Rainio takes Ironman silver after recovering from leg injury

Emma Rainio, 23, from Jyväskylä won silver in the women’s 18–24 age group at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii last weekend, Yle reported. She finished in 10 hours, 10 minutes and 16 seconds, more than 30 minutes faster than in her previous full-distance race.

The full-distance triathlon consists of a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42.195-kilometre run. Rainio said she passed the athlete in second place during the final kilometres. She finished about 14 minutes behind the winner, whose time was 9 hours and 56 minutes.

The Hawaii race was Rainio’s second full-distance event. She completed her first in Tallinn in August 2025, recording a time of 10:49:54 and qualifying for the Hawaii competition.

Three months without running

Rainio’s preparations were disrupted by a leg problem. At the start of the summer she was walking with crutches and did not run for about three months. She was still able to swim, and said she used that time to focus on her goal of doing well in Hawaii. She was able to resume running about three months before the race.

Rainio said she had learned from her first full-distance event, when she did not take in enough energy during the race. This time, she said, she ate enough carbohydrates.

Temperatures in Hawaii were about 30 degrees Celsius, with high humidity. Rainio began preparing for the heat by using a sauna in Finland and travelled to Hawaii about three weeks before the competition.

She said she focused on her own performance and tried to think positively during the race. Rainio hopes to compete in Hawaii again next year and is working towards becoming a professional triathlete.