Triathlon racers raise £35,000 for two charity good causes

The event last month saw participants cycle 18 miles from Southampton Harbour Hotel to Stokes Bay in Gosport, then swim across the Solent to Ryde on the Isle of Wight and a 7.5-mile run to Cowes.

Cash raised will go to  charities Room to Reward and Aspire.

Joe Langtree, Room to Reward's marketing manager and one of the participants, said: '˜It was an amazing team effort to get across. The conditions couldn't have been much tougher and it took everyone about an hour longer than normal, but we made it.

'˜The safety boats and support kayakers did an unbelievable job in keeping us in the water and getting us all across as on more than once occasion it looked like the swim would have to be abandoned.'

Room to Reward offers breaks for charity sector workers in hotels.

Mr Langtree said: '˜The money raised through this mad venture will enable us to spread Room to Reward's reach around the country.

'˜It will also be used to cover travel costs or other additional extras.'