Pumpa, 41, recorded the best time of the three, finishing in 11:10:23, followed by Evans, 37, in 11:51:28 and Pallot, 59, who battled a knee injury to finish in 13:27:41.

The Ironman course involved a 3.9-kilometre swim, followed by a 180.2-kilometre bike leg and a 42.2-kilometre run.

Pumpa, who also competed at last year’s event, said he was pleased with his performance after a slow start.

“I took 58 minutes off my best time so I’m really happy,” he said. “There were 2500 people swimming at once, you can imagine how 

congested it was – by the time I found a clear bit of water I swam well.

“Compared to last year the conditions were definitely a lot better.”

Pallot said he was determined to finish the event despite being hampered by a niggling injury.

“I finished, but I had higher expectations,” he said

“Two of my legs – the swim and ride – were in front of where I wanted to be.

“I got to about 24 kilometres in the run, but got a bit of a niggle in my knee, which kept getting worse.

"My time blew out but I just couldn’t run – it was walk or pull out and I didn’t want to pull out.”

Pallot said he really enjoyed the challenge and supportive environment of the Ironman event.

“I like a challenge and I like the endurance side of it,” he said.

“It’s part of my lifestyle now – you’ve got to continue your fitness and well-being.

“One of the things I really do enjoy is the camaraderie among the athletes, volunteers and supporters. Everyone’s supportive of everyone else – it’s a lovely sport to be involved in.”