Super-fit Derbyshire dad sets a new record for the world's hardest triathlon

Paul Robinson beat the previous world record for completing the Enduroman Arch to Arc triathlon without a wetsuit by two hours when he cycled into Paris.

The 40-year-old ran 87 miles from London's Marble Arch to Dover, swam 21 miles from Dover to Calais and then cycled 181 miles from Calais to the French capital.

The amateur athlete is one of just 60 people who have finished the challenge and just one of seven who have done it without wearing a wetsuit. The gruelling endurance test is so difficult that participants need to submit a CV detailing their abilities and experience before organisers give the green light.

Dad-of-two Paul completed the event last Sunday (15/9) in just 67 hours and three minutes, only stopping to sleep properly once.

Paul, who works in marketing, is raising money for motor neurone charity Stand Up To MND and has so far raised £10,000.

Paul, of Risley, in Derbyshire, said: “My passion is triathlons, it has been from a very young age. This one is the biggest one I’ve done.

"But my other passion is endurance sport, not just pushing your body to the limit but the mental aspect of the challenge. It looks and sounds impossible to run, swim and cycle between London and Paris. It’s all about telling your brain to achieve this feat.

“I've previously swam the channel in 2020, that was my third crossing. I've been doing marathon and ultra marathons for many years. But for this, you can’t just enter this event, you need to submit a CV.

“You then start training especially for this event. For the first time in my life I took a coach on, he put me on a 48-week training programme."

Paul began the running leg of his epic journey on September 12 after bad weather had delayed the previous start date of September 7.

During the swim he wasn’t allowed to touch the boat and had to survive on flapjacks, energy bars and bananas to keep energised.

Paul added: “I was meant to go on September 7 but I didn’t start until Thursday night (12/9) at 9pm.

"I did the run from Thursday to Friday. I did the swim Saturday and then cycled through Paris. I reached Paris at 5pm on Sunday.

“In between the run finishing at 6pm I had to get to the hotel in Dover. I had to sleep, about five hours before the channel swim. Then the alarm went off at 1am.

“We had a 3.30am start. It was completely dark, I jumped into the sea. If you finish in the dark that’s the most the dangerous because you’re more tired and can’t see. You start in the dark and swim into the light.

“You get the sunrise, it was incredible. The swim was 14 hours and 50 minutes long I was feeding every half hour.

"The crew on the boat would throw a water bottle attached to a fishing reel. You’re not allowed to touch the boat on channel crossing rules.

“I was eating half bananas, flapjack, and energy bars. There’s now 60 people that have done this, but I’m the seventh without the wetsuit.

"You’re more susceptible to the cold. The wetsuit gives you advantages. I was going for the non-wetsuit record, I managed to smash it by two hours and 30 minutes.”

Paul said the hardest part of the journey was the 14 hour channel crossing swim and said he was regularly stung by jellyfish as he approached the French coast.

He added: “The swim was the hardest. There’s more unknown factors there. You’ve got the height of the waves, the weather. And there’s no stopping and touching the boat.

“The main issue in the swim was severe cold. When I got out I was violently shaking and I couldn't speak. My team had to dry me and get me dressed. My team wanted me to warm up for safety reasons.

“I’d been stung by quite a few jellyfish coming up to the French coast. Your skin is so cold from swimming, it’s like a bad nettle sting. You’re lacking energy. We had a debate whether it was safe for me to get on the bike because of the cold.

"We set off at 1am. I couldn’t walk well to get to my bike because of the blisters, but what I found was even though I was tired, I could spin.

“I cycled six or seven hours until sunlight. You could even see England and Dover, it was so clear. But my knees hurt like hell.”

Paul’s family and friends were at the finish line in Paris to congratulate him as he completed the incredible achievement.

He added: “It was amazing at the Arc De Triomphe. There was a bunch of my family and friends. Everybody was cheering. It was really cool.

“It was an adrenaline rush cycling up the cobbled streets to the finish. I did the challenge because I didn't know if I could finish it.

“It’s something that I've dreamt about for so many years. It was a little surreal crossing the finish line. How many chances in my life am I going to get chance to break a world record."

Paul’s inspiration came from former triathlete and MND charity founder Sam Perkins, who was diagnosed with MND aged 37.