An award-winning Irvine gym boss and Europe’s toughest mud-racer managed to take 11th place in the world’s toughest mountain race.

Scott Brown managed to complete the brutal Dragon’s Back Race – a multi-day running race across 385km of mountains from North to South Wales.

And the Scott Brown Fitness boss thanked everyone for the support while stopping off en-route back up home from Wales.

He said: “I’m absolutely shattered. Basically its 385km and starts up Conwy Castle in North Wales then working all the way down to Cardiff castle.

“It was the first year that it had been six days long – they’ve a notoriously low completion rate, but I thought sod it and signed up.

“Last Sunday I checked in [to the race] and on Monday when it started, my twin brother Ross was there at the start to see me away. Then knew the next time I’d see someone I recognised it would be my wife Kerri in Cardiff.

“Monday and Tuesday they lost a lot of people in the heat, it was very warm, so a lot of people were dropping out. Some couldn’t get to the finish as you’ve only so long to get to each checkpoint – you’ve got to be able to navigate as well. There were no wash facilities, you just had to use the river.

“They give you a map and tell you the route but its not marked so a lot of people get lost or it wears them down slowly – you get a lot more tired through the week.

“I never had the best start myself and found it very tough in the heat, but then Wednesday to Saturday I got stronger. I think I was around 23rd, worked the way up the rankings and finished 11th overall.

“I want to thank my running coach Casey. He helped me a lot with my planning and getting prepared and obviously Kerri because she always allows me to go and do these things, and my brothers Ross and Kevin. And my gym staff who have been holding the fort while I’ve been away.”

Scott, who came fifth in 2019’s World’s Toughest Mudder – recently re-launched his new Scott Brown Fitness gym and bootcamp on Ailsa Road, close to the Beach Park.

He made the move this year after several award-winning years in Tarbolton – with wife Kerri offering beauty treatments and Hands for Health sports massages from Fred. The firm was voted Ayrshire’s Favourite Business 2018 and Scotlands Best Training Provider in both 2017 and 2016.

He said: “A lot of my clients are from North Ayrshire and my heart was always wanting to go there when I first opened three and a half years ago.

“In this lockdown I thought If I don’t make that jump now it will be a lot harder. The place is double the size so more kit, more racks and even the obstacle course is double the size.

“Some people can feel intimidated so my main priority was to change people’s experiences and build a community where people feel safe and have somewhere to go.”