Kayla McCann traveled to New Zealand this past December to compete in the Ironman World Championship.

Kayla McCann has evolved into a paragon of endurance and athletic prowess over the past several years. The Hopkinton resident will be running in the Boston Marathon, only about four months after competing in the Ironman World Championship in New Zealand.

McCann’s athletic journey began as a young girl who was encouraged to take swimming lessons by her mother. She later joined a running program in sixth grade called Girls on the Run through the Parks & Recreation Department. This program further instilled in her an interest in competitive sports while building  her confidence and leadership skills.

She competed in her first triathlon in eighth grade: a sprint triathlon in Ashland.

“I’ve been competing ever since,” shared McCann, a 2020 graduate of Hopkinton High School.

While at HHS, she was on the varsity cross country and track teams. She also was a member of the swimming team.

“Then I was like, why not biking?” she added. “My goal was always to compete in the Ironman Triathlon.”

The Ironman Triathlon is considered one of the most grueling one-day sporting events because of its length and the variety of athletic skills needed to complete it. A triathlon is a multisport race that involves swimming, biking and running across long distances. It is the ultimate test of endurance, as it is one continuous event with only short breaks in between sports as competitors prepare for the next leg of competition.

Athletes begin with an 2.4-mile open-water or pool swim. They transition to a bike race on a cycling route spanning 112 miles, either on an off-road course or on city streets. The final phase consists of running a marathon-length route of 26.2 miles.

“My first Ironman was Lake Placid, where I qualified for the world championships in Hawaii in 2023,” McCann explained, noting she finished in third place for her age group. “When that dream came true, it made me feel the most alive.”

This was an important achievement, as McCann’s ultimate goal was to compete in the contest in Hawaii, where the Ironman World Championship originated in 1978.

“It was a really gorgeous course, but it was really tough with the winds,” she said. “I love racing in warmer climates. I also ran the Iron Man in Puerto Rico, so I don’t mind the heat and humidity.”

On Dec. 14, 2024, McCann competed in New Zealand in the second longest-running Ironman World Championship. She described the experience as “incredible, just unreal.”

“Luckily I had my mom and my sister traveling around with me,” she said. “The race was obviously on one day. We also got to travel to a national park, go to mud baths and take a sunset cruise, which was really cool.”

Marathon training a switch

Transitioning to training for the Boston Marathon was definitely “a change of pace,” according to McCann. She simultaneously began her last semester at Northeastern University while balancing a Herculean exercise schedule.

“Definitely my coach is focusing more on the running aspect,” she explained. “I would consider myself a stronger swimmer, so we’ve kind of stopped swimming and done more focusing on the running and the biking.”

She typically runs four to five times a week, with a longer run on the weekends.

“I also do a couple of speed workouts, and then I just throw in some biking, just to get off my feet a little bit,” she added. “And then just some strength training and physical therapy exercises.”

McCann said that this is less intense than “full Iron Man training,” which takes “a lot more time.”

“I’m just constantly going from one thing to another,” she shared. “But honestly, my attention span is perfect for that, so I’m just flying from one thing to the next.”

McCann described herself as “a person who gives 100% to what I’m doing, whether it’s showing up to a race or training. I go in knowing that I prepped all I could for whatever I am going into.”

She offered the following advice to anyone considering a marathon run or other athletic competition.

“I’d say, if you’re looking for a goal, just sign up and start working hard toward it,” she said. “Just go in with everything you’ve got and see what comes out of it.”

McCann is running Boston in support of the Brad Canty Underdog Scholarship Fund. This is her third marathon on behalf of this cause. This scholarship provides assistance for deserving, unrecognized HHS graduates.

This fund was created in honor of Brad Canty, who was one of McCann’s HHS swimming teammates. He died at age 17 after suffering from gastrointestinal disorders.

Career plans in focus

McCann will be graduating from college this spring with a nursing degree and a minor in Spanish. The Army ROTC member will be commissioned as a second lieutenant Army officer, another example of her seemingly boundless stamina. After taking her nursing boards, she will begin her service as an Army nurse in the fall. She will not learn where she will be stationed until this summer.

“I became interested in joining the Army when I was a junior in high school,” she explained. “I actually talked to the recruiter from Northeastern at school. I really liked the opportunities the Army had to offer, whether it be traveling or the mental and physical challenges.”

Added McCann: “I just feel like I’m helping the greatest amount of people by being a nurse for the soldiers who are serving the country and their families.”