Ironman Inkster completes unforgiving sporting challenge

Burra resident Maurice Inkster successfully completed one of sport’s toughest challenges on Sunday night.

Mr Inkster decided to travel to the Canary Islands to compete in the gruelling Lanzarote Ironman triathlon, two months after his 50th birthday.

The one-day endurance race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bicycle ride, all topped off with a 26-mile run.

In order to be branded an “ironman” competitors must complete the swim in under 140 minutes, the cycle in under eight hours and 10 minutes and the marathon in under six hours and 30 minutes.

Mr Inkster successfully bested all of these time limits, achieving the swim in 74 minutes, the bicycle in seven hours and 51 minutes and the run in just over five and a half hours.

Taking into account the time spent transitioning between the individual parts of the challenge Mr Inkster completed the triathlon in 15 hours and four minutes – well under the 17 hour time limit.

For Mr Inkster this was a little shy of the 14 hour target he had set for himself but ultimately he was “pleased” with the time, especially considering that this was his first attempt.

Speaking to The Shetland Times this morning he said he was feeling “a peerie bit stiff” but other than that was coping very well.

Mr Inkster took the challenge in his stride, coping well with both the swim and the cycle. He felt that as the race reached its conclusion he let himself down a bit on the run as his energy started to drain.

He feels that it was a “a peerie bit of adrenaline” and the support of the crowd “cheering you on” that allowed him to run across the finish line while many around him chose to walk the final stretch.

Mr Inkster was the 1,326th competitor to cross the line, putting him ahead of around 600 other competitors.

Already he feels that if presented with the chance to compete at another ironman event he would “no say no”.

But for the time being Mr Inkster hopes to enjoy the remainder of his holiday in Lanzarote. “I won’t be moving very far from the sun lounger” he said.