from the gallery or Long, he’ll be on the line Saturday morning, looking to nail his Kona slot for next year. Aussie Cam Wurf had a decent day in Kona, too – after winning IRONMAN Maryland, the former pro cyclist took 12th on the Big Island. Wurf is the only pro with a Kona slot, so he’ll be free to push himself to the limit without having any concerns about fading and losing a qualifying slot.

The big question for the men’s race is how well Magnus Ditlev will have bounced back from his tough day in Kona. The Dane surged into T2 in first place after the day’s fastest ride, and hung on through about 21 miles of the run before being passed by eventual champion Vincent Luis and consequently dropping out. Despite that, it would appear the Ditlev has taken from the experience that he truly can compete for the world title in Kona – he just needs to hang on for another half-hour of running. Nailing a Kona slot on Saturday would allow him the luxury of focusing solely on the world championship next season and not having to worry about another top-finish to earn his spot.

Ditlev isn’t the only man in the field looking to come back after a tough day in Kona. American Rudy von Berg, the last pro male to win in Florida (and the course record holder), didn’t run the last 15 km of the marathon (he would also eventually pull out), which means his legs will be a bit better prepared for a fast day of racing.

Ben Kanute did get to the line, but his 27th-place wasn’t what he was hoping for. He’s done well racing in November in year’s past with a few podium finishes at IRONMAN Arizona, so he could be one to watch in Florida, too. Add to that list is another American, the always-fast-on-the-run Matt Hanson, who finished 20th in Kona thanks to a 2:40 marathon. One spot behind the Hanson was France’s Denis Chevrot, who will also be looking to get an early ticket to Kona. Finn Große-Freese hasn’t had a great season in 2026 – he DNF’d in Roth and at IRONMAN Maryland, but the 2025 IRONMAN Copenhagen winner had a fifth-place finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Malaga in October, so he could be back to more competitive fitness on Saturday.

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