IMAGINE swimming the equivalent of 77 lengths of an Olympic sized pool, cycling more than 100 miles and then running a marathon – all without a break.

Jon Ayshford, who works at Devon Tiles in Ottery St Mary, did just that when he took part in the UK Ironman triathlon earlier this month, and he raised more than £1,000 for charity in the process.

The Ironman, which is classed as an ‘ultra-distance triathlon’, started for Jon with a 3am wake up call followed by plenty of porridge, and the event began with a 2.4-mile open water swim in a lake just outside Bolton.

“The swimming part is tough; especially the start,” said Jon. “You’ve got hundreds of people around you so you have to stand your ground and keep looking up to make sure you’re going in the right direction.

“The water wasn’t too cold which made it a bit easier, but the swim is probably my weakest part so I lost a bit of time there.”

Competitors are then faced with a gruelling cycling leg - which is the equivalent of riding the distance between Bristol and central London. Jon said: “You have to quickly find your bike, change in to your cycling gear and get going on the 112 mile ride.”

“You get used to it,” added Jon. “I’d trained all year and really worked hard over the last six months so I was ready.”

The final leg of the event calls for an exhausting 26.2 mile run, which led competitors to the finish line in central Bolton. Jon said: “The run was the hardest part. You’ve been going for eight hours at that point so you’re really tired. I finished in 12 hours and 19 minutes which I was really pelased with.

“I’ve raised £1,100 for Hospiscare so far. I chose them because I wanted to pick a charity that helps local people and I think it’s a very worthwhile cause.”

“The customers at Devon Tiles have been great with their support and I want to thank everyone who has sponsored me,” he added.

Donations can still be made online at http://www.justgiving.com/Jonathan-Ayshford