The challenge was laid for the thousands of competitors of the Iron Māori contest.
While cloudy overhead, nothing was going to overshadow a day that many had trained so hard for.
Competitors began with a 2km swim, which they took at their own pace.
Then came the transition into the 90km bike ride, some swimmers used all their energy in the first leg.
While some competitors posed for pictures, others took the race seriously.
90kms was the distance of the bike leg, racing up hills along Taihape road. Despite the long distance, some competitors enjoyed the race.
A 21.1km run followed in the form of a four-lap race. Supporters were placed all around the track, cheering on the competitors.
Despite the long distance, some of the competitors faces showed pure satisfaction in completing the race.
It’s not the end for some of the Iron Māori competitors, next year more than 60 have registered to compete, which is double the distance of Iron Māori.