Ironman: 'Gruelling but awesome' race

Rotorua's Grant Utteridge has completed his first Ironman. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua's Grant Utteridge has conquered his first Ironman New Zealand event which he says was gruelling but awesome.

The endurance race in Taupo includes a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run.

Utteridge finished the race in under 12 hours on Saturday - well inside the cut-off time of 17 hours.

"It was gruelling ... but it is an awesome feeling to tick it off - I have scratched that itch," he said. "I had a great swim and had a really decent ride, and I had a pretty steady run, so I can't complain. I'm over the moon."

Utteridge - the current Sport Bay of Plenty chairman - has been training for the event since June last year.

He has completed plenty of Half-Ironman races over the years but had never completed a full Ironman until Saturday.

He said running through the Taupo township was a real highlight of the race with heaps of supporters and spectators lining the streets: "When you run back into town, it is just awesome."

More than 1300 participants from 52 countries took part in the 32nd staging of the event.