A POLICE sergeant has returned from a gruelling 140-mile Iron Man competition - and warned criminals he's fitter than ever to catch them.
A POLICE sergeant has returned from a gruelling 140-mile Iron Man competition - and warned criminals he's fitter than ever to catch them.
Andrew Clapperton, 45, built up his stamina with a strict nine months' training regime in the run-up to the competition.
The amateur triathlete, who works out of Ayr police station, completed the ultimate endurance test in Austria earlier this month - raising more than £1,000 for the Children's Hospice Association Scotland.
Sgt Clapperton sweated it out with a 2.4-mile swim in Lake Wothersee, a 112-mile cycle race and a 26-mile marathon - all in 10 hours, 57 minutes and 44 seconds.
He said: "I finished in the top 500 competitors out of 2500 and this is the world's elite triathletes we're talking about.
"I'd hoped to get round in under 13 hours - to do it in just under 11 hours was fantastic.
"I think criminals in Ayrshire half my age will get a shock when they see me chasing them down.
"After the training and completing the race - I'm now fitter than I ever was."
The New Cumnock triathlete, who is a member of Ayrodynamics club in Ayr, said the most gruelling aspect of Iron Man was the training.
He said: "There were days when I was due on shift at 2pm and I would get up at 5am to complete an eight-mile cycle and then swim for an hour before starting work. Then, when I came off shift, I would go for a run.
"Being a fan of burgers, take-aways, chocolate and the odd bottle of beer also made me pause about my diet. I had to substitute all these things for more healthy options.
For Sgt Clapperton, the race was the realisation of a life-long ambition.
He said: "Iron Man was at the top of my list of completing sporting events. I knew it was something I had to do sooner rather than later - I'm not getting any younger.
"The other more sedate tests I want to complete are the West Highland Way and cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End. Mind you, I'm due a rest first."
The Iron Man was held in the Austrian village of Klagenfurt on July 7.
