ONCE again, it was a day that captivated a county.

Thousands upon thousands lined the streets of Tenby on Sunday, while many more crammed into different venues around Pembrokeshire to get a glimpse of the epic 2014 Ironman Wales.

 And in what was another tremendous advert for our local sporting scene, the event incorporated mass levels of support, superb organisation, and of course, no shortage of inspiration.

The course, consisting of a 2.4 mile sea swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile marathon, has been labelled by many as one of the most difficult in the World, but those in charge deserve great praise for setting out a route that allowed willing spectators to cheer on athletes from a close proximity.

Meanwhile, marshals and stewards were stationed all over to ensure the competitors received support without being disrupted by the masses supporting them.

 And Pembrokeshire residents can be proud of that aforementioned support, with female winner Amy Forshaw stating afterwards that the decibel levels in Tenby surpass those of any other Ironman event.

Her words were endorsed by Kevin Stewart, the managing director for Ironman Nothern Europe.

 He noted that the thousands who congregated before 7am at North Beach left regular Ironman athletes, more used to completing the swimming leg in front of a handful of hardy spectators, as stunned as they were encouraged.

Indeed, I for one used to find the statement “the crowd kept me going” in endurance events generic and tedious – but attending Ironman Wales these past two years has altered my opinion.

For the fourth successive year, athletes were roared along from start to finish, with the party atmosphere continuing late into the night as the latter competitors tried manfully to finish before the 12pm deadline.

And what was noticeable, is from the dozens of athletes I spoke to post race, every single one, without being prompted, reserved praise for the large crowds and the positive effect they had on their performance.

This year’s event also emphasised the growing impact of the internet and social media, with onlookers able to keep updated with events on various parts of the course through the Ironman Wales and Ironman Live websites and respective Twitter accounts.

Meanwhile at the Western Telegraph, our live blog of the day, that regularly uploaded photographs, quotes, and reports on the leaders, received around 10,000 views.

But of course, the true star performers were the athletes themselves, with just under 2000 taking to the start line after months (and in some case years) of sacrifice and dedicated training.

The positive effect of the event in recent times prompted a record number of local entries this year, and as expected, there has already been a surge of people booking their place for 2015.

Indeed, as early as Monday morning, FBM Holidays were selling packages for competitors and spectators wanting to book their accommodation for the weekend in 12 months time.

Whether the event stays in Tenby beyond that is yet to be confirmed, but the words of Kevin Stewart on Sunday, who said he saw no reason why Ironman Wales could not use the same venue for the foreseeable future, were encouraging.

Inevitably, as with anything in modern day society, there will be detractors keen to complain about the road closures, noise levels, and general inconvenience they say the race brings to the local community.

Personally, I can only hope such complaints are ignored.

For four consecutive years, the day has proved inspirational and overwhelmingly successful, and now rightfully takes its place as the most eagerly anticipated sporting event in our county.

Indeed, occasions like the Senior Cup (football) and Harrison Allen Bowl (cricket) finals are just two of many annual examples of well organised and attended events – while the originality of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series captivated crowds during its two year stay.

But in my opinion, no sporting event has had as big and positive a contribution to Pembrokeshire than Ironman Wales, and long may it continue.