A Walton man finished in the top 1 per cent of athletes at a European strongman run last week.

Stuart Amory, 38, who works as a personal trainer, completed the 15 mile and 34-obstacle course in two hours and two minutes, finishing in 44th place out of 11,900 competitors.

After plunging into a pool of ice cold water, suffering electric shocks and wading through quicksand, Mr Amory finished the course 18 minutes after the overall winner.

Mr Amory said: “Every year I’ve managed to shave off minutes running around the strongman course.

“This was my fourth attempt at being crowned the ultimate Strongman and it was a particularly tough experience – the weather conditions were fierce and I had a tight calf before the race. That said, as always the atmosphere was great.”

The Fisherman’s Friend strongman run took place at the Nürburgring in Germany on May 10.