Coolangatta Gold 2026: Bevilacqua Wins a Sprint Finish

Seven years. Four runner-up finishes. One sprint to the line on Coolangatta Beach.

On Saturday 17 October, Matt Bevilacqua won the 2026 Shaw and Partners Coolangatta Gold, holding off Sean Rielly by 14 seconds in 2:28:15. 

The Gold is in its 42nd year now. It started in 1984 as a race staged for the movie of the same name, and until 2024 the long course was a near-42km slog up and down the coast. Since last year it's been the 25.6: two laps of everything, right off Coolangatta Beach.

• Ski: 14km (2 x 7km)
• Swim: 2km (2 x 1km)
• Board: 4km (2 x 2km)
• Run: 3.1km to the finish, plus 2.5km of transition runs between legs

Seven Years in the Making

Bevy took his first Gold back in 2019. Since then he's had a front-row seat to one of the great runs in surf sports, finishing second to Ali Day four years straight, including by just 53 seconds last year.

With the King of the Gold now retired, the race was wide open. Bevy made sure the next chapter started with him.

Ski, Swim, Board, Run: How Bevy Won It

The 25.6 format is roughly half the length of the old Gold. That means two-plus hours of flat-out racing with nowhere to hide. It also doubled as Round 1 of the Iron Series, so the full field was on the start line.

Conditions made it messy. A tricky shorey and strong winds kept the pack bunching back up, and the lead changed hands more than once. Bevy sat in the mix all day, then made his move on the board, the leg that's won him five Molokai to Oahu world titles.

If that sounds familiar, it should. Two weeks ago Bevy was running the board session at our Athlete Training Day at Palm Beach SLSC. On Saturday he showed everyone exactly what those race smarts look like.

From there it was a straight-up fight to the line with Rielly. Where his son Beau was waiting for him. Real surf, a big crowd and a sprint finish. Exactly the kind of race he loves.

What Bevy Raced In

Bevy did the whole Gold in the Shredskin Pro Jammer, our latest release and the official jammer of the 2026/27 Shaw and Partners Iron Series. Ski, swim, board, then a soft-sand run, through a messy shorey and with no chance to adjust anything along the way. On a day like that you just want a suit that stays put and you don't think about once.

That's pretty much the idea behind the Shredskin Pro. The Italian fabric doesn't soak up water, it fits snug, and the seams are tough enough for board paddling and sand. It's made for both pool and surf, so it works just as well for a club carnival as it does for the Gold.

Shop the Shredskin Pro Jammer →

Electra Outram Goes Back-to-Back

In the Ironwoman, Electra Outram defended her title in 2:47:02, just over a minute clear of Charlotte Hart. She's still the only woman to win the Gold since it switched to the 25.6km format. Huge effort.

Looking Ahead

The Iron Series now switches to short-course racing for summer:

•      Rounds 2 & 3, Thirroul NSW: Enduro on 14 November, Super Sprint on 15 November

•      Rounds 4 & 5, Newcastle NSW: The Specialist on 9 January, Eliminator on 10 January

•      Rounds 6 & 7, Surfers Paradise QLD: Super Sprint on 6 February, Grand Eliminator on 7 February

Bevy heads into summer as the man to beat, and we'll be on the beach for every round. Congrats Bevy, this one was a long time coming.

Coolangatta Gold 2026 FAQs

Who won the 2026 Coolangatta Gold? Matt Bevilacqua won the men's race in 2:28:15, 14 seconds ahead of Sean Rielly. Electra Outram won the women's race in 2:47:02.

How long is the Coolangatta Gold? Since 2025 the elite race has been 25.6km of ski, swim, board and run legs at Coolangatta Beach on the Gold Coast.

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