A NEWPORT man will be among the 2,300 athletes taking part in one of UK’s toughest races this year.

Ryan Jones, 35, of Newport, will be taking part in the Ironman Wales event in Pembrokeshire on Sunday, September 25.

The former Wales rugby captain has been training rigorously for the event, which has helped him cope with his retirement from the game.

Since retiring from professional rugby last summer, the 75-times capped Wales international and three-time British and Irish Lion has been appointed the Welsh Rugby Union's head of participation.

The Ironman Wales event takes place in Pembrokeshire and participants take on a 2.4 mile sea swim in Tenby, before a challenging 112 mile bike ride and a final 26.2 mile marathon run to the finish.

Ryan Jones said: "As this impending Ironman approaches, I'm probably as nervous, if not more nervous, than I've been before any other sporting event.

"It's been a tough transition, personally. For 15 years I was Ryan Jones, the international rugby player, and that's almost been removed overnight.

“So you do go through a crisis of identity, you have to re-invent yourself both professionally and personally. For me, not having sport any more, not having the challenge, left a huge void."

The race will be Ryan's first ever Ironman.

"The Ironman is arguably the toughest one-day event you can do – it's as tough as it comes,” Mr Jones said.

"It's frightened the life out of me but it's also given me a renewed purpose, it's given me a focus,” he added.