Torquay beach buzzes for Iron Classic return

TORQUAY’S back beach came alive on the first weekend of 2026, as the renowned Jim Wall Iron Classic returned on Sunday.

In the Open Iron races, Victorian Thomas Lewis claimed victory in the men’s event, while New South Wales competitor Tully Elliot took out the female title.

The men’s podium featured three Victorians, with Torquay local Archie Vernon finishing second and Matthew Gilling third.

Torquay SLSC competition manager, Matt Henderson, said the club was pleased with how the 64th edition of the event unfolded.

“I think we were pretty lucky with the weather and the conditions,” he said. “We were really blessed – we had some really close finishes for the Open Male and Female Iron.

 

 

“We had a really good field again, we had just over 300 competitors so we were fully subscribed from under-13s through to the open age groups.

“There was a really good atmosphere and vibe on the beach. I think Torquay surf beach really lends itself to the spectacle with the hill.”

Henderson also acknowledged the significant contribution of volunteers, whose efforts ranged from set-up and registrations to merchandising.

“It’s obviously a marquee event from the club’s perspective,” he said. “All the help makes a really big difference and reinforces the community aspect of the sport.”

The Jim Wall Iron Classic is one of the legs of the World Ocean Series Southern States Showdown, drawing high-calibre athletes from across the region.

“We’re really seeing that concept starting to take over,” Henderson said. “There’s a mini-tour in the southern states and the athletes are really gravitating to that.”

 

 

Henderson said the event had also delivered a strong fundraising outcome for the club.

“From a fundraising perspective, it’s definitely been an improvement on prior years so we’re really happy with that.

“We really appreciate everything because we aim to make the event the best carnival in Victoria from an athlete experience perspective.

“Being able to have an exciting program and some good prize money on offer, supported by a lot of product prizes, makes it really attractive to the athletes.”