Courtesy: event press release

Lothar Leder of Germany and South African Raynard Tissink will lead the men's field into the eighth annual Ford Ironman Florida scheduled to take place November 4, 2006 in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Leder, who has eight Ironman Championships to his credit, was the winner here in at Ford Ironman Florida in 1999 and posted a third place at the 2004 edition of the event. The 35-year-old is one of a select few Ironman athletes who have broken the eight hour mark, breaking that barrier twice, posting sub-eight hour times in 1996 and 1997 at Ironman Germany.

Tissink has four Ironman titles on his resume, winning at Ironman Korea in 2002, Ironman Canada in 2003 followed by Ironman South Africa and Ironman Austria both in 2005. The 33- year-old has enjoyed good success over the past few seasons racing to a second place finish at the inaugural Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 2003 and finishing third at Ford Ironman Florida also in 2003. Most recently Tissink took second place at the 2006 Ironman South Africa.

Others to watch in the men's field include Great Britain's Spencer Smith, Canadian Dave Harju and Eduardo Sturla of Argentina. Smith has two ITU World Championships at the Olympic triathlon distance, those in 1993 and 1994. After making the transition to the Ironman distance, Smith posted wins at Ford Ironman Florida in 2001 and Ironman Brazil in 2002. Coming back from a serious bike accident, the 33-year- old, raced to a second place finish at the 2006 Ford Ironman Arizona.

Harju, 38-years-old, is a two time Ironman winner taking the title at Ford Ironman Wisconsin in 2003 and 2004. He has also posted top ten finishes at the 2006 Ford Ironman Arizona placing tenth and in August finished in seventh at Ironman Canada. Harju's best finish at Ford Ironman Florida is a fifth place in 2004.

Sturla won his first Ironman Championship in 2001 at Ironman Brazil. He has posted a pair of third place finishes at that event in 2002 and 2003 and a fourth place at the 2002 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid Race.

The Ford Ironman Florida will take place on Saturday, November 4, 2006 for the eighth consecutive year in Panama City Beach, Florida. Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spots for the 2007 Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii and a pro prize purse of $55,000. For more information please go to www.ironmanflorida.com.