SUNDAY saw the last ever Ironman 70.3 UK Exmoor take place at Wimbleball Lake.
With around 800 competitors taking part, it was only fair that Exmoor said goodbye by doing what it does best - lashing it down with rain.
Luckily, from the recent warm weather, the lake was a balmy 19C, which was welcomed by all athletes for the 1.2 mile swim.
From there it was into the fog and drizzle for a gruelling 56-mile bike across Exmoor and then a13.1 mile run on hilly terrain next to Wimbleball Lake.
There was a brilliant turnout from Exmoor Triathlon Club and other local athletes including Tanks Direct Ltd.
From Exmoor Triathlon Club, Scott Ellwood made it to the red carpet in 5:52:23, 29th in division and 141st overall.
Scott was aiming for under six hours and was very pleased to make it. He also still had sore legs from supporting his kids in the Ironkids event which they enjoyed on Saturday.
Adrian Virgin came in at 6:05:17, a very impressive sixth in the 55-59 division and 199th overall.
A seasoned triathlete, Ginny was hoping to get sub six hours in the final event but the wet bike section made that difficult this year.
James Cook was next home in 6:15:05, 31st in division and 239th overall. He was very strong across the line, despite not being able to do as much training as he had hoped.
Ros Willicombe arrived in 6:36:29, fifth in her division and 343rd overall. She has been dedicated to her training ever since taking up the challenge of this event and her massive smile crossing the finish line showed that all her hard work had paid off.
Matthew Jones finished in 6:49:34, 47th in division and 408th overall. Despite recent injuries and a late entry into the event, Matt bossed the course and loved every minute of it.
Janet Hewlett got round in 6:50:00, eighth in division and 410th overall. Janet has taken part in every Wimbleball 70.3 event in one form or another since its inception in 2006!
For Tanks Direct Ltd, Louise Harris finished in a storming time of 5:36:38, third in division and 80th overall. Pleased with her performance on this hilly course, this was part of her training for other triathlons this season.
Clive Atkin pulled out a time of 5:52:42, 12th in division and 143rd overall. He seemed to skip across the finish line as if he was chasing a ten pound note in the wind.
I crashed out half-way through the bike route, buckling my front wheel and leaving meunable to continue. I was hoping for a personal best time but discovered the joy of spectating with baked potato in one hand and coffee in the other.
Russell Cowling, Geoff Ware and the Fieldhouse brothers made up a couple of strong relay teams. Many thanks to Russell for pulling off wetsuits like a pro in the transition tent- must be similar to delivering calves!
Quote of the day came from Geoff Ware: “I got to the feed station on the bike, I saw someone holding a banana out for me and another holding a bottle of water so I grabbed the bottle of water in my left hand and banana in my right . . . and then I crashed.”
It is the end of an era with many happy memories (and painful ones) made at the lake.
A massive thank you to all the volunteers and supporters over the years, with a special mention to previous competitor and IronWoman Hazel Hole and Martin Hole who always make it up to the lake, rain or shine, to support.
We also all wish Dennis Bailey a speedy recovery and a quick return to activities. As a previous completer of the course (at the age of 75!) he was due to be the only 80-plus athlete to take part this year but had to pull out due to injury.
Thank you to all the friendly staff at The Duck Cafe for the lovely coffee and cake, and also to all of the locals of Brompton Regis and Exmoor National Park for putting up with road closures and other disruption and for coming out in your dozens to support the competitors.