Two local triathletes set course records as they stormed their way to successful finishes at the inaugural Ironman Weymouth.

Rob Arkell was the fifth person across the finish line, setting a run course record of 3:01.

Kelly Stokes was the sixth female overall with a bike course record of 5:50:48.

The event saw more than 2,000 athletes compete in both the full Ironman race of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile marathon and the 70.3, which is half that distance.

While for many the race was simply about completion and fulfilling a dream after months of hard work, for those at the pointy end of the field there was more on the line.

Arkell’s fifth place backed up his recent podium spot at 70.3 Budapest and underlined his potential moving forward.

A swim of 1:08, a bike of 5:26 and then the flying run, comfortably the fastest of the day, lifted him to the fifth. The only disappointment was that it meant he finished fourth in his age group, such was the competition in the male 30-34 division, so there was no trophy or World Championship qualification.

Stokes, who works as an air traffic controller for NATS, also missed out on the World Championships in Kona with only 30 slots in total up for grabs for the entire field but finished second in the female 30-34 age group to the overall winner, Sarah Leaky.

While the full Ironman was an age group only race, the 70.3 had a strong pro field and the crowds that flocked to watch the event were treated to some exciting racing.

Great Britain’s Harry Wiltshire backed up his first Ironman win in Vichy, with another victory.

British dominance continued with Emma Pallant claiming her first ever 70.3 win in the women’s pro race.

The favourites did not disappoint in the swim in the Men’s pro race, with Marc Threlfall (GBR) leading Harry Wiltshire and Stuart Hayes (GBR) out of the water and onto the bike. This trio were not to be separated until they laced up their racing flats and hit the Esplanade for the foot race.

It looked like it would be a battle of the British, with Threlfall and Wiltshire joined at the hip for the first 10k of the half marathon, when Hayes made his move on a slightly faltering Threlfall; Wiltshire managed to pull away whilst Threlfall was paying the price, unable to hold the blistering pace he had set early on, which opened the door for Hayes to step up into second place.

Adding salt to the wound for Threfall, France’s Yvan Kerridge, who was fifth place after the bike with a 3min 23secs deficit on the leader, produced a 1:16 half marathon to power him past Threlfall in the dying stages, securing the final step on the podium.

In the women’s Pro Race, Hannah Drewett (GBR) was first out of the water in what was her first Ironman 70.3, in a time of 25:02, giving her almost two minutes lead on favourite Emma Pallant (GBR).

However, Pallant blitzed the bike course and left transition with a 2min 40secs lead over former GB Hockey player, Natalie Seymour and 6min 15secs over Hannah Drewett, who she passed two-thirds of the way into bike course.

Pallant, buoyed by the spirits of the thousands of the crowds lining the run course, once on the run was not to be stopped, crossing the finishing line victorious in 4:40:16.