Triathlon has never been an event for the faint-hearted, but for Oxford's Lauren and Tom Rickards, the mountainous terrain of the Snowdonia National Park is no obstacle.

The husband-and-wife team, from Oxford, will refuse to be daunted when the Foster-Grant Sunglasses-sponsored Half Ironman UK Triathlon gets under way at Llanberis, in the foothills of Mount Snowdon on Sunday, September 9.

Ironman Triathlon is a major event in the United States and has been running for over 20 years.

But this event brings the qualifiers to British shores for the first time.

The race starts in Lake Padam with a 1.9km swim along the north shoreline, then a 92.5km bike ride which finishes in the historic town of Caernarfon.

If that isn't enough, the competitors will then embark on a 21.1km run round Caernarfon Castle before heading out of town where, the athletes will get fantastic views of Anglesey and Snowdonia.

Tom, a teacher from Cherwell School, says he is not daunted by the tricky terrain he and his wife will have to deal with.

"We both compete in triathlons quite a bit and a race like this is a good motivating influence to keep us training. It's a huge personal challenge to get through and complete it."

The event is a qualifying race for the Ironman World Championships, and Tom says that is a motivating factor for both him and Lauren to do well.

"It would be a fantastic achievement to get through," he said.

"But it will be tough. Lauren has to win her age group to get a spot and I have to be in the top three.

"It's going to be a real challenge. There are plenty of climbs and from what I understand, the weather can change all the time."

Although unranked, Tom has the experience of competing in the event before. And if they both make the grade, they face a trip to the tropical sunshine of Hawaii for the world championships later in the year.