Internationally known for his insights on European security, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb is also among the world’s most athletic leaders. Balancing the presidency with endurance sports, he relies on a strict routine and Finnish sisu—whether navigating global politics or secretly medaling in local triathlons.
by Carl V. Lillvik
President Alexander Stubb is the second Swedish speaking President of Finland. The first was Field Marshall Carl Gustaf Mannerheim at the end of the Continuation War.
President Stubb’s great great grandfather came from Stubb, a village of 30 inhabitants on the outskirts of Esse in Ostrobothnia which he visited during his presidential campaign in 2024. Both Swedish and Finnish were spoken in his home when growing up.
Many people have gotten to know Finland’s President Alexander Stubb through his appearances and speeches at European Conferences talking about what it is like to share an 835-mile border with Russia and the loss of values-based governments. He often lists issues in threes such as Global East, West, and South named in his book “The Triangle of Power” an explanation of anchors drag cutting undersea cables by the Russians – it was done by accident, intentionally, or incompetence. Then there are the Triathlons.
President Stubb regularly participates in Triathlons. In the fall of 2025 the Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reported that he registered under the somewhat cryptic initials A.S. when rumors began to flourish in the starting area.
When the competition, in the sprint distance (750 meters swimming, 20 kilometers cycling and five kilometers running) was completed, it turned out that the secret A.S. was second, and that behind the initials hid a 57-year-old Finnish president. Previously he finished in a stunning time of 9:56:02 he won his age category and took home the 50-54 Europe Triathlon Challenge Long Distance Championship title. At the Frankfurt Marathon in 2015 he placed 1431 of nearly 15,000 runners with a time of 3:08:31.
President Stubb is one of the most athletic leaders of countries around the world. There are clips of him on Facebook and Instagram doing morning runs, often with his wife, in whatever country he is visiting. Although his father is the famous Finnish hockey player and coach, Göran Stubb, Alexander came to the United States on a golf scholarship to Furman University in South Carolina. As he explains, he took political science, international politics and economics, which changed his direction. European politics and research on the European Union in particular captured his interest. Devoting his energy to courses he dropped off the golf team.
Thirty-five years later, no matter how rusty he claims he is, he played golf with President Trump earning a reputation as the “Trump whisperer.” In addition, calling on his boyhood training he recently competed against Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, another fit leader in a friendly hockey game.
Stubb has also said that he has been involved in endurance sports throughout the 2000’s. To do this he follows the 8+8+8 rule, meaning that there are eight hours each for rest, work, and free time. He trains an hour a day and admits that SISU plays a big part in his completion of the competitions.
