Ultra triathlete Fabio Spiteri has broken his clavicle and is waiting for an operation following an accident in Sevelen, Switzerland.

Spiteri was in Switzerland for the Swiss Ultra Triathlon – a quintuple ultra triathlon of the one per day variant covering a distance of 1,130 kilometres.

Athletes have to complete one long distance triathlon each day for five consecutive days - a 3.8 kilometres swim, a 180 kilometre bike ride and a 42.2 kilometre run.

Spiteri completed a similar race in 2022.

He was doing this year’s challenge to collect funds for abandoned animals.

In a post on Facebook on Tuesday, a disappointed Spiteri wrote that what had to be his first podium in ultra race turned down to be another disaster.

“A boy crossed the road without looking and I had no time to break as was cycling fast on aerobars. Broken clavicle and need to do an operation.“

"First Brazil now Switzerland... all that training for nothing. Hard to accept it. Gonna take a long break!”

In Buzios, Brazil in May, Spiteri had to cut short his attempt to complete the Deca Ironman challenge - a 10-day triathlon - after suffering from painful blisters and a torn muscle.

He had also been doing that challenge to raise funds for abandoned animals.