A PWLLHELI athlete has raised over £1,500 for the RNLI after completing a mammoth Ironman Challenge.

Dave Hurtshouse completed the gruelling challenge in Weymouth in 14 hours and 53 minutes, smashing the course and smashing a couple of his personal bests as well.

Dave said: “A massive thanks for all the support and to everyone who I know was rooting for me throughout the day. Knowing that helped spur me on.

“Seeing my wife Karen and my daughter Lucie out on the course on numerous occasions has been fantastic and my other daughter Zoe was up in Australia watching the finish too via Facebook live, that really got me!

“It was a fantastic day. I had a personal best on the swim of one hour and 30 minutes, a good bike ride on a stunning course and managed to run all the way around the marathon.

“I’ve just uploaded the Garmin stats and it tells me I burnt 11,014 calories during the event which is about what you’d normally eat over four and a half days! That’s a few pies in the bank for me.”

Tomos Moore, Pwllheli RNLI lifeboat press officer, said: “There was no doubt from all of us here at the station that Dave would excel in the Ironman down in Weymouth.

“His fundraising effort stands at a staggering £1,505, which is an amazing amount and will go directly into our inshore lifeboat appeal fund in memory of our former RNLI volunteer Coxswain Robert Wright.”