Australian Craig Alexander has taken out the Hawaiian Ironman in just his second attempt, proving experience isn't everything in one of the world's most gruelling sporting events.
A runner-up last year, Alexander became just the third Australian man to win the the Ironman in its 30-year history, and the second in as many years.
In 2007 Chris McCormack joined Greg Welch (1994) as the Australian men's winners - but the pair both took seven attempts to take out the race.
It's a common feature of the Ironman - usually having to contest it several times to be in with a realistic chance of winning.
But in scorching, windy conditions, the 35-year-old New South Welshman blew that theory out of the water.
He completed the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run in eight hours, 17 minutes and 45 seconds.
He finished more than three minutes clear of second-placed Eneko Llanos Burguera, of Spain, with Belgium's Rutger Beke third, a further 33 seconds back.
Alexander said that as a triathlete, the tortuous event was the equivalent of Wimbledon for a tennis player or the US Masters for a golfer.
"To win is like living out a dream, I've come here twice, I got second last year and so from that you figure I'm in the ballpark, but you just never know," he told AAP.
"It's such a long arduous race, you're at the mercy of the elements for so long, there's just tales of woe all day, people dropping out.
"It was so hot and windy today and the humidity is so high, so I'm just proud of myself."
After finishing the bike leg in 11th place, Alexander made his move during the run, hitting the lead about 26km into the leg and never relinquishing it, completing the run in an impressive 2:45:01.
Despite his strong finish, he did not feel safe in the lead until within the last two kilometres.
Alexander said a temperature gauge during a particularly barren section of the run, which showed competitors it was 43 degrees celsius, did not make him any more comfortable.
He said he remembered watching on television former Zimbabwean great Paula-Newby Fraser, who after winning the women's event six times, collapsed 400m from the line while attempting to notch a seventh.
"That's etched indelibly on my memory, if someone who's a six-time winner can get it wrong then anyone can get it wrong," he said.
"So I didn't really allow myself to celebrate until probably the last 1.5km.
"The last 3km, 2km are uphill and then you get a bit of downhill at the end.
"Once I got the feeling I could roll to the finish I had a little bit of a celebration down the finish, grabbed an Aussie flag, I was high-fiving the crowd and certainly lapped it up."
He was greeted by wife Neri and three-year-old daughter Lucy, who is a keen follower of his races.
McCormack's title defence was ruined when a cable on his bike snapped while he was still well in touch with the leaders, forcing him to withdraw.
In the women's event, Britain's Chrissie Wellington won her second consecutive title, finishing in 9:06:23.
The best-placed Australian woman was Charlotte Paul, who came 11th.
But another Australian, Rebekah Keat, who came 18th, played a key hand in Wellington's win, pausing to give her a spare canister of air, after she had been stalled for 10 minutes by a flat tyre.
Wellington, who labelled the race "the hardest thing I've ever done" publicly thanked Keat after crossing the line, saying: "She's a legend".
