PAUL Clements has conquered the heat in Hawaii to complete a gruelling ironman triathlon at the Ford World Championships.

The Jersey triathlete finished the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and marathon 26.2 mile run in blistering 36°C temperatures in just over 11 hours, placing him 828th out of a field of 1,800 athletes. Clements has recently struggled with injury and was unable to prepare properly for the event, so he did not race as hard as he might normally have done.

He said the pain, at times, was excruciating – and that he had no plans to repeat the feat. ‘Never again!’ he said. ‘My body hurt so much on the marathon and after the race, and I really don’t want to put myself through that pain again. An Ironman really does make you humble, and especially here in Hawaii, where the course and conditions are so tough. I have huge respect for anyone who completes one.

‘But I also know when the pain subsides I will probably want to have another go one day with good preparation just to see how fast I can be.’ This year marked the 30th anniversary of the Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championships. For triathletes, this event is their “mecca”, much like how a tennis player views playing at Wimbledon.