ENDURANCE king Brian New survived ultra-scary conditions to complete the hardest challenge of his testing sporting career.

The 48-year-old Great Sankey triathlete racked up almost 30 hours of pain as he battled dangerous African winds to complete 464 kilometres of non-stop racing in the Enduroman Double Ironman in Lanzarote.

Some competitors ended up in hospital. Only 12 of the tip-top athletes from around the world finished the punishing running and bike schedule, with remarkable New placing seventh at the Playa Blanca finish line.

New, a triathlon coach at David Lloyd gym, has put his body through some of the world’s most extreme events but even he conceded: “This was the hardest race I have ever done. Period."

He added: “Coming seventh overall is a massive personal achievement.”

New had spent six months of gym work and pounding canal tow paths to prepare for the 4.8-mile swim, 224-mile bike ride and 52-mile run - all to be completed within the 40-hour time limit.

Temperatures had hit the 20s leading up to race day but the African winds that notoriously batter the Canary Island in February hit such verocity that the sea was too dangerous for the swim.

Instead, the organisers handed the athletes another 20k run for starters.

For New - from a running background - he saw that as a bonus!

So at 4pm on Saturday, 40 athletes set off on the first run, which they all took nice and easy due to the long night ahead.

Then it was a change into their bike kit before setting out on the first of twelve 30km bike loops over Lanzarote’s famous volcanic landscape.

The bike course was on roads with no street lights into the lava fields.

New said: “It is a surreal landscape at the best of times but cycling those roads at night, with just a bike light, is a strangely beautiful experience.

“Or it would have been if not for the 55 miles per hour winds that got up at midnight!

“As the night wore on, athlete after athlete dropped out due to the conditions.

“Each loop was basically 15 kms into a head wind, taking about 45 minutes. It was head down all the way, and being blown across the road at times.

“The return was about 25 minutes due to the following wind.

“Each lap was an energy sapping experience and at times the wind blew athletes off the road.

“At least two athletes were taken to hospital by ambulance due to being blown off their bikes and there were times when the organisers considered cancelling the race.”

At about 3am, Brian's wife Alison, who was waiting in Playa Blanca with his drinks and food, became worried because he was taking a lot longer than he had on all of his other laps.

New said: “What Alison didn't know was that the wind had increased, causing the bikes to nearly come to a standstill.”

He admitted he had fallen asleep on his bike for a split second, causing him to be blown by the wind so that he opened his eyes to find himself facing the wrong way!

After that he decided to take it slowly for the rest of the lap until he had got a strong coffee back at the support tent.

By the time the sun started to rise and the winds had died down only 18 athletes were left on the course.

At lunch time on Sunday, New eventually got off his bike and changed for the run. He was in 12th place.

The run was 32 loops of just over 2 kms in length, running up and down the sea front of Playa Blanca and passing the athlete support tent that was to provide drinks and energy gels.

Once Brian got off the bike he knew that it would take a major disaster for him no to finish.

He ran the first marathon in about 5 hours and had told his support crew - wife Alison and Phil Allman of D&M Cycles - that he wanted a cheese toastie at that point.

“It's nice to have something to look forward to when you have spent so long consuming sugary energy drinks and gels,” he said.

That gave New a lift and he ran the second marathon strongly, picking off a few athletes en route to completing the second marathon in about 4hrs 50mins.

It was around 9.30pm on Sunday that the Spanish race commentator announced that New was about to become a ‘Double Enduroman’ - a sound that brought a massive smile to his face and that of his support.

As New ran into the town square to finish, the clock showed 29hrs 33mins.

“Nearly 30 hours of pain!” he concluded.

Eddie Ette, of Enduroman, paid tribute.

"Anybody who started the race deserves credit but to those who finished they deserve a massive pat on the back for dealing with possibly the worst conditions possible in an epic race," he said.

Now New can turn his thoughts to the next challenge - the Grand Union Canal Race, a non-stop 145-mile run from Birmingham to London on June 2.

* New is undertaking a number of endurance challenges throughout 2012 to help injured service personnel and those who help them by supporting the charities QEHB Home for The Brave Appeal and Warrington Foundation4Peace.

If you would like to sponsor him, then go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/briannew.