AROUND 150 competitors battled through wet conditions to complete a triathlon set in the heart of Cotswold Water Park.

Those taking part in the annual Cotswold 226 event on Sunday August 10, swam 2.4miles in Lake 32, cycled 112 miles around the water park and then finished with a 26.2 looped run into South Cerney.

Despite their arduous slog, two of the 150 competitors, Matthew Tibbles and Stephen Pike, still found the energy to propose to their girlfriends at the finishing line of the race outside the Eliot Arms – and both of their fiancées said yes.

Graeme Hardie, an organiser of the event, said: “The weather was awful in the morning. We had one collapse at the finish line but other than that it was a really great event. It was great to see the two propose at the end. One we knew about was, Stephen Pike, he told us before the event and we got champagne ready for him and his girlfriend when he finished. The other was a complete surprise.”

Mr Hardie explained that next year he hoped that the triathlon would finish in South Cerney.

The winner of the event was Nathan Blake, who clocked up a time of nine hours thirty one minutes and forty five seconds.

There was some congestion around the High Street area of South Cerney and Mr Hardie added that if the event takes place in the village next year road blocks would be considered in order to to ease congestion.

Pulham coaches from Bourton-on-the-Water donated the bus used to shuttle competitors and spectators back and forth from the parking area at Lake 32 .