Former Olympic cyclist Emma Pooley made a winning return to the sport of triathlon, claiming the title of Swissman in its first edition. Swissman is part of the new series of events that already include the iconic Norseman and the British Triathlon Event of the Year Celtman.

Pooley claimed the victory with a margin of almost an hour, and she was joined on the mountainous race by 50 other tri-hard triathletes who struggled against some fiendish conditions, as well as the course itself.

Here’s a report from the race.

About 50 triathletes fought their way from Brissago to the Kleine Scheidegg. Not only did they have to cope with weather adversity, but also had to struggle against their own limits to become the first SWISSMAN is history.

“I went far beyond the limits that I had set for myself,” concluded Markus Stierli, winner of the first SWISSMAN, after he passed the finish line on the Kleine Scheidegg. He completed the 3.8-kilometer swim, 180 km bike and 42 km run in 11.29 hours. Stierli, 38, managed to extend his lead on Rafael Wyss from Thalwil, by 24 minutes. Andrea Zamboni, 42, from Ascona, completes the podium of the men.

British Olympian Emma Pooley from Hausen am Albis, crossed the finish line after 12.39 hours. She dominated the women’s field from the start and despite minor technical glitches on the bike she finished more than an hour before Andrea Huser. The third athlete to cross the finish line was Julia Nikolopoulos, 36, (14.46 hours).

The weather, that brought everything from wind, rain and sun-shine, challenged the participants additionally. In Brienz, it finally went to the Kleine Scheidegg on foot, past the stunning backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. One of the participants summed up: “a marathon you run with your muscles, an Ironman with your head – but the SWISSMAN you can only manage with your heart.

The first SWISSMAN Xtreme Triathlon took place with a limited field of 50 athletes. “We were able to gain valuable experience in order to receive a full starting field of around 200 participants in the coming year,” OC president Beat Stadelmann said after the last athlete had crossed the finish line. There were neither injuries nor serious accidents. Exhausted and happy Beat from Winterthur stated: “For us it is a dream come true - our event is a worthy member of the Xtreme Triathlon family.”