Generation “next” has graduated to generation “now” with young guns Conner Maggs (19 years old) and Lucy Derbyshire (21 years old) upsetting the favourites to win the 2025 Shaw and Partners Ironman & Ironwoman Series Champions.

The young guns have upstaged defending champions Ali Day and Lana Rogers, who weren’t able to match the stamina of the rising stars.  Both Maggs and Derbyshire will walk away with $25,000 prize money and an Isuzu MU-X.

The Ironman final went down to a photo finish between Maggs (Newport) and Series debutant Joel Piper (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), as the two hit the beach at the same time and had to dive for the finish tape.

Maggs dominated the race from the outset, reading the testing 3-4 foot surf conditions well and jagging a wave on the final ski leg that gave him a commanding lead back to shore.

But drama unfolded in the gutter close to shore, with a wave knocking Maggs from his ski with his foot was trapped between the pedal and the strap.

Once he finally untangled himself, the chase pack had caught up to him and it came down to a run up the beach between Maggs and Piper, as officials were called in to review the footage.

“I think I claimed it a bit too early. I mean I’ve always been a racer that wants to make the racing exciting, and I don’t think I’ve done that on purpose, but my foot got stuck in the end.

“Joel, I’ve raced against him forever, so for us to go one two and Zach [Morris] comes third – it’s pretty surreal for all three of us to come back and be on the podium together.

“I’ve dreamed of something like this since I moved over from South Africa,” he said.

Maggs said getting stuck in the ski was all a bit of a blur.

“I was just kind of panicking trying to kick [his foot] out. And my ski was facing back out to sea and I was facing the shore and my foot was stuck between the foot strap and the pedal.

“I almost had to turn my body 180 degrees before I was able to slide it out. But I just panicked and at that point I was like, I’m gonna come forth here I’ve stuffed it up. This is gonna be going to be an upset.

“Usually my ski finish is really good, but I stood up out of the ski and I panicked, and then I couldn’t feel my right foot when I was running up the beach and I just had to give it everything I could. Lucky enough I got the legs to get home,” he said.

IRONWOMAN

The drama didn’t stop there, with the women’s race again producing plenty of drama, with the lead changing across each leg.

Former South Australian Ironwoman Derbyshire (Surfers Paradise) went into the final ski leg in the middle of the pack around fifth or sixth, but managed to navigate the swell and chase down the lead pack that was hit.

Neck and neck with Maroocydore’s Tiarnee Massie, the duo turned the cans with nothing separating them and Lizzie Wellborn (Newport) on their wash.

But it was Derbyshire who got over the top of the wave, navigating it all the way to shore where she was greeted by her Ironman boyfriend Finn Askew.

“I still really can’t believe it, it’s all kind of gone so quick – I’m feeling so, so happy.

“I think that was probably the best bit, to come over and I got to celebrate with my boyfriend, Finn, but also the rest of my family, my sponsors were all here, my coach, all the people I trained with. It was really exciting at the moment. I think I will remember for the rest of my life,”she said.

Derbyshire knew it was hers for the taking while going around the back ski cans, but she didn’t want to take anything for chance while coming back to shore.

“There was a bit of a set out the back that I came in on and I was able to get over it really clean, and that’s when I kind of started getting to work around the cans, and came in on a nice run.

“I was trying not to think about it too much when I was out the back, going around the cans, I knew I was in first, but I knew that I still had to get to the beach and get the job done. So I didn’t let it quite sink in until I hit the sand. I turned around and saw there was no one too close behind me, and that’s when it really sunk in,” she said.

The 21 year old moved to Surfers Paradise to pursue her Ironwoman dreams, admitting she didn’t think this moment would come so quickly.

“I think moving from South Australia was really hard, and there’s been some lows and some highs.

“I have been working for this since I was in nipper. I always wanted to win one of these, I just, I didn’t think I would win it at the age of 21,” she said.

Massie and Welborn rounded out the podium, with the drama unfolding before the start of the final when defending champion and Series favourite Lana Rogers was knocked out after race two, pummeled by the shorey in her ski leg.

Today’s final wraps up the 2025 Shaw and Partners Iron Series.  For full results visit ironseries.com.au