Ironman de Lanzarote is a full-distance triathlon on Lanzarote in Spain’s Canary Islands, based around Puerto del Carmen in mid-May. The day starts early with a 3.8 km open-water swim from Playa Grande, then moves into a 180 km bike leg and a marathon run. It is run by Club La Santa with support from Lanzarote’s local and regional sports bodies, and it carries a prize purse for the front of the race.
This is not a gentle island triathlon: the bike course heads through volcanic terrain where wind can make the long ride even harder. The race is often described as one of the toughest Ironman events in the world, and it draws serious age-groupers, professionals, and hundreds of endurance-sport fans to Puerto del Carmen. It also has real history behind it, with a long-running place on the calendar as Europe’s oldest Ironman.