It might sound weird to ask this question on an aquabike website. As aquabike athlete you have some chances to race for glory at National Championships but also at European and World Championships. There is however no option to race for money. But there will be one exception in 2023.

This exception will be at the European Aquabike Championships in Menen, Belgium. The top three overall finishers in the men´s and the women´s race will get a prize money of €500, € 250 and €100, while the top three in each age group will also receive some price money of €100, €175 and € 50. But there´s a catch. Those prizes are not for the European Championships race, but for the open aquabike race. So if you are amongst the top aquabike athletes you have to ask yourself: Would you rather race for the gold medal and in-kind prizes in the European Championships race, or for 500 Euros in the open race?

While on one hand it is certainly pleasant that aquabike athletes get honoured properly, it also seems not quite ideal that athletes must choose between money or medals. Whatever you choose, both races probably won´t be easy to win. It could well be that some elite triathletes give it a try in the open aquabike race. While elite athletes are not allowed to compete in the Championships they should be allowed to start in the open race. Since most professional triathletes are certainly not amongst the top earners 500 Euros could make it worth a try. To make that money in the triathlon race you have to be 8^th in the European Triathlon Championships or 3^rd in the open triathlon race. Not to forget that you also have to run 21 km for it. So for elite triathletes who have running a their weakest discipline it might sound tempting to start in the aquabike race.

Whatever you think about it and whatever choice you would (or will) make regarding the headline question, I would like to point out that the race organizer cannot be praised enough to honour aquabike athletes properly. Not only for the cash prizes in the open race. Besides gold silver and bronze medals there are also in-kind prizes for the podium finishers of each age group – which usually has not been the case in previous aquabike championship races. So, a big Thank You goes out to the organizers of the Decospan Triathlon Menen.