Woman eyes up next challenge after Ironman success

1 hour ago

Josh McLaughlinSouth East

News image — Catherine Linney, 57, said the long-distance triathlon was "relentlessly hard"

Peter Whittlesea/BBC Catherine Linney stands on a road wearing a red running vest. There are parked cars and greenery lining the road behind her. She smiles at the camera. — Catherine Linney, 57, said the long-distance triathlon was "relentlessly hard"

A woman from Kent who completed an Ironman race after a serious injury has set her eyes on her next challenge.

Catherine Linney, 57, from Sevenoaks, placed 11th out of 55 competitors in her age category at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii with a time of 11 hours 42 minutes and 33 seconds.

It followed a seven-month recovery from a boat accident in 2025 which jeopardised her training and resulted in an ankle stress fracture and an osteoporosis diagnosis.

The retired police officer told BBC Radio Kent she wanted to qualify again and crack the top 10 in her age category for her 60th birthday in three years' time.

The long-distance triathlon, held on 10 October, was made up of a 2.4 mile (3.8km) swim, 112 mile (180.2km) cycle and marathon-length run.

"Everyone says it's relentlessly hard because of the heat, and it really is," she added.

"You can't really imagine what it's like until you're there trying to race in it."

Linney planned to qualify for the championship in Kailua-Kona through an event in Portugal last year, but deferred her place to Leeds in August following the injury.

She qualified first in the 55-59 age category, leaving her with just eight weeks to recover and prepare.

Getty Images Athletes in orange swim caps compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on 10 October. Dozens of competitors are swimming in the sea while wearing wetsuits and swimming goggles. They are all performing the front crawl with their arms stretched out. The water looks relatively still, with ripples being caused by the athletes' swimming strokes. — Linney was one of more than 2,500 competitors from different age categories and divisions at the Ironman World Championship 2026

Linney's inspiration for taking part came from seeing others achieve it, so she waited until her children were adults, saying "you need a lot of time to train".

"Obviously, the older you get, the less energy you have and you slow down a bit. I did start to think 'oh, I'm not sure about this'," she said.

However, she said she was determined to see it through.

'Double whammy of heat'

Linney said the run in Hawaii's humid climate was "without a doubt" the hardest aspect of the Ironman.

The 30C (86F) temperature and lack of shade for 11 hours felt like a "double whammy of heat", she said.

She described the triathlon as a "logistical nightmare", but one she was proud to have finished.

"You've got to work out how many calories you'll need for the whole race and then try carry it or consume it or use what they offer.

"Add to that the heat, it makes it quite tricky."

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