A RECORD number of participants took part in a triathlon that raised valuable funds for charity.

Almost 200 people, from all over the region, tackled Darlington Triathlon on Sunday (May 4).

The event, organised by Darlington Rotary Club, is popular with tri-athletes nationwide, as it is suitable for beginners and experts alike.

Participants tackled the 26km course, comprising a 400m swim, a 21km bike ride and a final 5km run.

The event also saw a number of competitors take part in the new Darlington aquathlon event, which allowed participants to just tackle the swimming and running sections – still no easy feat.

The women's category was won by Jennifer Batey with a time of 1:16:20, while the men's category was won by Daniel Jenkin with a time of 1:04:05.

Full results will be published on the Darlington Rotary Club website this week.

More than £3,500 was raised by the event for Darlington Rotary charities, including nearby St Teresa’s Hospice.

Event organiser Jane Bradshaw said: “This has been another fantastic year for the Darlington Triathlon.

“We were delighted to welcome more participants than we’ve ever had before, and we owe a huge ‘thank you’ to Darlington School of Mathematics and Science for hosting the event again, as well as to all our volunteers, without whom we couldn't stage this brilliant event.”

The triathlon will return next year.