Hundreds turn out for Tough Guy challenge - with VIDEO and PHOTOS

A total of 1,500 competitors crossed the start line in Perton but only a third were expected to finish the course.

Organiser Billy Wilson said people had travelled from as far as Moscow, Norway, Chile and Hong Kong for the event.

He said: "It involves schooling people about the realities of life as they've all got too soft.

"This is how I trained to be a soldier many years ago.

"It's tests of courage, with obstacles, electric wires, fire, water. About a third don't finish it each year.

"Each year we add more to it and it becomes tougher.

"People take part of all ages from their late teens to their 80s."

Reporter Jordan Reynolds tweeted from the event:

Friends Angela Vonziehlberg and Suzann Ringler travelled from Germany for the event, which was Suzann's third time competing.

The pair of 50-year-old physiotherapists were dressed in tutus with face paint on and said they were taking part to have fun.

Angela said: "Events in Germany can be so stiff but this is different.

"I'm not nervous, I'm looking forward to it, we're not taking it seriously - we'd just like to finish before it get dark."

Hundreds of competitors lined up at the top of a hill waiting for the canon with colourful smoke blowing in the wind and drums beating.

Then they tumbled down the hill and started their Tough Guy race.

Brothers 37-year-old Ryan, and 35-year-old Dale Cowling, and their friend Steve Williams, 39, travelled from Leeds for the event, and have been taking part for the last few years.

Dale, a senior buyer, said: "It's a real challenge, but it's a great experience."

Steve, an IT manager, added: "I've done marathons and triathlons and this is the toughest of them all, it mentally breaks you."

Ryan, a builder, said: "You spend a lot of time in the water and start off with a 10km run. There are a lot of obstacles and hill sprints.

"It will take us a good three hours to finish at least."

Rob Haselgrove and Adam Ballard from Kent were taking the event seriously and said they would help each other but were also racing each other.

Adam, a 32-year-old bricklayer said: "It's all shacks and they're all old, it's a really good course."

Rob, a 37-year-old support worker, added: "We'll see how it goes, we'll run together but we're also competing. If I see him a bit ahead of me it will make me push myself to catch up.

"The worst bit of it is the 'bottle neck', you're up to your chest in water and you have to dip under a few times. After I did that last year I couldn't speak I was so cold."