XXXIII Lanzarote Ironman 2025

The start of the Ironman race in Puerto del Carmen is one of the most impressive spectacles Lanzarote has to offer.

Under the moon, Puerto del Carmen’s main beach looks like the scene of a military operation. Thousands of people are walking to the sands, some carrying posters and banners with the names of loved ones who are competing, others wearing the t-shirts of volunteers and assistants, many more are athletes, barefoot and wearing the tight-fitting wetsuits and swim-caps that make them look an invading force of frog-people.

Out at sea there are at least 20 small boats restlessly plying the calm waters. Suddenly around 30 kayaks from local clubs dart out to join them and mark the swimming course. Drones hover in the air above the beach.

A large inflatable “gate” on the beach is where the hordes of athletes gather. Some of them are smiling and laughing or chatting with spectators, but as the start of the race approaches the mood becomes more serious. They all know that there are several hours of gruelling pain, agony, heat and exhaustion ahead of them.

An MC excitedly hypes the crowd up for the big event. The swim-caps gleam in the dawn light and suddenly a siren sounds and the elite male professionals run into the water and swim swiftly away

There’s a pause of five minutes before the professional women rush in – they’re quickly called back because of a false start, then set off in earnest. Finally, the main body of athletes start their swims, forming a long chain of thrashing limbs and white water.

By 7.30, 1,100 athletes from 68 countries are in the ocean while thousands of assistants, volunteers, police, security guards, paramedics, masseurs, journalists, podcasters, families, friends and supporters look on. It’s the most dramatic, exciting and impressive day in Puerto del Carmen’s calendar.

TEN HOURS LATER

The men’s race was won in an exciting final stage, with French athlete Dylan Magnien starting the marathon in seventh place and putting in a blistering run to win his first Lanzarote Ironman with a time of 8:27:56. The runner up, less than 40 seconds behind, was Spaniard Jordi Montraveta (8:28:34), who took third place last year, and Danish competitor Mattias Lyngsø Peterson (8:31:10) took third place.

Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay started the women’s pro event as favourite and disappointed no one, leading the race from the moment she plunged into the sea at five past seven in the morning. Lucy came out of the water an astonishing seven minutes ahead of her nearest rival and continued to dominate. She finished in 9:15:44, more than 20 minutes ahead of the French and German runners up Jeanne Collange (9:36:05) and Merle Brunnée (9:36:45).

But the elite athletes are only a small part of the Ironman story. All afternoon and all evening, athletes will be pounding Puerto del Carmen’s Strip before entering the finishing zone, where there’s a constant party atmosphere. They cross the line all afternoon and evening, some joyful, others utterly drained, many greeted by partners and children, every single one made of iron.

The recently unveiled statue of Kenneth Gasque near the finishing line wears a lei – the garland of brightly-coloured flowers that reflects the Ironman’s Hawaiian roots – and people are already putting their heads through the medal the statue is holding out for an unforgettable selfie.

And, of course, Kenneth himself has been here all day with his wife Anna-Lis. He’s also wearing a lei, and shows off the medal he won when he took part in the Hawaii Ironman at Kona forty years ago That experience gave Kenneth the idea of holding an Ironman on Lanzarote. That “crazy dream” became reality in 1991 and has transformed Lanzarote into one of Europe’s premier sporting destinations.

And it is this crazy day in May, bringing excitement and joy to the volcanoes, clifftops and winefields, and the island’s most popular resort from sunrise to midnight, that remains its most spectacular sporting event.