Brian Scott
It was the most gruelling Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand in over a decade and it took all the guile and determination of the Whanganui entrants to finish it on Saturday.
Around nine locals were among the 1200 athletes who lined up in the morning to face howling winds that threatened to turn Lake Taupo into a surf beach, and instead left behind very choppy conditions which made the rough water hard to navigate.
Struggling in the waves for anywhere between 20-30 minutes longer than they would have anticipated, the Whanganui athletes emerged drained and then had to face a bike ride out of town and back that promised them a vicious headwind on return.
Across the various age group divisions, Whanganui's two standout veterans Barb Carson and Brian Scott had the best finishes.
Both former champions, this year Carson swapped places in the Women's 60-64 with Tauranga's Debbie Clark, coming in about 26 minutes behind her in 13h 24m 57s, although they were both well beaten to the line by Australian Nancy Cullen (12h 21m 30s).
Scott, who won the Men's 65-69 group in 2015 and was third last year, finished fifth in 13h 56m 23s, although this was well behind the dominant winner Rob Wylie of Auckland (12h 5m 10s).
Scott finished together with town mate Laurika Hazelhurst, who came 20th in the Women's 45-49 division.
In reality, any of the amateur competitors who managed to go under the 12 hour mark were doing very well, as veterans Clint Black and Mike Hos described while still feeling the effects yesterday.
"Definitely the toughest, the lake was very miserable," Black said of his ninth Taupo Ironman.
"Everyone would have been 90 minutes slower than they would have liked.
"Very rough swim and the bike was rather hard into the head wind. Terrible, but never mind."
Black finished in 12h 45m 26s, well below expectations, but said all competitors were dipping into the fuel reserves much earlier than normal thanks to the gruelling swim.
"I saw [professional] Cameron Brown's Facebook post and he didn't think the swim would be held.
"They held back the half ironman by an hour to check the water.
"About 100 people pulled out of the water. Fifteen percent didn't finish, which is the most, I think."
At his 16th Ironman, Hos was really stretched as he reached the cut off time for the end of bike leg by only three minutes (8h 47m) and then really had to gut it out on the run and complete the course with only 11 minutes remaining until the 17th hour cut off time.
After this period, those who finish are not officially recognised as Ironmen.
"I was running out of time, I was a bit underdone," Hos said.
"But I didn't panic, and then got back on time. Got through it, that's the main thing.
"Worst time ever, but it was the hardest one to get through."
Whanganui's fastest finishers were the two policemen Craig's - as Craig Yorston completed the ordeal in an impressive 11h 39m 34s - coming 25th in the Men's 45-49 division.
Coming in just under 20 minutes later was Craig Jackson (11h 58m 29s), who to really struggle for his 49th division placing.
"I had a whole heap of mechanical issues on the bike," he said.
The chain became jammed and needed clearing.
"All the things you don't need to happen in a race. Everyone was a lot slower than planned.
"At least 10 minutes slower, which obviously makes it a big harder [on energy].
"The wind the second time [on bike], it got right up there."
At his first Ironman, Bruce Harding completed the course in 14h 27m 1s, while Bulls competitor Graham Hart was across the line in 14h 45m 22s.
But if one thought the hardest ironman on record had tempered the Whanganui athletes enthusiasm for the iconic event, they would be mistaken.
Jackson said he is already "locked and loaded" for next year, while Black will also saddle up again.
"More than likely, ten in a row sounds good, doesn't it?"
Hos is already fixing his sights on the Ironman 70.3 Port Macquarie this coming May.
The professional races at Taupo saw new champions crowned as Kiwi multisport ace Braden Currie and rising American star Jocelyn McCauley ended the lengthy reigns of Brown and Meredith Kessler respectively.