Simone Dailey trailed by more than ten minutes after the swim, but she has just crossed the finish line as the winner of Ironman Arizona. The British athlete claims the biggest victory of her professional career.
When Dailey emerged from the water in Arizona, several women were already well ahead on the bike. Spain’s Lara Hernandez-Tome led the way, clocking a 49:45 swim – the fastest of the day. She also stayed in front for much of the bike leg: it wasn’t until just past the 140-kilometer mark that Alice Alberts managed to reel her in, with Rachel Zilinskas also closing quickly. By that point, Dailey had already found an extra gear; she had surged up to fourth place, cutting her deficit to just 2:22.
Back in T2, Dailey had moved up even further. She entered transition in second place, only 1:41 down on Alberts, with Zilinskas still right behind her – setting the stage for what looked like a thrilling battle for the podium.
Alberts and Zilinskas started the run the strongest, maintaining a gap of roughly ninety seconds between them, while Dailey initially lost ground. After six kilometers, she faced nearly a three-minute deficit. But that marked the turning point. As Zilinskas began closing in on Alberts, Dailey also started clawing back time rapidly. By the halfway point of the marathon, Alberts had slipped to third, and Zilinskas and Dailey were running side by side.
From there, Dailey made her decisive move. Zilinskas could no longer match the pace in the second half of the marathon, and Dailey continued to pull away. She ultimately secured the victory in 8:37:17, with Zilinskas finishing second in 8:41:41. In the closing stages, Elisabetta Curridori caught Alberts, securing the third spot in 8:44:46.