06/09/2026
While travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan, to support her dad Mike at the Ironman 70.3, Gracie-Rose Walters discovered at the last minute that the event weekend also included a 5K fun run — so she decided to enter!
With temperatures soaring during the day, the race took place under the Baku night sky, creating a brilliant and unique atmosphere 🌙🏃🏻♀️
Having only recently returned from an ankle injury, Gracie wasn’t sure how she would feel and hadn’t specifically trained for the 5K. The plan was simply to take part, run comfortably and see how her ankle held up, with no particular expectations. But once she stepped onto the start line, the competitive spirit kicked in!
With another runner pushing the pace, Gracie decided to give it a proper go — and it paid off. She crossed the finish line in an impressive 20:50, securing 2nd place female!🥈👏🏻
Considering she had only entered the race at the last minute, was still returning from injury and hadn’t trained specifically for the event, the result was a fantastic surprise. Even better, her ankle held up well and she was delighted with both how she felt and how she performed!
What started as a spontaneous last-minute decision while travelling turned into an unexpected podium finish under the Baku night sky — and a very encouraging sign as Gracie continues her return to full race fitness 💪🏻
