Inspirational Athleticism at the 2015 Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote!

Yesterday was the 2015 edition of Ironman 70.3 Lanzarote event, and it was seriously impressive. This event is half the distance of the official Ironman triathlon but the determination and sheer athleticism of the competitors is truly an amazing sight to behold! In fact, I am amazed at how they compete for such an event, let alone double the distance in the full Ironman.

As part of the Sands Beach Resort marketing team, I was invited along to the event to take photos and videos and enjoy the atmosphere. We arrived at the impressive Club La Santa where the event was to take place, in time to witness a beautiful red sky from the sunrise over the cliffs of nearby Famara. This boded well for the rest of the day!

While the sky began cloudily, there was no rain and little wind. It was perfect conditions for the competitors as it wasn't too hot, and the weather was stable. The event started with a 1900 metre swim at 8am at the Club La Santa lagoon. To see all those people swimming and racing at the same time was very interesting and not something I had ever seen before. This was also a display of how tough these men and women really are, as even a fairly short swim tires me out. I wouldn't have even been able to complete the swim let alone the cycling and running afterwards!

While most of the competitors were amateurs, there were some professionals including some that were representing Sands Beach Resort such as Romain Guillaume who has been staying and training at the hotel. 

Romain and the other professionals pulled ahead of the rest and while some were still far behind swimming they had already begun their 90.1 km bicycle ride! The cycling was seriously quick and very exciting to see the cyclists whizzing past. It reminded me of when I had seen part of the Tour De France in Canterbury a couple of times.

After this, there was still 21.1 km run. While many were still cycling the winning competitors had already finished their run! Romain came in second place from the men, after being narrowly beaten by Eneko Llanos from Spain. The time this year was much quicker than last year due to the improved conditions.

Overall this was a fantastic day with a great atmosphere. All the competitors received encouragement and applause from the spectators who turned out in force to watch these amazing athletes. It has definitely inspired me to get more active and start running, swimming and getting fit again. Lanzarote and Sands Beach Resort are the perfect places to do this! 

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