Engadine resident Lachlan Dansie has won the elite mens division at this year's 24-hour OCR Enduro World Championship at Lower Portland north-west of Sydney on June 8-9.
The word championship, which sees competitors run through a series of muscle-busting challenges on a 10 kilometre circuit, was completed in the 24-hour period an astounding 14 times by Dansie - the reigning Australian champion.
Dansie, 40, ran approximately 174km through mixed terrain, finishing 11km ahead of the next three competitors in the championship.
Speaking of his victory, Dansie described it as being more emotional than ever before with the birth of his child just four weeks prior to the event.
"After having a child shortly before the race, my focus just wasn't there like it has been in previous years where I have fully devoted myself to preparing for it," Dansie said.
"This combined with the fact that this was a world championship event made it really emotional for me and it's something I will remember for a long time to come."
Dansie said apart from the physical demands of the race the course presented its own particular challenges.
"The ground was pretty uneven so you're rolling your ankles a fair bit with all those little twists and turns," Dansie said.
"I was getting a couple of blisters and that sort of thing so from there I had a lot of issues with my feet mid-race so that's why I took some longer pits (stops) and was changing shoes, changing sock and taping up my feet just to make sure that if I did have to pick up that pace at the end I was in condition to do so."
Dansie's rise to enduro world dominance has been years in the making.
After six years in the corporate tax world, he took extended leave and travelled the world for several years.
When he returned to Australia he embarked on a career as a firefighter and fitness instructor, deciding he "couldn't sit in an office anymore".
Since discovering fitness, he has become the Australian Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) champion and has held the title for the past two years while winning more Spartan races than any other Australian.
He has represented Australia in the last two Spartan World Championships in the USA, as well as finishing 2nd in World's Toughest Mudder.
Dansie, who was also a contestant on Channel Nine's Australia's first Ninja Warrior, recommended the OCR enduro events to anyone looking for a challenge.
"I highly encourage anyone to have a go. If you don't think you're fit enough forget all that, just come out try it and you're going to surprise yourself," he said.
