PEEBLES triathlete Iain Veitch (40) has won The Roc England triathlon race last weekend, breaking the previous course record by an incredible six minutes completing the race in five hours and 4 minutes.
And he even took a wrong turning on his bike.
The Roc England event is a stunning, brutal triathlon event in some of the most gorgeous and rugged scenery the UK has to offer.
A 1500m lake swim at the south end of Windermere was followed by a hilly 45km ride through the Lake district before running the famously tough Corridor route to the summit of Scafell Pike.
After coming back down athletes then rode the 45km back to Lake Windermere where the race concluded with a 1km run along the shoreline.
He said: “The course is unreal. A lake swim in the mill pond calm waters of Windermere. A tough, technical road bike course and a run up the infamous Corridor path of England' highest mountain. It has a bit of everything.
“I didn't swim particularly well despite the good conditions, coming out in 7th place with a couple of the faster athletes ahead by almost 4 minutes. As usual at these events though the support was great coming out of the water which helped with moral.
“The bike conditions were almost perfect. Although hot there were no serious winds and the roads were dry. It's not until the end of the bike that you can see the mountain so you can even forget about the impending run for most of it as well.
“With the fastest bike split I was in 3rd place by the end with 2nd place 30s ahead and 1st 3 min.
“The run up the mountain was tough in the heat wave we were having. The Corridor route is often described as the toughest tourist path up the mountain but also the most scenic, taking in several smaller peaks on the way.
“While there wasn't any spare time to stop and appreciate the scenery the backdrop was incredible.
“Despite taking a wrong turn near the top and losing a couple of minutes I had taken the lead by the time we were back down the mountain.
“I was able to hold onto that lead until the end of the second bike leg back to Windermere. Thankfully no sprint finish was required for the last kilometre run.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here