PAUL Hawkins swam, cycled and ran his way into the record books as the town’s highest ever finisher in the IronmanUK.

The Walkden warrior battled through searing temperatures, powerful gusts of wind and a painful ankle injury to claim third, hobbling over the finish line in a time of 9hrs 10mins 50secs.

And the 31-year-old former Marine is sure that the home crowd gave him the extra edge he needed to earn a place on the podium.

“I haven’t run in the last two months because I’ve had an ankle injury and I was pretty worried about that coming into the race,” said the dad of three.

“The gameplan was to smash the bike ride and give myself a lead, but once I got off the bike it hurt.

“I was third at that point and managed to hold on to it, but the first few miles I was running like Bambi, I just wasn’t moving.

“Once I hit Bolton though, and could hear the fans – because a lot of people knew I was from round here – the lift from there on in was amazing.

“I couldn’t stand, I was an absolute wreck at the end, but the crowd got me through to the finish line, they gave me that extra kick up the backside to make it round and smash it.

“Every year the spectators here get more and more and louder and louder.

The fans, the music , everyone digging you out, clapping, cheering, it’s just brilliant, just what you need.

“You put yourself in such a hole, any sort of inspiration you get you take it.”

The adulation from the crowd was just reward for months of punishing training – swimming at Farnworth Lesiure Centre, running up Rivington Pike and cycling on the moors around Sheephouse Lane, also at Rivington.

It was the fifth time Hawkins had competed in an Ironman event, and his third in Bolton, after finishing 10th in 2010 and eighth last year.

“I’m absolutely chuffed to bits with my performance, I pushed myself above and beyond today,” said the professional triathlete.

“I see this as my breakthrough race.

I’ve won a smaller event, but this is my highest finish in a race of this standard.

“I want to go on to do well in races in Wales and Ireland next, but my main aim has to be to come back here and win it next year.”