Norseman Xtreme Triathlon: The race for people with 'minds tougher than their bodies'
- Published
It is a 226km race through the Norwegian fjords
"This is for people with fight. Resilience. And minds tougher than their bodies."
A 5am start. Jumping off the back of a car ferry into the chill waters of the Norwegian fjords, 226km between you and the finish line.
A 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride, and a full marathon up to the top of Mount Gaustatoppen, a race with a total elevation of 17,175ft - the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is not for the faint-hearted.
This year saw the race double up as the maiden XTri World Championships, and in the women's race it was a British cancer doctor who won.
Lucy Gossage, 39, crossed the finish line in 11 hours 27 minutes 12 seconds, while Norway's Hans Christian Tungesvik won the men's race in 9:59:40.
There was a familiar face competing too - BBC Breakfast's Louise Minchin finished in 16:46:43.
It may be brutal, but check out that scenery.
Athletes jump from a car ferry in the Hardangerfjord - waters with a temperature between 13 and 15C
Wetsuits are mandatory for all competitors
They must complete the swim within two hours 15 minutes
Competitors then cycle the 180km from Eidfjord to Austbygde, near Lake Tinnsjoen.
Athletes must exit transition two (swim to run) within 12 hours of the race starting
The first 25km of the run is fairly flat, but the remainder is a steep climb up to 1850m
Norway's Hans Christian Tungesvik won the men's race
Briton Lucy Gossage was victorious in the women's race
Gossage is a 12-time Ironman champion but said the Norseman was "painful in a very different way"