“This is the Best Field Outside of Kona Ever:” What the Pros Said Leading Up to IRONMAN Texas

If anyone should know, it’s three-time Kona champion Patrick Lange. The German loves it here in The Woodlands – so much so that he arrived at today’s press conference with a shirt promoting Texas Tech along with the rest of his sponsors. He won here in 2016, his first IRONMAN race ever, and continues to use The Woodlands as his training base for his pre-Kona training camps. But, beyond simply being happy to be competing on a course he’s so familiar with, for Lange Saturday’s IRONMAN Texas North American Championship will be “the best test for Kona.”

“This is the best field outside of Kona ever,” Lange declared at today’s press conference. “There’s a lot that you can learn just from racing the other guys.”

They do everything big here in Texas, and this fourth race in the 2026 IRONMAN Pro Series promises to be as big as ever. The press session was held in a room twice the size as last year’s venue … and it was still jam packed with people arriving well ahead to ensure they got a seat. They were treated to quite the show. The list of folks who didn’t get invited to this event included some of the biggest names in the sport. Kona and 70.3 world champ Gustav Iden? Nope. Two-time World Triathlon Championship Series winner Vincent Luis? Not on the list, either. How about fan favourites Sam Long and Lionel Sanders? Not in the house, either. For the women multiple IRONMAN champs including Lisa Perterer and Marta Sanchez didn’t make the cut, either.

So who did? Along with Lange on the men’s side we had last year’s winner and reigning IRONMAN Pro Series champion Kristian Blummenfelt, reigning IRONMAN world champion Casper Stornes, last year’s third-place finisher Rudy Von Berg and two-time defending 70.3 world champ Jelle Geens, who is making his full-distance debut here this weekend.

The women at today’s event included three-time champion Kat Matthews (the only woman to ever have won the IRONMAN Pro Series), reigning Kona champion Solveig Løvseth, three-time 70.3 world champion Taylor Knibb, Hannah Berry, who is fresh off a runner-up finish at home at IRONMAN New Zealand and Jackie Hering, who won 70.3 Dallas to start her 2026 season off in style.

Despite all the heavy-duty endurance power in the room, today’s event was lots of fun – the athletes all seem very relaxed despite the competitive race coming at them on Saturday. Here are a few takeaways from their comments:

Not So Crazy About This Race

“I hate this race,” Matthews said. “I love the Woodlands. What draws me back is the need to prove to myself that I can beat this course and own it … I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the Pro Series.”

“After last year I never wanted to come back,” Knibb said, referring to how terrible she felt after last year’s race. “I am excited to race and excited to see the progress I’ve made over a year.”

(Knibb’s opening comment referred to what she’d learned from her Kona experience – “If you wake up tup in the morning and feel sick, get your temperature taken.”

More on that “Best Field”

For Stornes racing has become a bit more pressure-packed since he became a world champion last year – “before the race and during the race I get a lot more attention.”

He also acknowledged just how much of a difference the IRONMAN Pro Series is making.

“IRONMAN is putting together some really good events and getting the best people to race against each other,” Stornes said.

Blummenfelt concurred – “With the same conditions as last year I think it will require a lot faster time to win.”

Saturday’s race is more important for the Olympic gold medalist, because of his disappointing finish at IRONMAN New Zealand. “This one is more crucial for the Pro Series,” Blummenfelt said.

Von Berg provided some stats to back up just how competitive things have become here in Texas over the last few years.

“In 2023, when I won, I went 7:44,” he said. “I went 7:33 to come third last year. I came to the race with more of an attacking mind set in the past … that will change based on this field.”

Life is Good

When asked about the big smile she had on her face after finishing second at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside, Løvseth acknowledged that since she’s turned her sights to long-distance racing she’s begun to “really enjoy the racing part of things now.”

“It helps when you’re winning,” Matthews joked under her breath after that statement.

“I didn’t enjoy racing as much before,” Løvseth continued. “Now I find there’s less stress around race situations. I’ve never enjoyed triathlon more, so life is good.”

On a similar note, Hering was asked about a quote that she’s used in the past – “Run what you brung.”

“It means you shouldn’t wish for anything to be different,” the American explained. “Show up with whatever you’ve got – stay within yourself, doing what you can do.”

See What All the Fuss is About

We’ll have more from the two-time 70.3 world champion tomorrow, but we did learn why Geens is here in Texas this weekend during today’s event.

“I felt like it was time for me to step up and try to do an IRONMAN,” he said. “I moved on to middle distance after the Paris Olympics. Now I want to see what all the fuss is about with IRONMAN. It excites and motivates me.”

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