2026 Ironman World Championship DNF Files – Triathlete

Patrick Lange (DEU)

The 2024 Ironman World Champion was off to the perfect start in his final Kona race, swimming among the front pack and quickly transitioning onto the bike in an ideal position.

However, soon after heading out onto the Queen K, he began struggling with cramps that continued all the way up to Hawi.

He pulled over at one point next to his coach, and even though many of us assumed he would withdraw then, he continued all the way to the turnaround at Hawi. He later explained that he could not imagine running a marathon on those legs and that it “simply wasn’t possible.”

In a true champion’s spirit, however, he was back out on course – this time volunteering at an aid station, handing out supplies to the age-groupers battling the same extreme conditions.

Sam Laidlow (FRA)

The 2023 Ironman World Champion has made no secret of the fact that, even though he won the world title in Nice, winning in Kona has always been his biggest dream. Unfortunately, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare out on the bike course.

Speaking on the broadcast shortly after pulling out on the run, he shared that he had been suffering from a condition he described as Iliac Artery Fibrosis. Although he had managed to race through it before, he said it was restricting blood flow to his left leg starting on the bike, before his whole leg went numb once he started the run.

He then shared that he should probably head home to France for an operation as soon as possible so he can come back ready for next year.

Magnus Ditlev (DEN)

“Less than 30 min away from achieving my biggest dream yesterday,” Ditlev shared on Instagram.

After a rough couple of years, it looked like Magnus Ditlev was not only back, but about to be crowned world champion. Kona’s 2024 runner-up was back to his best until roughly the final 10K of the run, when “suddenly the lights went out.”

He had pushed hard to make his way forward from the swim chase group and produced the fastest bike split of the day to enter T2 with a commanding lead. Remarkably, he held that lead for the majority of the run over the likes of Vincent Luis and Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR). Unfortunately, it just wasn’t quite enough to carry the tall Dane across the finish line, but it seems to have fueled the fire even more.

“Leading this race for so long into the marathon is the craziest experience I’ve ever had and definitely leaves me hungry for next year!”

Andrea Salvisberg (SUI)

After grabbing a last-minute Kona slot at Ironman Kalmar, Salvisberg said everything was going “perfectly” at the halfway point on the bike before, out of nowhere, he could only pedal with one leg.

“I felt like a pain in my hip and sit bone unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I couldn’t turn my left leg over anymore, so I had to clip out and keep riding with just my right.

“I hoped it would ease up after a while, but it never did. I was determined to reach the finish line pedaling with one leg, but then a flat tire ended my day.”

Rudy von Berg (USA)

The “Bison,” Rudy von Berg, was ready to leave it all out there on an island he has been coming to since he was a little kid. This time, however, it wouldn’t be the dream day he enjoyed with his third-place finish in 2024.

After a disappointing swim and a bike ride where he said his legs never showed up, he developed intense lower-stomach pain after 25km of running that “wasn’t anything like GI distress.” He attempted to make it to the finish by walking another hour and a half, but the pain worsened to the point where he couldn’t continue and had to take a car back to the finish.

Tristan Olij (NED)

This young Dutch athlete suffered a fate that many seemed to have in common – vomiting. For him, it started just 60K into the bike, eventually leaving his body unable to continue. Perhaps the worst part of the whole ordeal for Olij is that he has no idea why it happened, saying, “I used exactly the same nutrition strategy I’ve been using for the past three years.”

Nathan Guerbeur (FRA)

After finishing 11th at the Ironman World Championship in Nice, this strong cyclist was in the mix for a top-20 result before a sprained ankle 25K into the run abruptly ended his chances, leaving him unable to continue.

Daniel Bækkegård (DEN)

After a disappointing few years, Daniel Bækkegård would have hoped this race could reverse some of his fortunes, especially after a promising race at Ironman Kalmar earned him his slot.

Sadly, as he did in Nice in 2025, Bækkegård withdrew on the bike after a significantly slower swim immediately raised red flags. At this time, he hasn’t provided any further update.

Trevor Foley (USA)

In 2024, Trevor Foley was having a dream race and was in the perfect position late on the bike before a crash just before T2 ended his hopes of an incredible debut. This time around, it was sickness that began the night before that caused him to end his day. He was one of several athletes who fell ill leading into the event, including Chelsea Sodaro (USA), who wasn’t even able to start.

Jamie Riddle (RSA)

“Today was one of the most difficult sporting moments in my career thus far,” shared the South African hopeful. “The island did humble me,” he added, explaining that he had been dealing with a sciatic nerve injury that flared up in the early stages of the bike.

Shortly afterward, to add insult to injury, Riddle was assessed a penalty. Our photographer Brad Kaminski was in the right place to capture the moment Riddle decided to pull over and call it a day.

Citing concerns about the long-term damage of running a marathon after already suffering in the heat, the young Olympian decided to call it quits and wait for next year.

Kristian Høgenhaug (DEN)

Heading into his sixth Ironman World Championship, Høgenhaug didn’t have high hopes, sharing that he hadn’t been where he wanted to be in training.

At this time, we don’t know whether that preparation played a part in his withdrawal, but an unusually slow swim alongside, Bækkegård hinted that something was off from the gun.

Tamara Jewett (CAN)

Returning to the Big Island for the second time, Canada’s Tamara Jewett would have hoped some of that experience would pay off. However, as we highlighted before the race, sometimes experience means little on race day.

She shared that, at this point, she doesn’t “have all the answers to what went wrong yesterday,” further explaining that she needs time to heal before getting back to racing:

“Some threads to follow and some very big signals that my body, mind, heart and soul need a big rest and some real replenishing before I’m back out there. So that starts now.”

Katrine Græsbøll Christensen (DEN)

With three podiums in 2026 to her name and an 11th-place finish on her Kona debut, this Danish bike-runner was tipped by Solveig Løvseth (NOR) as one to watch at the pre-race press conference. Sadly, after making it through the tough swim in almost 65 minutes, her race ended before she could show what she was truly capable of on the run. Perhaps the worst part was that she came into the race sitting fifth in the Ironman Pro Series standings but fell 10 places to 15th.

India Lee (GBR)

Having secured her Kona qualification at Ironman Hamburg, India Lee was heading in the right direction, picking up a podium at 70.3 Zell am See in the lead-up after setting her sights on Kona all year. Sadly, after making it through a tough swim and bike, she was unable to continue the marathon out on the Queen K. At this time, we don’t have any further information about why.

Marjolaine Pierré (FRA)

Something seemed off from the start for the young French woman, who finished fifth at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship just over a month ago. After an unusually slow swim, Pierré made up some ground on the bike, but not as much as she typically does, recording the 21st-fastest bike split. She still attempted the marathon, but unlike last year, she wasn’t able to finish.

Rebecca Anderbury (GBR)

After first coming to the island as an age-grouper in 2022, Great Britain’s Rebecca Anderbury was hoping for a better result after being unable to cross the line as a pro the year before. However, once again, the conditions got the better of her. She shared that she was in such bad shape a couple of miles into the run that volunteers were telling her to stop.

Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR)

After skipping the Ironman 70.3 World Championship to focus fully on Kona, the 2023 champion was doing everything she could to rewrite the heartbreaking ending to her 2025 race in the Energy Lab. However, in a cruel turn of events, after starting the run in second place and looking strong, she stopped running mere yards from where it had happened the year before. The broadcast showed her throwing up.

Thankfully, her husband and coach, Reece Barclay, was close by to help her, as he was last year. At this time, we don’t have an update from Charles-Barclay about exactly what happened. The broadcast mentioned possible seasickness from the swim, but that explanation remains unconfirmed.

Daisy Davies (GBR)

One of the brightest young stars in Ironman racing was another athlete struck by illness during race week. Impressively, she started the race and was among the first chase group on the bike, but had nothing to give. Like many in her position, she had worked to peak for this race all year and was left frustrated at being unable to show her form.

Like many on this list, she remains as motivated as ever, sharing that, “You may well see me lining up for another IM before the end of the season.”

Danielle Lewis (USA)

Yet another athlete struck by sickness, Danielle Lewis woke up the day before the race with a sore throat that progressed into her chest. By race morning, she felt feverish enough to question whether she should start. Still, she gave it a go and made it through the swim before withdrawing on the bike, with a headache and coughing leaving her little choice. She later shared that she had tested positive for influenza A, as Chelsea Sodaro (USA) had before the race.

Pamella Oliveira (BRA)

Like Lange, Oliveira didn’t get a fairytale ending to her final race on the Big Island. Unlike Lange, however, this was the final race of her career, leaving her without another chance to rewrite the ending. She was among the front chase group behind Lucy Charles-Barclay (GBR) out of the water but withdrew before the run.

Franziska Hofmann (DEU)

Hofmann started the race with a severe migraine that was causing an aura and “severe vision problems.” Somehow, she managed to continue despite her symptoms worsening on the bike and causing vomiting. She made it through the entire bike leg and even started the run. By then, however, her symptoms were so severe that she rolled her ankle more than once while trying to stumble forward.

Danielle Fauteux (CAN)

After a long, tough swim, the Ironman Chattanooga bronze medalist hit the dreaded wall with 40-50K remaining on the bike. Still, she continued onto the run “with optimism,” but ultimately decided to pull out rather than risk making a lingering foot issue worse by trying to finish.