Ironman UK athletes brave the baking heat in Lancashire

Athletes raced under the hot sun in the annual Ironman event which comes through Chorley and Leyland.

By The Newsroom

Published 16th Jul 2018, 11:59 BST

Updated 16th Jul 2018, 17:57 BST

Competitors in the annual Ironman event tackle the cycle road race around Adlington and Babylon Lane Photos: Paul Heyes

Cyclists, fresh from their 2.4-mile swim, raced through the undulating hills of the Lancashire countryside on a two-loop course through villages including White Coppice, Brindle, Buckshaw Village, Croston, Mawdesley and back to Rivington.

They then ditched their bikes to run four laps around Bolton town centre.

The first pro male home was Joe Skipper and the Ironman UK 2018 female champion was Lucy Gossage.

Organisers had been forced to cut the race short by 17 miles because of the ongoing fires at Winter Hill.

A spokesman at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “There are nine fire engines at Winter Hill again today as we continue to tackle hot spots that remain.

“Despite the damage caused by the fire, there’s grass growing back.”