Haría opposes Lanzarote Ironman route over six-hour road closures

Haría Council has declared its opposition to the route of the Ironman Race, saying that road closures leave northern towns and villages isolated for six hours and cause considerable inconvenience to locals.

The declaration came after a meeting at which the Cabildo rejected two of Haría’s proposals for route changes.  The first proposal would concentrate the road closures on the LZ-10 leading from Teguise through Los Valles and Haría to Arrieta., leaving other roads free.

The second proposal was to move the swimming phase (and the beginning of the race) to Arrieta, allowing the northern municipality to participate more fully in the event.

Haría’s Mayor Alfredo Villalba said “You can’t talk about the benefits of an event for Lanzarote and ignore what happens in the towns that suffer its greatest restrictions, because our shops and restaurants are also part of the island’s economy…It is unreasonable to ask them to bear the consequences every year without any changes to the route or measures to compensate for this impact.”

Next May’s Ironman will be the first not to be organised by Club La Santa, with the Cabildo taking responsibility for the event.