In a dramatic showdown on the opening day of the 2025 Multisport Championships in Pontevedra, French veteran Benjamin Choquert, aged 39, claimed his second Duathlon World Championship title. Demonstrating that age is just a number, Choquert proved unbeatable on the final run, overtaking the leaders in the last kilometer to secure the victory. Belgian Arnaud Dely finished strong in second place, while hometown hero Antonio Serrat Seoane delighted the crowd by claiming the bronze medal in his first-ever Duathlon World Championships.
A total of 45 athletes, including elite and U23 men—among them the previous world champion Javier Martin Morales of Spain and three-time silver medalist Benjamin Choquert—set off in Pontevedra determined to claim the title. The race kicked off at a frenetic pace with Spaniards Serrat Seoane, Martin Morales, and Jarno Pousada leading the pack through the first two laps of the opening 5 km run, followed closely by four Frenchmen, Arnaud Dely, and GBR’s Mack Downey.
The group reached the first transition after a scorching 14:43 on the clock, confirming that the racing in the streets of Pontevedra would be swift and intense. The athletes then jumped onto the 30 km bike course. Despite some early attempts to break away, the leading pack was soon caught by the chasers, forming a large group of over 26 athletes that cruised together into the second transition.
As the second run began, Morales and Serrat Seoane launched an aggressive attack, creating a small gap with the rest of the field. Their efforts were supported by a challenging transition from Choquert, who had fallen about 10 seconds behind. However, Choquert’s resilience shone through as he demonstrated he remains one of the world’s fastest duathletes. The Frenchman chased down the leaders before the final lap — with Dely staying glued to his heels and Serrat Seoane holding on behind.
In the final kilometer, Choquert found an extra gear, launching a powerful sprint that carried him solo across the finish line to claim his second Duathlon World title — six years after securing his first in Pontevedra in 2019. Dely surged in the last 500 meters to outsprint Serrat Seoane for second place, while Martin Morales finished strong in fourth, just a few seconds behind the Spaniard. France’s Emile Blondel Hermant rounded out the top five.
The U23 race saw Mack Downey of Great Britain take gold, followed by Italy’s Davide Menichelli in second, and fellow Brit Charlie Harding claiming third. These young talents showcased the future of duathlon, promising exciting battles ahead.
On the Junior race earlier that morning the victory was for New Zealand's Caleb Wagener, who claimed the first medal of the 2025 Multisport World Championships. The silver medal was for South Africa's Nicholas Horne, while a superb final run was enough for Italy's Emiliano Tassinari to claim bronze and also the fastest running split of the day.
Race insights from the Elite men’s Top 3
Benjamin Choquert (FRA)
The experienced French star reflected on his second Duathlon world title in Pontevedra:
“I am very happy. It’s my second win here in Pontevedra. The difference now is that I am very old and I am surprised to win today. I knew I had to be patient and at the end still have legs. The old Choquert is not finished – it’s just a new beginning.'
Arnaud Dely (BEL)
Runner-up Arnaud Dely shared his admiration for Choquert and joked about the challenge of beating the veteran:
“I train with triathletes and know how strong they are (on running with Antonio Serrat Seoane) and I felt it was a comfortable pace so I tried to savour as much energy, but Choquert was just too strong for me. I am happy with second place. I hope one day he (Choquert) retires because as he says the old Choquert is still here, but I’m hoping in some years he’s done and I can go on and try to win this title.”
Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP)
Local favourite Antonio Serrat Seoane celebrated a hard fought bronze in front of a supportive home crowd:
“I am very very happy, finally a third place in this race is a good result. It’s different to triathlon, the bike is very different because more control, you already know how the others run. The level was very high. Finally third place, I am very happy and now to continue the season. I heard my name, friends, people, you know who they are, I am very happy to race here and thank you so much to supporting and giving us more energy.'
