Legendary ironman Ali Day has got the fairytale finish to his illustrious career, claiming his sixth and final Shaw and Partners Iron Series title at Miami Beach today.
The 35-year-old announced in late 2025 that he would be stepping away from the sport at the end of the 2025/26 summer season – and today’s final professional race couldn’t have been scripted any better.
Day led from the outset, with clubmate Finn Askew by his side after he returned to the top of the podium yesterday. But it was a wave that toppled Askew off his ski, and opened it up for Day.
On the final board leg, Day had clear water – hitting the beach first and a chance to soak up the win with the thousands that lined Miami Beach today to cheer him on in his last lap.
“No one gets that (fairytale finish). I’ve followed sport all my life and to be in a position to have a chance to win it was special. To win it, and to win it the way I got to do it, was pretty special,” Day said.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet – I wish I could bottle that feeling of what that was like, coming in. I had people messaging me during the week saying Imagine if you got that.
“But it didn’t bother me if I didn’t get it – I was more concerned about putting myself in that last race, and that position,” he said.
Reflecting on the race, Day said he couldn’t have set the win up for himself better.
“I felt like I set the race up really well and once I got that wave on my own, you’re just hoping in the board that it will open up,” Day said.
“I had to roll one, and then just got back on and paddled for my life all the way back to the beach…I just can’t believe it,” he said.
Having made the announcement of his retirement at the start of the season, it gave Day a chance to soak it all in – from the messages of support to the screaming fans and nippers that packed out Miami Beach today.
“Just hitting the beach, and the whole week leading in, I felt so much support. It wouldn’t have mattered if I came twelfth today, it really wouldn’t have mattered,” Day said.
“To finish on top, to come in on that wave and to have a wall of people on either side…I cannot wait to watch that back. It’s not only my victory, but there’s so many people that are in my team and there’s so many people I’ve got to thank for that.
“My wife must just be beside herself, and same with my mum and dad, my in laws…all my family. I can’t believe that they just got to witness that. I’m a legacy sort of guy, so I was happy with five but six has got a nice ring to it,” he said.
After yesterday’s first round win, Sunshine Coast ironwoman Tiarnee Massie stormed home to her first Shaw and Partners Iron Series title.
“I’m just so grateful. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was four years old, and there’s been so many times when I was like, ‘I don’t know if it’s possible’, but it’s only possible because of the people around me,” Massie said.
“I’m so lucky to have the most amazing family, friends, and supporters. I would not be here without them and I’m just so glad that we’ve done it together,” she said.
After finishing second in last year’s Iron Series final, Massie said she couldn’t have dreamt of a better finish to this year.
“It’s driven me a lot. I finished last year and it really hurt getting so close, being out on my own in the ski and then getting hit by a wave.
“Every single tough session I’ve done this year I’ve been thinking back to that moment and how much it hurt and how much I wanted to finally achieve my dream this year, so that was certainly my fuel,” she said.
Earlier in the day, Olivia Clues (Newport) and Dane Sutton (Wanda) earnt their position in the 2026/27 Shaw and Partners Iron Series, qualifying through Shaw and Partners Iron Series Next Gen Series.