Wales worth it as Colin raises thousands for charity
ARDRISHAIG man Colin MacFarlane put himself through a true endurance test for two charities.
Choosing to make the 480-mile journey to Tenby in west Wales, Colin took part in the Ironman Wales event on Sunday September 18 to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support and Bloodwise Scotland.
Ironman triathlons are tough endurance events involving a 2.4 mile swim, a cycle for 122 miles, before concluding with a full marathon of 26.2 miles.
Like Scotland, Wales is not short on hills, and the Ironman Wales course is seen as one of the more challenging events in the triathlon calendar - its tough bike route taking in 2,100m of climbing and hilly marathon testing the muscle fibres.
Along with 1,800 other participants, Colin took to the water from Tenby’s stunning north beach just as the sun was rising over Carmarthen Bay to complete two laps of the 1.4-mile course in one hour and five mins.
The 112-mile bike ride took in stunning scenery as it weaved through the Pembrokeshire countryside and numerous lively villages filled with enthusiastic supporters.
Completing the bike ride in seven hours 13 minutes, all that remained was to complete the undulating marathon course in the picturesque town of Tenby.
Colin completed the marathon course in four hours 32 minutes, which, including transition times, gave a total time of 13 hours and 21 minutes to complete the Ironman course.
Colin said: ‘The most rewarding thing is being able to help raise nearly £3,500 for the two charities close to my heart, Macmillan Cancer Support and Bloodwise Scotland.
‘If anyone would like to contribute please check out my JustGiving page - Colin MacFarlane’s Ironman Wales Challenge 2016.’