The Canary Islands showcase challenging terrain, extreme heat and wind that can punish even the fittest athletes on the planet. Because of this, Lanzarote is arguably the most popular training destination for European triathletes. It also makes Ironman Lanzarote one of the most grueling races on the Ironman circuit. Professionals will be competing for $25,000 in this P-2000 event.
The wetsuit-legal ocean swim is a counter-clockwise, two-lap course located at Playa Grande. The swim requires athletes to exit the water and dive back in to start their final lap.
The bike course has over 8,000 feet of climbing and takes competitors all over the exposed, wind-swept island. There are six major climbs over the 112 miles and athletes will need to stay on top of their nutrition intake to ensure a solid run performance after the challenging ride.
After completing the ride, athletes will take on the three-lap marathon. The run course sends athletes toward the airport and then back along the sea wall. The run is flat, but the sun and heat will be strong.
Photo Credit: Sands Beach Active Lanzarote
Men
Swim
A group of 9 men went to front as a second group chased just 20 meters behind. The front group included Christian Kramer, Guy Crawford, Bert Jammaer and Will Clarke, who was making his Ironman debut. At the halfway point, veteran Stephen Bayliss led the men as they started their second lap. The front group remained tight the rest of the way with Mark Oude Bennink out of the water first and a group of 9 contenders less than 40 seconds behind.
Photo Credit: @captaincymru via instagram
Bike
The top 10 men were tight as they left their first transition, but the punishing bike course would easily break them up. Jammaer and Kramer left T1 first with Konstantin Bachor 2 minutes back. At just 6 miles into the race, Bachor stormed to the front of a leading group of 3 that included Bayliss, Clarke and Kramer. As the men entered the Fire Mountains (30 miles), Kramer went to the front with Jammaer and Bachor close behind. Through 40 miles the front group remained the same as the wind began to pick up. As the morning went on the winds got progressively worse. Kramer was the first athlete to the summit of Mirador del Rio (75 miles) with Jammaer 3 minutes behind. At Tahiche (100 miles) Crawford was riding well in third, 5 minutes behind Jammaer. Two minutes behind sat Clarke and the most proven Ironman runner in the field, Italian Alessandro Degasperi. Just past the 100-mile mark, Konstantin Bachor was forced to drop for reasons unknown at this time. Swiss athlete, Mauro Baertsch, was quietly having a great ride and slid into third as the bike leg drew to a close. Kramer was first to T2 and Jammaer second, 3:32 back. Kramer’s 5:05 race-best bike split conveys the wrath of the harsh island conditions.
Photo Credit: @captaincymru via instagram
Run
Kramer left T2 and hit the steamy run course swiftly. Jammaer knew he had work to do and attempted to make up time from the moment he left transition. At the 6-mile mark, Jammaer took a minute out of Kramer’s lead. However, Degasperi was also a big mover and was now just 6:45 down to Kramer. At the 10-mile mark Kramer continued to press and he held a 3-minute advantage on Jammaer, but Degasperi was still eating into his lead, less than 5 minutes back. Sixteen miles into the run, Kramer still led, but Degasperi was stalking at 2:43 back. Bert Jammaer began to fade at 17 miles and Mauro Baertsch of Switzerland slid in front to capture third position. At 21 miles Kramer’s advantage to Degasperi was cut down to just 30 seconds and with less than 3 miles to go Degasperi made the pass. The Italian closed with an impressive 2:47 marathon to cross the line first. Kramer, who led for virtually the entire race, would finish in second just 2.5 minutes back.
| 1. Alessandro Degasperi ITA | 51:11 | 5:12:13 | 2:47:16 | 8:56:50 | $5,000 |
| 2. Christian Kramer GER | 48:21 | 5:05:52 | 2:59:14 | 8:59:31 | $2,750 |
| 3. Mauro Baertsch SUI | 52:05 | 5:10:49 | 2:54:14 | 9:04:46 | $1,750 |
| 4. Miquel Blanchart Tinto ESP | 48:34 | 5:24:27 | 2:51:43 | 9:10:26 | $1,250 |
| 5. Bert Jammaer BEL | 48:26 | 5:09:28 | 3:08:18 | 9:12:06 | $1,000 |
| 6. Daniel Herlbauer AUT | 51:27 | 5:20:30 | 3:07:25 | 9:25:59 | $750 |
| 7. Sergio Marques POR | 54:42 | 5:29:57 | 2:56:58 | 9:27:58 | NA |
| 8. Will Clarke GBR | 48:19 | 5:17:29 | 3:16:36 | 9:28:31 | NA |
| 9. Cedric Lassonde GBR | 53:36 | 5:23:22 | 3:14:21 | 9:39:15 | NA |
| 10. Roman Deisenhofer GER | 51:29 | 5:21:27 | 3:21:32 | 9:40:57 | NA |
Women
Swim
Michi Herlbauer led the women from the start with Saleta Castro and Kate Bevilaqua chasing less than 30 seconds back. Herlbauer was first to the halfway mark and reentered first. Diana Riesler was swimming in fourth position, just 23 seconds down to Castro. Herlbauer, Castro and Bevilaqua stayed in front the rest of the way and emerged as the first group out. Behind them were some strong bike/runners, but they had work to do.
Bike
Austrian Michi Herlbauer was the first female professional to her bike and left transition first. She led through the first 6 miles, but Riesler was lurking. Herlbauer continued to lead 2 hours into the race and spotters noted that she had opened up a gap on Riesler. The Austrian rode strong in front through 20 miles. However, at the race’s 3 hour mark, Riesler made the pass and settled in. Immediately she was comfortably in front of the now second place Herlbauer. Bevilaqua rode in third but she was more than 4 minutes down with Castro in fifth, 6 minutes down. Through the village of Arrieta (75 miles) Riesler began to ride away and at Tahiche (100 miles) she had a 13:30 lead over second place, Herlbauer. Meanwhile, Caroline Livesey rode in third, solo, 20 minutes behind the leader. Riesler was first off the bike with a race-best 5:37 ride. The German’s strong ride gave her an 18:50 lead over second place Herlbauer and 25 minutes on Livesey.
Photo Credit: Sands Beach Active Lanzarote
Run
Despite her comfortable lead, Riesler didn’t waste any time in her second transition. She was the first to the 10km mark and still had 18 minutes on Herlbauer and 27 minutes on Livesey. Riesler and Herlbauer were running virtually identical splits and the leader wasn’t surrendering much time to second place. Through the halfway mark it became clear that Riesler was putting her mark on the women’s race. Behind the top three women, Shio-Yu Li was having an impressive run. She was running through the field while holding a strong 7 minute-per-mile pace in extremely challenging conditions. At the front of the race Riesler and Herlbauer maintained their identical 7:30 pace and the gap remained virtually identical. Despite the strong run by Herlbauer, Riesler crossed the line first in an impressive 9:56:04 on very challenging day. Herlbauer would finish second in 10:13:50 and Livesey third, 10:31:57.
Photo Credit: Sands Beach Active Lanzarote
| 1. Diana Riesler GER | 55:41 | 5:37:12 | 3:16:21 | 9:56:04 | $5,000 |
| 2. Michi Herlbauer AUT | 53:21 | 5:58:16 | 3:15:06 | 10:13:50 | $2,750 |
| 3. Caroline Livesey GBR | 58:48 | 5:59:26 | 3:25:53 | 10:31:57 | $1,750 |
| 4. Shiao-Yu Li TPE | 1:05:32 | 6:07:42 | 3:12:48 | 10:33:43 | $1,250 |
| 5. Verena Walter GER | 57:53 | 6:06:21 | 3:32:48 | 10:44:41 | $1,000 |
| 6. Anne Jensen DEN | 1:06:28 | 5:54:32 | 3:39:55 | 10:48:41 | $750 |
| 7. Saleta Castro, ESP | 53:42 | 6:09:27 | 3:41:01 | 10:52:23 | NA |
| 8. Alena Stevens GBR | 57:52 | 6:22:27 | 3:27:16 | 10:54:59 | NA |
| 9. Kate Bevilaqua AUS | 53:49 | 6:13:20 | 3:42:00 | 10:58:04 | NA |
| 10. Rebecca Fondermann GER | 1:06:42 | 6:14:50 | 3:28:53 | 10:59:49 | NA |
