Edmonton-born-and-raised athlete Paula Findlay entered her first-ever full-distance Ironman Triathlon last weekend in Lake Placid, N.Y. — and won.
Findlay, 37, conquered the 140.6-mile (226-km) challenge in eight hours, 47 minutes and 43 seconds — securing qualification for the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii.
The Ironman Triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile (3.8 km) swim, a 112-mile (180 km) bike ride, and a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon run, completed consecutively without a break.
It is considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world, and Sunday’s race was the first time Findlay had raced the full Ironman Triathlon.
After exiting the swimming portion of the race in sixth position and more than three minutes behind the leaders, Findlay worked her way up through the ranks on the bike course.
As climbing began on the second half of the 180-km ride, she surged to the front alongside Spain’s Marta Sanchez before ultimately recording a 4:50:26 bike split — setting a new women’s bike course best time.
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Ironman said the race evolved into a duel between Findlay and Sanchez, with the pair separating themselves from the rest of the pack throughout the bike and into the marathon.
Sanchez briefly challenged Findlay early on the run, but the Edmonton native gained advantage around the five-mile mark.
By halfway through the marathon, she had opened a lead of more than a minute and continued to extend it throughout the final miles, despite navigating the unknown territory of her first marathon beyond 30 kilometres.
Findlay completed the marathon portion in 2:55:49 and crossed the line in 8:47:43, securing victory by nearly four minutes.
Findlay, who was the first Canadian triathlete to win a World Triathlon Series event, was considered a medal contender going into the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London but battled a nagging hip injury that prevented a podium finish.
The 37-year-old now boasts 14 Ironman 70.3 (also known as Half Ironman) championships.
She’s now qualified to race in the 2026 Ironman world championship in Hawaii on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Slav Kornik speaks with Findlay about the accomplishment in the video player above.
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