THORNBURY Running Club siblings Dylan and Taryn Roberts set themselves the ambitious target of racing their first Ironman in 2016, with no previous triathlon experience.

After ticking that box in some style at Ironman UK in Bolton, they decided to go back for more punishment last weekend in Tenby for Ironman Wales.

The Welsh course is reputed to be one of the most difficult triathlon courses, thanks in large part to its unrelenting series of steep gradients and a choppy sea swim.

They were only separated by a few minutes last year and it was to be a similar case again now.

Amongst the chaos of swimming with over two thousand people through the sea, Dylan emerged from the 2.4 mile course in one hour 10:53mins with Taryn only three minutes in arrears.

The times on the Tenby bike course are significantly slower than most courses, which includes large sections of the rolling Pembrokeshire coastline and a fearsome climb nicknamed ‘Heartbreak Hill’ near the finish.

Dylan used his strength on the bike to complete the 112 miles in six hours 52mins, with Taryn finishing in seven hours 18:38mins.

The Ironman discipline finishes with a full 26.2 mile marathon and, egged on by a passionate Welsh crowd, Dylan finished the race in 12 hours 28:37mins with a four hour 16:23mins run, to finish in 412th place overall and fiftieth in the 25-29 age group.

Taryn saved her best for last with a stunning run of three hours 47:12mins, the seventh fastest run of any of the female competitors on the day.

She finished 20th female and made the top three in the 25-29 age group. Her overall time was 12 hours 31:18mins.

Not to be outdone, Ros Rowland competed in two events last week. Ros and Ray Sunnucks are a regular fixture at Castle Coombe for the summer series of duathlons.

Ros takes care of both two-mile run segments, with Ray contesting the middle bike section.

Their overall time of 55:24 mins (14:04 mins run, 25:52 mins bike and 14:10 run) was good enough for second place in the mixed team event.

Ros’ second race at the weekend was at the Bad Cow Marathon near the Dorset village of Wareham in which she finished with a time of four hours 19:24mins.

The Sri Chinmoy duathlon is open to only fifty entrants and encourages people who are new to multi-sports racing. Paul Thomas took his son, Matthew, to try their first duathlon in Tockington on Sunday and were joined by several other Thornbury club members.

It starts with a 2k run, followed by a 15k bike, before finishing with another 2k run.

Youth won on this day as Matthew beat his Dad by 16 seconds, although Paul could console himself by being the first Thornbury competitor in 16th place in 48:47 mins.

Kevin Wood was next over the line in 49:54 mins, followed by Maite Roche (fourth female in 51:06 mins) and Angelica Fackrell in one hour and 48 seconds.

Hugh McPherson took his trainers with him on holiday and did the parkrun Krakow last weekend, producing his fastest performance in over two years of 22.48 mins.

Kevin Arnold ran 23:06 mins at parkrun. Richard Jackson and Kevin Cundy were at parkrun Chipping Sodbury and finished in 26:06 mins and 32:02 mins.

Malcolm and Karen Carr were at Lee-on-the Solent and finished in 25:07 mins and 27:04 mins.