Record-breaking crowds lined the streets of south Pembrokeshire on Sunday as more than 2,400 endurance athletes “faced the dragon”.
Starting and finishing in Tenby, Ironman Wales consists of a 2.4-mile sea swim, a 112-mile bike course – complete with almost 2,500m of elevation – followed by a full 26.2-mile marathon.
It seems an unthinkable task to complete in just 17 hours, but these athletes are made of something different, they are superhuman.
It is the 12th time the event has been staged in the seaside town, with crowds once again out in their thousands to take in the spectacle of the early morning swim.
As the competitors zig-zagged their way down to North Beach, there were goose bumps as the Welsh national anthem bellowed across the sands.
Fireworks and smoke cannons signalled the start as athletes leapt into the water, a sight best witnessed from the esplanade above.
‘Amazing support’
“The support in Tenby is just amazing,” said former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing Shane Williams, 47, who is now a seven-time Ironman.
“From start to finish there is people on every corner, three or four deep.
“You have only got to look at the swim, national anthem, everyone up and down the zig-zag and on the top of the wall in Tenby.
“It is the closest I will ever get, I believe, to playing for Wales again and having that atmosphere.
“Having your family there as well, it is the cherry on the top.”
The bike course sends athletes through the hilly Pembrokeshire countryside, with Saundersfoot’s ‘Heartbreak Hill’ and Wiseman’s Bridge among the iconic landmarks.
Harsh weather conditions made the course even harder this year, with several small-scale crashes and many riders slowing their pace.
“The bike was okay, I didn’t go too hard as I wanted to hit the marathon quite hard and fresh – well, as fresh as I could,” said Williams.
“It just got a little wet in some patches and I hit some leaves and fell.
“There was a couple of crashes and I hope that everyone is okay, but the bike [course] is tough.
“If you ask me, well I haven’t done any others, but from what I hear it’s the toughest bike course in Ironman.”
Athletes then finish the triathlon with a full-distance marathon through the streets of Tenby.
The four-loop run in torrential rain was challenging for many, but the athletes were rallied by the hardy spectators right up until midnight.
The event was not open to professional athletes this year and more than 1,600 of the starting athletes made the finish line within the cut-off times.
Pete Dyson was crowned Ironman Wales champion with a final time of 9hrs 34mins 24secs, while Anna Lawson was the first woman across the line in 10:35:30.
“It was really, really good, such a hard course,” said Dyson.
“Wales is amazing, a real bucket-list race, it lived up to everything I had heard and more.”
Rain fails to dampen spirits
Laura Whitaker was among the athletes to complete a first full-distance Ironman.
“I was born deaf and then the eyesight went when I was about 13 or 14, but I didn’t know until I went for a driver’s test,” she said.
“It deteriorated as I got older and now I am just quite severely sighted, the hearing got a bit worse, so I wear two hearing aids.”
Laura had three guides to ensure her safety, one for each leg of the race. She was welcomed in by a packed finish line, with her family presenting her finisher’s medal.
“It is just nice to show that even with disabilities, you can still do things,” she said.
“Obviously I still need that support, so I really appreciate them because I wouldn’t be here without them.
“Doing this exercise has massively helped me because physically and mentally it keeps me going.
“We are outside so there is a lot of noise, so communication [with guides] is mainly shouting at each other.
“Kirsty [running guide] is really good at telling me if there is a step, a curb, a pothole which people who can see will struggle with, but for someone who can’t see, it is even harder.”
Mayor of Tenby Dai Morgan raced in Ironman Wales in 2016, saying it was one of the hardest days that he has ever endured.
“It is one of the best [Ironman courses] on the circuit and without Ironman I don’t think Tenby would be quite the same,” he said.
“I remember the first year, there was hardly anybody here, and now every year the crowds just get bigger and bigger.
“They say it might outgrow Tenby, but I don’t think you can outgrow an iron town.”
As Morgan helped volunteers hand out medals and blankets at the finish line, he joked: “It wouldn’t be the same without a bit of rain.
“It doesn’t matter how much it rains or how much wind there is, it will not dampen the atmosphere.”
Ironman Wales is a long day for athletes and supporters alike, with competitors racing for anything from nine to 17 hours in what were atrocious conditions this year.
Each have their own cause, with many raising money for charities, while others just want to test their own limits.
But one thing they have in common is the hope of hearing the words “you are an Ironman” as they make their way down the red carpet to the finish line.
Tenby may not have played ball with the weather this year, but one thing is for certain, the town looks forward to welcoming back the event for its 13th year next September.
