A new course record was set and 4 competitors finished in under 8 hours, last Sunday, making the 9th Ironman triathlon race held in Cozumel possibly the most exciting so far.

Great conditions helped the thousands of athletes who entered, but competition was as tough as ever, as they swam 2.4 miles (3.8 km), cycled 112 miles (180 km) and ran 26 miles (42 km), right round the island before crossing the finish line downtown.

At the end of an exceptional contest, 2014 Ironman World Champion, Sebastian Kienle, from Germany won the men's race, with a new Cozumel course record of just 7 hours, 48 minutes and 11 seconds.

In the women's competition it was Lisa Roberts from the USA who stole the gold. After starting the run in sixth position she fought her way back to the front, and crossed the finish line with an impressive race time of 8 hours and 54 minutes exactly.

Everyone who participated was a champion, in a truly buzzing day of sport, not to mention the local heroes and event managers who helped make the race such a success.

Once everybody has had a well-deserved rest, preparations can start for Cozumel Ironman 2018 next November 18. If you're up for the endurance challenge, registrations open on Monday!

Find out more about Cozumel Ironman in our Events section or register to participate next year on the Ironman Cozumel website from Monday.