The Ironman 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley will return to Centre County for a fourth year in 2026, when for the first time it will serve as the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship, organizers announced on Tuesday.
The triathlon event will be held on Sunday, June 14 and will offer the North American Championship title, a larger professional prize purse and more age group qualifying opportunities for the World Championship, which will be held Sept. 12, 2026 in Nice, France.
“We are thrilled to bring the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship race to State College and the Happy Valley community to showcase this beautiful venue,” AJ Sills, Northeast Regional Director for Ironman, said in a statement. “State College has been a phenomenal host since the event was launched in 2023, and we could not be prouder to see this event host some of the best athletes from around the World next June with this prestigious designation.”
After years of effort by tourism, business and athletic groups to bring an Ironman event to Centre County, the Ironman 70.3 Happy Valley completed its initial three-year contract in June. The event has been an economic boon during a traditionally slower period in late June, generating $3.2 million in local economic activity last year and more than $4 million in 2023, and has rated among the most popular Ironman 70.3 events by participants in each of three years.
About 1,100 competitors took part in 2025 Ironman Happy Valley, down from approximately 1,600 the previous year and 2,000 in its first year. Those drops were expected, in part due to typical second-year fall off in 2024 and because logistics required this year’s event to be moved two weeks earlier to Father’s Day.
While local officials were optimistic that it would continue into the future, its return was not confirmed until Tuesday’s announcement.
“Being selected to host the Ironman 70.3 North American Championship race is a tremendous opportunity for Happy Valley,” Eric Engelbarts, executive director of the Happy Valley Sports & Entertainment Alliance, said. “This event will bring thousands of athletes, families, and fans to our region, creating a powerful economic impact for our local businesses while showcasing Happy Valley as a premier sports tourism destination. We are proud to continue building a reputation that puts our region on the global stage.”
The “Half Ironman” (at 70.3 miles it’s half the distance of a full Ironman race) will once again start with a 1.2-mile swim in Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park. That will be followed by 56-mile bike ride through swings into Clinton County before traveling through Nittany and Penns valleys and into the State College area. The final leg will be a 13.1-mile run through the Penn State campus, ending at Beaver Stadium.
Priority registration will open Thursday, Aug. 28 and general registration on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at ironman.com/races/im703-pennsylvania.
“We are thrilled that the Ironman 70.3 Series is returning to Happy Valley in a big way,” Fritz Smith, president and CEO of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, said. “From a visitation perspective, hosting the North American Championship is of course wonderful news. But it means more than that. For the past three years, the community has fully embraced the event – from turning out in large numbers to volunteer or to simply cheer on these elite athletes.
“This announcement is equally fantastic news for residents, whom I am confident will be ready to show competitors and their families true Happy Valley hospitality.”
