19/06/2026
**Sharks at Ironman Cairns 2026**
Three Sharkies lined up at Ironman Cairns, and it was a big day out for all of them.
It was a tough but fair day on a beautiful course. The swim at Palm Cove was choppy, with a noticeable current and a fair bit of swell to push through. The bike was honest and would bite if you didn’t race it smart, the wind and rain making it real work out there. The run was flat and fast, with a little headwind on the way back from the turnaround that at least cooled things down. Beautiful, yes, but it made everyone earn it.
Dean Cameron raced with Ted Britt guiding him, and the two crossed the line together in 14:12:08. Big milestones for both: Dean’s 10th Ironman and his 5th Cairns, and Ted’s 19th Ironman and his 8th time on the Cairns finish line!!!. Dean and Ted placed 2nd in their category. A top effort from the pair of them.
Dean summed up his day as “226km of pure bliss.” We might have to question the truth of that one, and we suspect Ted may quietly disagree.
Kris Shepherd took on Cairns for the first time and brought it home in 12:19:51, finishing 80th in M35-39. A 36 minute PB on his 3rd Ironman. As Kris put it: “Beautiful one minute, brutal the next.”
None of it happens on its own. A huge thank you to everyone who made the trip up to Cairns to support the athletes. It means more than you know out on course, and it could not be done without you. Thank you as well to everyone who followed along on the Ironman tracker and sent their well wishes through the day. The athletes felt every one of them.
A beautiful course, an honest day, a great event. Massive congratulations to Dean, Ted and Kris. The whole club is proud of you.
Also, thank you to our club sponsors for their ongoing support to the Sharks Triathlon Club
