Ironman Lanzarote is arguably one of the most difficult Ironman courses in the world. If the 8,300 feet of climbing on the bike doesn't wear you down, the intense heat and strong winds on the run may get you. It comes as no surprise that the event is often referred to as the "Hawaii of Europe", as the course is considered to be as challenging as the Ironman World Championships. In fact, many look upon Ironman Lanzarote as the best replication one can get in preparation for the Ironman World Championships.

Ironman Lanzarote first started in 1992. In that first year, 148 people started and a full 21.7% (32 people) of them DNF'd (did not finish). Since then it boasts one of the historically highest DNF rates of any Ironman event.
* 2007: 7.7% DNF rate. 1040 started, 960 finished
* 2006: 12.6% DNF rate. 1006 started, 880 finished
* 2005: 17.3% DNF rate. 801 started, 663 finished
* 2004: 10.04% DNF rate. 797 started, 717 finished

Needless to say, if you're looking for an "easy" Ironman event, Lanzarote is not the place to go to (you might want to try Ironman South Africa, Ironman China or Ironman Florida).

Ironman Lanzarote takes place in late May in the beautiful Canary Islands, a spanish settlement just off the west coast of Africa. Lanzarote is a volcanic island that is the easternmost in the chain of the Canary Islands.

Like all Ironman events, the race distances are:
SWIM: 2.4 miles
BIKE: 112 miles
RUN: 26.2 miles

Lanzarote temperatures in May range from the mid-70s to the upper-80s. That said, the event is in a tropical environment where strong winds may play a significant factor.

SWIM
distance: 2.4 miles
The swim is a two-loop course where athletes will travel in a counter-clockwise direction (buoys on your left). Though it is a mass start from the beach, athletes are sectioned into three categories prior to the beginning of the race (1. pro racers, 2. expected swim time less than 65 minutes, 3. all others) with the hope of reducing the amount of aggressive contact while in the water. Water temperatures are usually 20 - 21º C (68-69ºF), making this a wetsuit-legal race.

BIKE
distance: 112 miles
The Lanzarote bike course is one of the most difficult Ironman courses in the world. The one loop course travels around the entire island of Lanzarote, over mountains and through lava fields. There are six challenging climbs (steep and long) throughout the ride. The starting points for the climbs are at approx.
* Climb 1: 17km (10.5 mile mark)
* Climb 2: 41km (25.5 mile mark)
* Climb 3: 74km (46.25 mile mark)
* Climb 4: 85km (53 mile mark)
* Climb 5: 112km (70 mile mark)
* Climb 6: 128km (80 mile mark)
Total elevation gain on the course is 8,300 feet (2,551 meters). With each climb comes rapid descents. A high level of comfort in bike handling is highly recommended.

RUN
distance: 26.2 miles
Though the run is relatively flat, the sun/heat can play a significant factor. The route follows a 10k course of Puerto del Carmen. Participants will complete the loop four times and will receive a different colored necklace after the completion of each loop (so spectators and officials know how far you've gone).

Lanzarote elevation gain - bike

QUALIFYING SLOTS
There are 75 slots available for the Ironman World Championships

ENTRY FEE
Costs are usually 400 Euros before May 1 and 500 Euros after May 1.

BIKE SHOP
The primary bike shop is Ciclomania. They can be contacted at (34) 928 81 75 35.

PREVIOUS WINNERS
2008 Winners
Male:
Overall Time:
Female:
Overall Time:

2007 Winners
Male: Eneko Llanos Burguera
Overall Time: 8:49:38 (swim: 49:18, bike: 4:53:18, run: 3:01:33)
Female: Tina Boman
Overall Time: 9:58:41 (swim: 55:16, bike: 5:35:02, run: 3:22:22)

2006 Winners
Male: Ain-Alar Juhanson
Overall Time: 8:54:11 (swim: 53:05, bike: 4:56:41, run: 3:00:14)
Female: Karin Thuerig
Overall Time: 9:52:43 (swim: 59:30, bike: 5:27:30, run: 3:18:47)

2005 Winners
Male: Ain-Alar Juhanson
Overall Time: 8:55:37 (swim: 55:26, bike: 4:57:24, run: 2:58:24)
Female: Virginia Berasategui Luna
Overall Time: 10:09:39 (swim: 52:10, bike: 5:51:54, run: 3:20:54)