A WORCESTER man smashed his target time when he completed a gruelling ironman triathlon.

Edward Garton, from Skipton Crescent, was competing in the event at Rutland Water, near Oakham, to help raise funds for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF), the only organisation in the UK dedicated to fighting childhood liver disease.

He completed the 1,900m swim, 85km bike ride and 21km run in a time of 5 hours 17 minutes and 49 seconds - his target had been six hours.

Mr Garton has raised £250 for CLDF through the triathlon. He decided to raise funds for the foundation after learning of the vital work carried out by the charity when a young relative underwent a liver transplant after being diagnosed with a life-threatening liver disease.

He said: "It was a fantastic experience and it is great to know that the money raised will help make a difference to the families of the two children diagnosed with liver disease every day in the UK.

"I did hit a couple of low points, once on the bike when I started to feel quite sick and also mid-way through the run when I seemed to be getting slower and slower.

"But I am chuffed with my time, especially as I'd had some knee trouble in training and hadn't done a lot of running.

"My mum and dad were there to cheer me on and at the end I was caught between throwing up through exertion and crying with emotion! I must be a glutton for punishment though as I'm now thinking about doing a full ironman distance event."