Back Mountain Triathlon Athlete Stories: Cone brings perspective of competitor and organizer

For most sports fans, the words “Happy Valley” conjure up images of a sea of blue and white, the deafening roar of 100,000 football fans, and the legendary turf of Beaver Stadium.

But on June 14, the iconic home of the Nittany Lions will serve as the backdrop for an entirely different kind of competition. Roughly 1,800 athletes from all over North America will run onto the field, during the fourth annual IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley.

The stakes are higher than ever this year, as the event has been officially tapped to host the prestigious IRONMAN 70.3 North American Championship, a pro-series race featuring nearly 100 elite professionals that will be broadcast to a global audience. The stacked professional field will be headlined by top contenders like Matt Hanson, Sam Long, Paula Findlay and Hannah Berry.