THE 2015 MEMORIAL HERMANN IRONMAN NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

TEXAS TRIATHLON PRESENTED BY WASTE MANAGEMENT

DRAWS STRONG PRO FIELD

 

The star-studded pro field will converge in The Woodlands, Texas on May 16 and feature some of the

sport’s top athletes as they compete for the coveted title

 

TAMPA, Fla. (May 12, 2015) – The 2015 IRONMAN® Regional Championship series will continue with

this weekend’s 2015 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas triathlon

presented by Waste Management and will feature some of the most prestigious names in the sport.

The women’s professional field features a strong lineup of athletes including Americans and past

IRONMAN champions including Linsey Corbin, Bree Wee and last year’s IRONMAN Texas winner Kelly

Williamson. Rachel Joyce (GBR), who was runner-up at the 2014 IRONMAN World Championship

presented by GoPro will also face off against the field along with IRONMAN 70.3® star Heather Jackson

(USA) and Canadian phenomenon Heather Wurtele, who is fresh off of her win at the IRONMAN 70.3

North American Pro Championship in St. George, Utah. Leanda Cave (GBR), winner of the 2012

IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship, and Corrine Abraham

(GBR), winner of the 2014 IRONMAN European Championship and 2013 Asia-Pacific Championship,

both look to add another championship to their resumes.

 

Headlining the men’s race is Ben Hoffman, who claimed a second place finish at the 2014 IRONMAN

World Championship presented by GoPro, the best World Championship finish for an American since

2006. Fellow American and 2014 IRONMAN Boulder champion Justin Daerr will be sure to give Hoffman

a battle for the title along with Canadian Lionel Sanders, who burst onto the IRONMAN scene last year.

Seven-time IRONMAN Switzerland winner, Ronnie Schildknecht (SUI) and 2012 IRONMAN Texas

winner Jordan Rapp (USA) will also have their sights set on the prestigious prize. Germans Faris Al-

Sultan and Andreas Raelert round out a talented men’s field.

 

“The North American Championship this weekend is sure to be a show of extreme talent among the

professional competitors who will all be vying for the title and coveted automatic bid to this year’s

IRONMAN World Championship,” said Christopher Stadler, Chief Marketing Officer for IRONMAN. “We

are looking forward to witnessing the competition and crowning a champion here in North America.”

An automatic bid to the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship will be on the line as all professional

winners of each IRONMAN Regional Championship race will receive automatic qualification to the

IRONMAN World Championship held in Kailua-Kona, Hawai’i on October 10. The Memorial Hermann

IRONMAN North American Championship Texas triathlon presented by Waste Management will also

offer a $150,000 prize purse to male and female professionals which will be distributed amongst the first

through tenth place finishers.

 

In addition to the competitive professional field, more than 3,000 age-group athletes are expected to

compete at this year’s North American Championship. The race will offer 75 coveted age-group

qualifying slots to the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship.

 

For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit ironman.com. Media

may contact press@ironman.com.

 

ABOUT IRONMAN

The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since

the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE®

by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Recognized for excellence

through distinguished events, world-class athletes and quality products, IRONMAN has grown from a

single race to a global sensation with more than 190 events across five unique brands: IRONMAN®,

IRONMAN 70.3®, 5150™ Triathlon Series, Iron Girl® and IRONKIDS®. For more information, visit

ironman.com.