The Coolangatta Gold annually draws the best-of-the best ironmen and women from across Australia to compete.

"It's the iconic surf lifesaving marathon ironman event," Outteridge, from Fingal Bay, said.

This year's competition was made extra brutal by the weather conditions, forcing some of the event's regular competitors to bow out.

Strong, north-easterly winds turned the water black and churned up the two-metre swell.

Outteridge, a lifesaver with Fingal Beach, said she put that out of her mind and focused on the task ahead.

She was entered into the over-50s short course. The 32-kilometre short course combined a 14.9-km ski, 2.5-km board, 2.5-km swim, 6.1-km board and 6-km run.

Outteridge estimated she would have finished the course around the four-hour mark in normal conditions. But the weather at this year's event, held on the Gold Coast last weekend, meant she finished in six hours and 52 seconds.

"Because the conditions were so bad, I never felt I could finish the race," Outteridge said.

"It wasn't until the last 300 metres that I thought I could finish."

Saying she completed the course means more to Outteridge than the gold medal she won for placing first in the over-50s division.

"If I had pulled out I would have thought about that for the rest of my life."

Outteridge thanked the team that travelled with her, helped her on the day and encouraged her to keep going.

Fellow Fingal competitors Clint Brown and Andrew Parker competed in the long course.

Brown finished the 42-kilometre course in five hours, 51 minutes and 45 seconds.

Parker finished 20th in his division with a time of six hours and 28 minutes.