KENT athlete Denise Farnham has won her second world title in three years.

The 48-year-old, from Canterbury, a member of Medway and Maidstone Athletics Club, won the world biathle title in the women’s 40-50 age group in Monaco at the weekend, to follow her gold medal in 2001 and silver last year.

The event involves two 1,000m runs, with a 100m swim in between, completed with no breaks.

Farnham established a 30 second lead after the first run, part of which was on the city’s motor racing circuit, and which led to the beach for the swim in the sea.

She was still 20 seconds clear emerging from the water, and stretched her advantage to 45 seconds in completing the event in 9min 42.43sec.

Farnham was part of a 115-strong British contingent in an event contested by athletes from 24 countries.

She said: “I was obviously pleased to regain my title. It was a big event and there was even a celebrity race with people like Prince Albert of Monaco and the racing driver Gerhard Berger taking part.

“I am so grateful for the help I have had from my running coach, Keith Neville, and my swimming coach at the King’s School sports centre in Canterbury, Pam Murray.”

The triumph completed a remarkable season in which she won the British 1500m and 3000m titles in her age group, and the European indoor 1500m, and was second in the 1500m in the world championships in Puerto Rico.