Joe Skipper clocked a lightning-fast 10km personal best last weekend at the Leeds Abbey Dash, as the 35-year-old British triathlete took on a stacked field of road runners.

Finishing 39th in a race where the winner ran an incredible 28:51, the PTO World #19 just missed his target of a sub-31:00 run on the final hill, coming home with a very creditable 31:06.

Lining up next weekend at IRONMAN Florida, Skipper will seek to use his great run speed to his advantage as he takes on a world class field in the Sunshine State.

Skipper “feeling good and looking forward”

Reflecting on his race in Leeds, Skipper enjoyed taking on some pure runners on the roads, but admitted that he felt a little out of place chasing the “racing snakes” down.

“I took part in the Leeds Abbey Dash on Sunday. Knowing I was going to be lining up against some ‘proper runners’ I even went with a vest!

“Pleased with my time of 31.06, it would have been great to get sub-31:00 and it was on the cards until the last hill when I lost it, but still a big personal best and good fun.

“Being around all these racing snakes it felt like beauty and the beast with me chasing them down, watch out guys the ogre is coming!”

Joe Skipper on Florida test

After struggling home to a disappointing 30th place finish at the IRONMAN World Championship in September, the Norfolk-based athlete will try and end his season on a high note at the beginning of November when he heads over to the USA.

“I’m feeling good and looking forward to racing some of the best guys in the world next weekend at Ironman Florida.”

Having got his only win of the season so far in America, Skipper will hope lightning strikes twice and he can replicate his IRONMAN Lake Placid win in Panama City Beach, as he takes on the likes of Magnus Ditlev, Rudy von Berg and Arthur Horseau.