Tyler Butterfield delivered an encouraging performance at the Ironman European Championship Frankfurt at the weekend.

Despite carrying a back injury, which required him to spend ten minutes stretching in the transition before the run, Butterfield finished seventh in a time of 8hr 38min 58sec, with splits of 49:34, 4:33:30 and 3:02:53.

Jan Frodeno, of Germany, won the race in 8:00:58, with Patrik Nilsson, of Sweden, second in 8:08:15, and Patrick Lange, of Germany, third in 8:09:26.

Allison Petty, competing in her first full Ironman in Frankfurt, was unable to finish after suffering a crash at mile 80 on the bike.

Petty, who was first in the 35-39 age group after the swim and fourteenth overall, continued after the crash at a reduced speed but a derailleur failure meant she was forced to pull out agonisingly close to the finish.