The 37-year-old has picked up a bronze medal in the elite section of the 24-hour World Championships in Canada.

After what he described as an epic race of gargantuan proportion, Fenner has been part of an Aussie clean sweep, in fact the first four places were all taken by Australians.

James (Willo) Williamson took out the gold, Jason English, with whom Fenner had a big battle late in the race gained silver, while the Gerringong-ite settled for third and Jeff Toohey was fourth.

But the teacher at Glengarry Campus of Scots College at Kangaroo Valley was delighted with his efforts.

“Sure it would have been nice to get silver or gold, but I’m happy,” he said.

“I know I left nothing out there – I gave it everything I had.

“And that was my aim!

“I was smashed at the end of it, but it was great.

“I’m stoked!

FENNER actually took sabbatical from his job to give his attempt 110 per cent and he knows that when he looks back later he did everything possible to be able to perform at his best.

Racing virtually non-stop for 24 hours straight, with two laps of the 20 kilometre course to go Fenner actually took second place, but by his own admission got into a ‘dark place’ and the current national champ English managed to slip by him.

He put 15 minutes on Fenner, who struggled to get his focus back on the job, but he did and in a huge comeback took 10 minutes off English in the last lap.

Competitors faced good conditions to start the race (temperatures were in the mid 20s), but while a massive thunderstorm left the course a boggy mess, the Aussies ploughed on regardless.

The leaders completed 16 laps of the 20km course in pouring rain climbing more than a massive 35,000 feet in the process.

Fenner’s lap times in the dry were 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 per lap and in the wet tricky conditions went out to 1.35 to 1.45.

“I was a little concerned how fast the leading group went out at the start, I was sure that the guys couldn’t hold this sort of pace and after the first climb it settled a little,” he said.

“I worked on my plan of keeping a consistent lap time and when you look at everyone’s times I succeeded in keeping up regular times.

“But seven hours into the race when the rain and storms came – I have never seen anything like it – it was the most horrendous conditions I’ve ever raced in.

“But to be honest, by that stage I was as they say in the zone, I was just doing the business and I didn’t really feel it or take it in.

“I have never been so focused and totally in the moment before.

“I continued to focus on my race, internally focusing and not focusing on the riders in front or behind.

“The night was amazing - super muddy and very technical on the rooty descents and slogs up the climbs, riders were dropping out left right and centre, some with hypothermia and I managed to complete consistent laps time after time.”

As morning came he became aware that he was up into third and closing on English in second.

With about four hours to go he gained second coming through transition, but then had his only bad spell of the race, with English taking back his position, but he recovered to end up on the podium, and collect bronze.

He said he would like to thank his sponsors, Rush, HIGH5, SKINS, Hid Technologies and Oz Riders for their support.

“Without their help and support it would not be possible for me to do what I do,” he said.

“Thanks to all the support from my local club South Coast United Mountainbike (SCUM) who were just superb and unwavering in their backing along with a number of locals like Coolendel, South Coast Travel and Phil Burgess at Gerringong Chiro.

“And last, but not least thanks to my long suffering wife Sally, without whom I couldn’t have done any of it.”