MORE than 1,500 athletes took part in the first Ironman triathlon challenge held in Scotland as they battled choppy sea and windy roads in East Lothian.

The eventual winner was Andreas Raelert of Germany, who completed the 1.2-mile swim off the coast at Gosford Bay, a 56-mile cycle through the county to Holyrood Park in Edinburgh and a 13.1-mile half marathon in 3 hours, 55 minutes and 21 seconds.

The epic challenge, which has become a popular endurance event around the world, was held in East Lothian on Sunday and attracted 1, 573 entries.

It led to road closures across the county and parking restrictions over the weekend.

Police Scotland reported that the event, which started at 6.50am on Sunday, went without incident.

Chief Inspector Andy McLean, event commander for Ironman, said: “I’m pleased to confirm that the policing operation went very well and the public enjoyed a safe event.

“I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone in attendance for their support and cooperation with officers.”

However, patients at hospitals in the county who were looking forward to a bowl of porridge for their breakfast on Sunday were left disappointed after the van delivering the food was unable to get to them.

NHS Lothian confirmed the van, caryring hot porridge – prepared at Herdmanflat Hospital in Haddington to their sites at Roodlands Hospital in the town, Belhaven Hospital in Dunbar and Edington Hospital in North Berwick – found itself blocked in after the road it used was closed off for the morning.

Staff at the hospitals provided patients with toast and cereal from supplies already on the sites.

NHS Lothian said that normal service was resumed after the road opened later in the morning and meals for the rest of the day were supplied as normal.

George Curley, director of facilities, NHS Lothian, said: “NHS Lothian was aware of the Ironman event held on Sunday and, as part of our resilience plan, routes and timings of our food deliveries were altered to minimise the impact on our patients across East Lothian.

“The driver on Sunday had left in sufficient time to avoid the road closures and had planned alternative routes to our hospital sites.

“However, these routes had unplanned closures, which led to the inconvenience of hot porridge not being delivered to some sites at breakfast time. All other breakfast items were available and no other meal service was disrupted.”