A THREE times Ironman competitor has raised more than £10,000 charity.

Jimmy McKay and wife Anita hosted a Sporting Soul night at Bolton Whites Hotel, raising £10,177 in the process for Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley.

Each year, Mr McKay completes the Ironman UK and over three years competing, the couple have raised more than £33,000.

The money raised on the night, on Friday, September 27, was fund-matched by Barclays, which boosted the total by £3,000.

Mrs McKay said: “After costs, the profit was £8,597 and this would not have been achieved without the support from Bolton Whites.

“Thanks also to the photographers, who helped us by filming the montage which Jimmy did, and this was used in conjunction with a Derian House film which showed people how much the funds were needed. We also had help from Nick Daly and another photographer, Nik Bryant, on the evening.”

Meanwhile, the race to win a place in next year’s Ironman triathlon in Bolton is already over.

All 2,650 slots have been snapped up for the gruelling triathlon which will be held on Sunday, July 19.

The race has grown in size year-on-year — 1,500 athletes competed in 2011, with 2,250 taking on the challenge this year.

Organisers made changes to the bike route this year, which has enabled them to add an extra 400 race spots for 2015.

Ironman, which attracts massive crowds, involves a 2.4-mile swim in Pennington Flash in Leigh, a 112-mile cycle ride through Rivington and Chorley, ending with a marathon finishing in Bolton town centre.