Lionel Sanders has ruled himself out of this weekend’s Challenge Xiamen, revealing that another bout of illness has prompted a pivot to IRONMAN Cozumel on November 22.

The Canadian had been listed for the middle-distance race in China but says he will not make the trip after several nights of coughing, with the long journey and limited time to adjust adding to his concerns.

Instead, the 38-year-old plans to return to the full distance in Mexico – a challenge he hopes can help him rebuild his confidence in IRONMAN racing.

Speaking in a candid YouTube update which is embedded below, Sanders also revealed that he had questioned his future in triathlon, admitted he was “starting to get dropped” by sponsors and explained why he still believes his best performances could be ahead of him.

“I’m not going to make that mistake again”

Asked on the video by his wife and manager Erin whether he would be heading to China, Sanders was unequivocal.

“I’m not going to China. I was going to go to China and I was quite excited to go to China, but I got sick again.”

He explained: “I’ve been coughing my lungs out the last five nights.”

With his planned itinerary leaving him less than 48 hours in China before racing, Sanders decided that pressing ahead would risk repeating an error from earlier in the season.

His most recent race was IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel in September, where he finished third but says he competed despite having been unwell in the build-up.

“Felt horrible, fevered literally one day prior. Absolutely horrible decision. And I’m not going to make that mistake again.”

The time difference was another consideration, with Sanders explaining that the race would fall around late afternoon / early evening.

“Decided that that’s a bad decision for me. Not gonna do that.”

A different Cozumel challenge

His replacement race brings a different test: a full-distance IRONMAN in the heat.

Sanders has endured difficult days at both Kona and IRONMAN Texas, but says tackling those weaknesses now offers more motivation than adding another victory at a less competitive middle-distance event.

“What would be something that would be really satisfying for me at this stage? To do a hot IRONMAN with even a semblance of moving in the right direction.”

He then confirmed: “So I’m gonna do IRONMAN Cozumel. I don’t have a ton of time to pivot, so I’m gonna do a lot of five-hour rides.”

Sanders added that he would try to be “fairly safe with the running” and make a conscious effort to eat more as he increases his preparation.

The Canadian believes he may have been falling short of his energy needs when not monitoring his food intake, describing a naturally low appetite even after substantial training.

“I could literally train seven hours and eat like 3,000 calories,” he said.

He suggested that inadequate fuelling could be contributing to his repeated illnesses and reduced ability to handle training, while making clear that this is a theory he wants to test.

“I think I’ll be able to fuel the training a lot better, and that’s my hypothesis, and I’d like to put that to the test.”

“I’ve concluded that I’m not done”

The announcement came within a wider reflection on a difficult period in Sanders’ career.

His four results this season include victory at IRONMAN 70.3 Dallas, 45th at IRONMAN Texas, fourth at IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California and third at IRONMAN 70.3 Cozumel.

Away from those results, he described injury, illness and the different demands of life with two children, admitting he had needed time to consider whether he wanted to continue.

His answer, however, is that he still does.

“I’ve concluded that I’m not done. In fact, I have a deep belief inside that … the best is yet to come.”

Sanders pointed to Vincent Luis winning Kona at 37 and Patrick Lange’s 2024 victory there at 38 as reasons not to treat his own age as a barrier.

He also acknowledged commercial consequences during his difficult spell, saying of his sponsors: “Definitely some of my sponsors care. Getting dropped, starting to get dropped.”

He did not identify any brands or give further details, but contrasted that with the encouragement he continues to receive from people who follow his videos.

For now, his sporting focus is on rediscovering confidence over the full distance, adding: “I don’t want to be afraid to do IRONMANs.”