Brownlee and Bilham triumph as conditions batter Ironman

Predictably, for the first Ironman triathlon to take place in Ireland, the main obstacle proved not to be the gruelling race itself but the weather conditions that greeted more than 2,600 athletes on Claycastle Beach yesterday morning.

Word had filtered through overnight that the water and air temperatures forecast for the 6.30am start could delay proceedings and mean an adjusted swim course distance, but as dawn broke over Youghal a more difficult decision had to be made.