Rising Sun Native Finishes 5th in Age Group at Ironman World Championship

The 140.6-mile race took place in Hawaii.

(Kona, HI) - Most envision leisure when traveling to Hawaii. 

For Peyton Merica, his recent trip to "The Aloha State" was all about competition and pushing himself to his limits. 

The Rising Sun native competed in the Ironman World Championship, where he placed 5th out of 54 males in the 18-24 age group. Merica was 124th out of 1,652 male competitors and 137th overall out of 2,262 competitors. 

The 140.6-mile/ 226km race is a test of willpower and endurance. Merica swam 2.4 miles in the turquoise waters of Kailua Bay, biked 112 miles across the raw, volcanic landscapes of the Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway, and ran 26.2 miles under the radiant Hawaiian sun toward the finish line on Ali’i Drive.

Merica's total time at the historic Kona race was 9:11:56. 

His time breakdown among the three events were as follows: 

• Swim: 1:00:42
• Bike: 4:57:52
• Run: 3:05:04

"From enduring rough ocean swells to a hot windy bike to battling the heat through lava fields on the run, it made for a challenging yet rewarding day. Went into the race focusing on running my race knowing this distance is a battle of you vs. yourself. I felt relaxed the whole day and really enjoyed Kona," said Merica. 

As soon as he crossed the finish line, Merica felt his hamstrings cramp up and he was carried off to a wheelchair, which took him to the medical tent. 

It was worth it for Merica as he earned a new PR on a very tough course.

"That was the most rewarding feeling knowing I gave it all I had and that the training I did all worked to get me a PR on a very tough course. What a blessing it is from God to be able to have a healthy body to endure these challenges. Definitely will be making a return to Kona in the future." Merica added.