Susanna Saapunki, a Finnish runner, demonstrated exceptional form at the half marathon held in Naples, Italy, on Sunday, where she achieved a personal record time of 1:10:35, placing third overall. This impressive time ranks her jointly fourth in Finland's all-time statistics for the distance. Following a well-structured race plan, Saapunki reported feeling satisfied with her performance, noting that her pacing, energy management, and hydration strategies were executed effectively.

In her post-race comments, Saapunki expressed happiness with the outcome, stating that her race felt manageable and without problems. She highlighted her training intensity and set her sights on achieving a strong result in an upcoming marathon scheduled for next month. Saapunki's focus on careful preparation and execution during the race reflects her determination and competitiveness within the sport.

The race itself saw Saapunki finish behind a Kenyan duo, Lucy Ndambuki and Nelly Jeptoo, who took the first and second positions with record-breaking times of 1:08:48 and 1:09:26, respectively. The men's race was won by Yemaneberh, a multiple-time European Championship medalist, indicating a high level of competition throughout the event, which bodes well for the standards and future potential of long-distance running in Finland.