Will Draper finished runner-up overall in the Challenge Wales 70.3 Triathlon on Sunday morning.  

The event, based around Fishguard Bay in the southwest of the country, consisted of a 1.2-mile open sea swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run, totalling 70.3 miles.  

It involved a field of 600 competitors and, despite an Achilles injury, Draper did well to finish second to Harry Palmer in a sub four-hour time of three hours 59 minutes and 45 seconds.  

Palmer got round the course in 3:56.12 and third-placed Joshua Lewis was 4:00.42.4  

Draper’s splits were 26m 17s for the swim, 2hr 12m 17.9s for the ride and 1hr 17m 57.3s for the half-marathon. 

Speaking afterwards, Draper said: ‘Happy to make a podium in a stacked field of mainly British long-course pros all wanting to go well and age groupers in really close behind.  

‘The sport has elevated since I did my first 70.3 five years ago and I’m trying my best to elevate with it.  

‘The race went to plan as far as getting into T2 in the best position possible off the back of an increasingly influential run injury. I exited the water 14th and came into T2 in first with a small solo lead (but not much left in the tank). 

‘I’ve hardly ran the past few weeks and I’m definitely being carried by the race fitness from what I have done.  

‘The run course was brutal but perhaps that worked in my favour as there weren’t many places to actually get into your stride (which I likely didn’t have)… 

‘Unfortunately for me, I’ve now made the difficult decision to withdraw from Challenge Roth, giving myself the chance to focus on rehab and rebuilding for the second half of the season.