LAKE PLACID -- The 2008 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid Triathlon will see a new champion take the pro title in both the men and women's races. The men's field has an international flavor while the women's race will feature two of the strongest American athletes currently in the sport.

The 10th running of the Lake Placid Ironman will get under way at daybreak Sunday with more than 2,200 athletes entered. The endurance test will include a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike leg and a 26.2-mile run. Triathletes have until midnight Sunday to complete the event.

Texan James Bonney has long been acknowledged as one of the best Ironman swimmers and this year, at Ford Ironman Arizona, he showed that he had improved the level of his bike and run finishing fourth in a very competitive race. He posted a personal best time of 8:35:32 in that effort.

Sergio Marques of Portugal will be looking for his first Ironman win. He placed second at the 2007 Ford Ironman Florida and also had a fifth place finish at the 2006 Ford Ironman Arizona event. Another contender will be Bjorn Andersson of Sweden. Andersson is a strong cyclist and while he has yet to post a podium finish at the Ironman distance, he will likely be in the mix heading into the run portion of the event.

Ironman champions Dave Harju of Canada and Courtney Ogden are also in the men's field in what promises to be a competitive field.

Hillary Biscay has a number of top Ironman finishes but her first title has eluded her to date. Biscay, currently residing in Texas, finished second at the 2007 Ford Ironman Wisconsin and most recently posted another second place finish at Ironman Brasil this year.

Desiree Ficker of Austin, TX is coming off a second place finish at the Ironman 70.3 Boise event. She has a career best second place finish at the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship.

A third American to watch will be Kim Loeffler, an excellent runner. Loeffler placed second at Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid in 2005 and had a third place finish at the 2007 Ironman New Zealand.

Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid will take place for the 10th time on July 20, 2008 in Lake Placid and the surrounding Adirondack region. Athletes will be competing for a Pro Prize purse of $50,000 and 80 qualifying slots to the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship.