Paula Findlay crossed the line on the Olympic Speedskating Oval in Lake Placid and, for a moment, let the effort show. The Canadian had just won an Ironman at the first time of asking. Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid, her full-distance debut, ended with victory in 8:47:43 and a place secured at the World Championship in Kona.
The race turned on the bike. Findlay left the water well down, heading into T2 territory some three and a half minutes behind after a hectic Mirror Lake swim led out by Lara Hernandez-Tome. She answered on two wheels. She made her move with calculated precision at 60km, powering past Zilinskas, Sanchez and Sodaro in a swoop that only the Spaniard was able to match as she clung on to her rear wheel. From there Sánchez and Findlay traded blows at the front, slowly eking out a lead over chasers who spread out behind them. Findlay was first to dismount in 04:50:26, with Sanchez a matter of seconds behind. She set a new bike course record, improving the mark held by her second-placed rival.
Decided on the run
Then came the marathon, and the unknown. Findlay asserted her prowess on the bike before finally going clear early in the marathon and never looking back. Her lead steadily stretched, and even as she entered uncharted territory beyond the halfway mark, she looked set to win on debut. The final stretch cost her. She completed the marathon in 2:55:49 to secure victory almost four minutes ahead of Sanchez, with Zilinskas third. Marta Sánchez finished in 8:51:30, 3:47 behind, bettering her third place from last season.
"That last 10km was so hard. I am really proud to finish, and it's amazing to win, but that was so hard. The first half felt really good and my cadence was up, I felt relaxed. So, I just focused on getting from one aid station to the next."
A step up, at last
The result reframes a long career. The Canadian middle-distance star, a two-time Olympian, 14-time IRONMAN 70.3 champion and multiple 70.3 World Championship medallist, added another achievement to a decorated record. She had arrived fresh off a dominant victory in the 70.3 at Pennsylvania. Over the shorter distances she had won everything except the final step; the full Ironman was the one blank space. At 37, on a demanding Adirondack course, she filled it. She had said before the race that it was not about securing passage to Kona, yet she now heads for a showdown with the best at the distance.
Fourteen years after London, Paula Findlay went the whole way, and arrived first.
