Ironman Kalmar 2025 – Race report
23 August 2025
Ironman Kalmar 2025 – race report by Lisa Maynard.
It’s taken me a few days to write this as I’ve felt a bit more emotional about it all now I’m back.
What a day it was! This has been a goal for 10 months. Tom and Jonty were doing Kalmar for the second time: Jonty’s 16th and Tom’s fourth IM. And rather than support I thought I’d give it a go this year.
Kalmar is a lovely little town, 3.5hrs from Copenhagen by train. The residents turn out in force with music/ parties street side, especially during the run. The support can be overwhelming; children wanting hi fives and music blaring from gardens.
The swim is quite technical starting in the harbour and then out to sea (full of jellyfish) The noise as you swim along the harbour wall is an overload to the senses after the quiet of the water (albeit a bit crowded !) 2nd in my age group apparently!
The cycle is on closed roads over the Oland bridge to the island, (only open to cyclists for this event) which is v windy, flat and exposed. It was always going to be my nemesis. Jonty caught me up at around 60k which was fantastic timing as I was heading for an aid station craving water rather than electrolytes and food. He then shepherded me around the rest of the bike course , which seems to go for ever. I found the last 40km endless and had to get into mind games to count down the km. Another change in transition then out for the run, grateful I had made it this far.
Despite practicing the run off the bike , my plan fell apart within the first 200m as I felt sick and dizzy so started the long walk – for the first time I did doubt if I could finish. I just remembered Jonty saying not to faint as they would take me off the course . I had to go into counting 100 steps and walking 100 (takes a while 😂) just to keep moving forwards. I caught Jonty up on second 14km lap as he wasn’t feeling great, Tom lapped us heading off for his last 7km and he finished with a PB!
I loved the final 500m walk in the night coming through the streets by the restaurants with everyone shouting my name (easy to pronounce) . I took a moment and rang the first timers’s bell . The red carpet atmosphere is phenomenal , the crowds are excited , the music pumping and I had a hug from the announcer ‘Lisa, you are an Ironman.’ I strolled down the carpet enjoying it all and taking it in.
Lessons learned:
1. It’s much harder doing an Ironman than tracking people on the app.
2. You can run/ walk a marathon on water and flat coke.
3.Turns out anything is possible with a lot (a lot) of training. And the mind is stronger than the body.
4. Cycling is still really hard. I cycled over 3700km in 10 months to try and get better at it.
5. It’s totally worth it for the last 200m on the red carpet .
6. Never again.
I would highly recommend Kalmar if you are tempted – easy logistics, one transition, flat course, outstanding support from the locals and a great atmosphere.
Many thanks to Jonty for his excellent coaching for all the previous months and saying he thought I could do it; his endless patience was needed during those hours on bike and lots of early mornings to fit in with my work.
I did it!!
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