Karen Smith has secured a spot in the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, after a dominant victory in Mexico.

Smith claimed first place in the 55-59 age group, finishing more than 42 minutes ahead of runner-up Monica Kniep, of Brazil. Her win, achieved in 10hr 51min 12sec, guarantees her entry into the prestigious event in October next year.

As well as topping her age group, Smith completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike leg, and 26.2-mile run to finish 151st overall and 42nd among female competitors.

The victory marked Smith’s second Ironman success of the year after she won in Puerto Rico in March. She expressed satisfaction at being able to pace herself comfortably while still achieving her goal.

“It was a good day,” Smith said. “I was actually supposed to do Ironman Canada in August but had to adjust my schedule and include this race instead.

“It is difficult to know where you are relative to others,” Smith said.

“There is an app that allows you to track and my husband was here, so he was able to track where people were in my age group and he knew how much of a lead I had.

“On the second lap of the run, I knew I had a significant lead, which allowed me to run comfortably without pushing too hard. The focus was on getting to the finish while staying happy and comfortable.

“My fitness wasn’t at its peak, so I didn’t push myself into a situation where I might struggle later. I executed the race plan my coach and I had prepared, and it was mission accomplished. Qualifying for Kona next year was the goal.”

Smith now has nearly a year to prepare for the World Championships and is excited to approach the event with ample time to plan her training.

“I’ve never qualified this far in advance, so it’s great not to have the pressure of doing two Ironmans next year,” she said. “It’s a demanding process, so I’ll take the next three weeks to relax. If I feel like sitting at home and drinking coffee all morning, I will.

“The training plan will likely span six months, but through the winter, it will just be base training — not too intense, just getting the mileage in and feeling good. I’ll also do some running races and focus on the Boston Marathon, which I’ve qualified for in January.”

Smith also credits her son, Tyler, an Olympic triathlete who competed in Paris this year, as a source of inspiration and support.

“It’s been amazing having him home,” Smith said. “We can chat about the sport, the physiology, and all aspects of training.

“Having him around normalises what I do. If he’s out training all day, I can head out for a couple of hours, and it feels like a natural part of our lives.

“He’s incredibly dedicated to his sport, always training in the best locations with the best people, but it’s never permanent. It’s been nice to have him home, settled, and ready to reset for his next few years.”