West Aussie spoils Braden Currie’s party to claim 2024 IRONMAN Cairns champion

Less than six months on from hearing he might possibly lose his foot completely, Western Australian Matt Burton has claimed the 2024 IRONMAN Cairns Championship.

Less than six months on from hearing he might possibly lose his foot completely, Western Australian Matt Burton has claimed the 2024 IRONMAN Cairns Championship.

Burton had a foot infection and was told by the doctors he could ‘lose his foot’.

Never did he think he would be sitting on the podium as the winner of the 2024 IRONMAN Cairns Asia-Pacific Championship.

Matt Burton of Australia is met by his son at the finish line of the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns. Picture Emily Barker.

It has been a remarkable road to triumph for Burton who was terribly close to losing half of his foot to begin the year.

“It unravelled on me, I had a bone infection in my right small toe and I had two surgeries,” he said.

“Almost went back in for a third one but they said we’d probably have to take half a foot off.

“(They said they) didn’t know on the return so it’s up to you if you want to try a big round of antibiotics and hope it works and fortunately for me it did.

“Having a young family it’s not very lucrative of a profession if you’re not racing.

They hung in with me when we moved back in with my wife’s mom and she’s been unbelievable.

“It was a slow crawl back where every day was a (personal best).

“When you have 10 weeks off you start from zero (fitness), but the beauty is muscle memory and muscle does remember and it just took 10 weeks to remember before I really started to feel more myself.

“I decided to come here two weeks early and it was the best decision of my life.”

You couldn’t wipe the smile off the new championships face as he ran down towards the finish.

Burton was welcomed by cheers from the crowd before a big hug by his son and partner.

The man from WA spoiled New Zealander Braden Currie’s party of claiming his fourth IRONMAN Cairns championship as Burton dominated the bike leg.

Claiming a new record, Burton rode a time of four hours and five minutes, taking 10 minutes off the record.

Burton timed a 50:18 during the swim, 4:05:54 during the cycle, :44:08 for the run

Matt Burton of Australia celebrates with Braden Currie and Mike Phillips during the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns. Picture Emily Barker.

It wasn’t the only time he broke during the race, shaving a total of 32 minutes off his time from 2023.

That went along with breaking the Cairns IRONMAN track record by five minutes, which was only set by Currie in 2023.

Burton set a total time of 7:45:24, three and a half minutes faster than second placed Currie who was 22 seconds faster than fellow New Zealander Mike Phillips.

Burton said his road back has made him appreciate the sport more, making a conscious effort to enjoy competing more now that the dark times have passed.

“I’ve had a lot of bad times when you sit on the side of the road,” Burton said.

“Sport is beautiful but with all forms of beauty there’s dormer and there’s tribulation.

“It became about not just me performing today but my wife and my son experiencing it too. “It’s a real team. It takes a lot more than an athlete to get across the line and today shows.”

Burton said it was one of the toughest races he has been part of.

“I think it will take a solid week or two to sink in,” he said.

“I probably found myself in a position that I’ve never been before, with the lead with the chase crew, which was massive.

“It’s probably the most enjoyable day I’ve ever had on the bike in a race.

“(During the run with my injured foot) I just had to run my own race and hold strong and I felt very strong just not overly fast and strong.

“For my wife and my young son, who knows, hopefully he might be able to remember this as one of his first special memories.

“He was born the week I won my first and it’s so special to have them both here.”

Hannah Berry Secures Biggest Career Victory

Hannah Berry crosses the finish line in the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns. Picture Emily Barker.

New Zealand’s Hannah Berry had a powerful day to remember securing the biggest victory of her career.

Berry was crowned the winner at the 2024 Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns on Sunday.

Triumphant on her way to the top step of the podium, she finished with an incredible time of 8:44:31, with a 53:04 swim, a 4:42:05 cycle and a 3:04:53 run securing maximum Ironman Pro Series points along the way.

Sunday’s win was Berry’s second Ironman victory, with her first being on debut at Ironman New Zealand back in 2021.

Berry said the Cairns victory was the biggest of her career to date.

“I’m so stoked, I pushed so hard out there today,” said Berry.

“Honestly, that was the hardest I’ve worked in a race ever, but just really happy it was enough to get the win.

“I don’t know how to put it into words, it means a lot. It’s a big step in the right direction for me and it’s exciting.

“We work so hard for this, and I really have to celebrate these times because sport has its ups and downs, so I’ll be celebrating tonight.”

Hannah Berry crosses the finish line in the Cairns Airport IRONMAN Cairns. Picture Emily Barker.

Berry, Netherlands’ Lotte Wilms and American Lauren Brandon traded blows throughout the swim, bike and run leg before Berry blew out to a three minute lead, which she maintained throughout the run.

Australian Kylie Simpson, who won the race in 2023, closed the gap on her favourite leg, the run, but wasn’t able to catch Berry.

Simpson had to make up a 13 minute deficit on the run as she closed the gap down to seven minutes to finish third.

“It was a pretty good swim for me, obviously I wanted to be up there with the front three, but I wasn’t quite good enough today,” she said.

“It was a very lonely 180 kilometre bike ride, but I just tried to stick to my race, stick to my numbers and just stay positive and never give up.

“I came into T2 with not too much down on the front girls and then just really tried to run my own race, settle in, and tried not to slow down too much and hoped that it was enough to hang on for the win.

“I think that was my fastest marathon in an Ironman, so pretty stoked. I can’t really put the finish line into words I don’t think. You only dream of something like (this).”

As well as claiming the Asia-Pacific Championship title, Berry’s win in Cairns will shoot her up the IRONMAN Pro Series leaderboard, with the victory worth 5,000 points.

Originally published as West Aussie spoils Braden Currie’s party to claim 2024 IRONMAN Cairns champion