THE Festival of Endurance at Hever Castle saw 1,500 competitors racing in intense heat – with spectators treated to thrilling finish in the toughest category.
The renowned Bastion ironman race returned to the iconic venue, one of five castles which form part of the Castle Triathlon Series.
It consisted of a 3.8km lake swim, a 180km bike section and a 42km marathon.
Lucy Biddlestone won the women’s race for the third year in a row, recording a time of 11 hours 53 minutes 14 seconds.
But even after almost 12 hours she had to work hard for her victory. In a sprint finish, she beat Isabelle Boyer Moulin by just six seconds.
The male Bastion event was won by Sion Stanfield in a time of 10:18.40.
The half-iron distance British Middle Distance Championships event, the Gauntlet, kicked off with a 1.9km swim followed by a 90km bike through the countryside and a 21km half marathon run to the castle finish line.
Sam Wade crossed first for the men in 4:32.07, while Catherine Jamieson won the women’s race, defending her title with a time of 5:04.07.
The event featured 13 races in total, including relay versions of the Bastion and Gauntlet, long and half distances for Aquabike, standard and long Aquathlons, 10km, 3.8km and 1.9km swims and half and full marathons.
PICTURE: GOLDEN GLOW: Competitors start their race in Hever’s lake
