Highcliffe’s Jane Athorn delivered her best-ever Aquabike performance at the 2025 European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships in Pamplona, Spain
Highcliffe’s Jane Athorn delivered her best-ever Aquabike performance at the 2025 European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships in Pamplona, Spain.
The 49-year-old completed an Ironman in September last year, 12 months after quitting smoking, to qualify to represent Great Britain in her age group at the championships.
“I had a strong start and was feeling confident and powerful in the water, maintaining a steady pace throughout,” said Athorn. However, there were many in the water, and holding my line and space wasn’t easy; I was bashed about a bit.
“For the bike ride, the course was as beautiful as it was challenging, with relentless hills that seemed to place every village at the top.
“Pamplona had smooth quality roads, no potholes or rough patches, which made it a great ride from a technical perspective.”
The Aquabike middle-distance race comprises two disciplines: a 1,900m open-water swim and an 86km bike ride.
She added: “During the leg, I came across a couple of accidents which looked like they were being well taken care of by the safety team.
“I was giving it my all, so I was looking forward to the finish, which was in the centre of Pamplona with a hill climb to finish!
“The event was great to be involved in, but the beauty of the bike course deserved more than just a passing glance between climbs.”
To prepare for the event, Athorn trained six days a week for approximately 12 hours a week. The training includes swimming, cycling, running, strength and conditioning, as well as pilates and yoga.
“I completed the course in four hours and four minutes — a result I was very proud of, as both the swim and bike segments were personal bests.”
The result, which came after a 40-minute and 56-second swim, a five-minute and 41-second transition and a three-hour, 17-minute and 46-second cycle, left the hard-working athlete in 14th place.
She concluded: “My next event is the Long Course Weekend in Nieuwpoort, Belgium, at the end of September. It’s something a little different; it’s called a long course, which is essentially a triathlon, but you complete the three disciplines over three days, and you can choose your distances.
“I’m going for the big one and doing Ironman distances, a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon.”
Athorn needed the sponsorship of Castlebay Construction Ltd, Shoreline Roofing, and ARC Architecture Ltd to race in the 2025 European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships.
