A RECORD total of 177 competitors from across London took part in the Clash of the Tritons aquathlon at Eltham College on Saturday.

Organised by the Greenwich Tritons Triathlon Club, the event comprises a 500m swim and a 5km run.

For children aged between 11 and 14, there is a 250m swim and 2km run.

This year's race was won by Thames Turbo's James Lock 23m03s, while club colleague Lucy Bowen broke the women's record by more than a minute as she crossed the line in 26m24s.

The first male veteran to finish was Brian Longman in 26m08s and Mary Armitage took the women's veterans' prize with a time of 32m12s.

In the 15 to 16-year-olds' youth category, Lara Nyman was the first girl across the line in 27m31s and Dean Brumby won the boys' title in 29m53s.

Armanni Antoine-Chagar, whose mother, brother and sister also competed in the day's events, took the girls' honours in the children's race with a time of 12m18s.

Greenwich Borough Mariners' Joshua Ling was the first boy to cross the line in 12m44s.

The Clash of the Tritons is now in its fifth year and race organiser Ed Simpson said it has become a firm fixture on the regional sports calendar.

He said: "It's the ideal event as it caters for athletes of all abilities and ages.

"The number of competitors increases every year and, as interest in sport grows as the London 2012 Olympics near, we expect our aquathlon will go from strength to strength."