The almost indefatigable triathlete battled through the hot temperatures to post 9hrs 27min. 11sec. for the Ironman Tours Metropole-Loire Valley in France.
This puts him behind only Luke Walton and record-holder Josh Lewis among Guernseymen.
Long-course pro Lewis had posted an incredible 7-47-29 at the 2024 Challenge Almere for the outright 140.6-mile best, and 8-26-18 in Portugal for the fastest in an Ironman-branded event, with no other Sarnian having broken 9hrs.
Woodhead was on track for an ambitious sub-nine as he covered the 2.4-mile swim in just under 59min. and 112-mile cycle in 4-53, with a potential ace up his sleeve on the marathon run.
But the heat-induced struggles, which led to him slowing significantly after the first of three laps, left him logging 3-24 for the 26.2 miles and smashing his initial target to a less extreme extent.
‘The race was incredible and such a great event,’ he said.
‘It’s been in the planning for a year, and since starting triathlon it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do.
‘The swim went exactly to plan, and the bike actually went better than expected – if anything, I probably over-biked and paid for it later in the run.
‘About 14km into the run I was on track for a nine-hour Ironman, but the heat really took its toll.
‘With temperatures hitting 34 degrees, I wasn’t fully prepared for those conditions and couldn’t hold the pace.
‘Overall, though, I’m more than happy to achieve the sub-10 goal I was aiming for, and I know there’s still plenty of room to go quicker.’
Also racing at Ironman Tours were veterans Daniel Legg (11-38-47) and Clint King (12-00-33).
Meanwhile, at just 19, Braden Morris is believed to have become Guernsey’s youngest-ever Ironman.
He exceeded his own expectations significantly with an 11-49-30 clocking at Ironman Kaernten-Klagenfurt in Austria, enduring a similarly hot, exhausting run after having not gone beyond half-marathon distance in the build-up.
