Race Guide & Simulation

Ironman Lanzarote: Atlantic, lava, wind – and a bike course that punishes every pacing mistake

Lanzarote is one of the most distinctive and demanding long-distance races in Europe: an Atlantic swim in Puerto del Carmen, a wind-exposed one-loop bike course across the volcanic island and a three-lap coastal marathon in sun and sea breeze. This landing page gives you the course character, preview and direct access to your simulation.

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Overview

Distance
179.7 km
Elevation gain
2412 m
Race plan preview
05:52:17
Ø Speed
30.6 km/h

Route & Power Targets

The preview shows where along the route how much power (in watts) you should ride.

Race plan preview

This preview is based on a fixed rider setup and shows what a structured race plan for Lanzarote can look like on a windy, selective and energetically expensive course.

system weight
90 kg
CdA
0.3
Crr
0.003
FTP
250 W
Typical age-group setup. In your own simulation, you can use your personal rider profile and export the plan as FIT or ZWO.

Course overview

Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote is not a race you can neatly reduce to just 'hilly' or 'windy'. That is exactly what makes it hard. This course does not only demand power, but constant adaptation: to the open Atlantic, changing wind exposure, volcanic terrain, technical descents and a run that becomes much more honest than it may look on paper at first.

The swim in Playa Grande already sets the tone. Two laps in the Atlantic with an Australian exit feel structured and clear, but they remain open water – with salt water, rhythm changes and the sense that this race does not happen in a protected inland setting, but on an island that constantly brings its own conditions onto the course.

The bike course is the real center of the race logic. One loop, 180 kilometers, 2,500 meters of climbing, with sections through Timanfaya, La Geria and up north toward Mirador del Río. What matters is not just the climbing. Lanzarote breaks up steady-state thinking into many separate tasks: headwind, crosswind, rhythm changes, technical sections, fast descents, then open roads again. If you show up here with only a simple target watt number, your plan is too coarse.

The biggest mistakes in Lanzarote often happen exactly where the effort still feels manageable. A little too aggressive into an exposed headwind, a little too much pressure on longer climbs, too little respect on open descents – and suddenly a good bike idea turns into an expensive marathon. Lanzarote is not a course where raw strength alone carries you. It rewards economical riding, smart positioning and deliberate reserves.

The marathon along the coast of Puerto del Carmen is more runnable than the bike course, but it is not free speed. Three laps, sun, sea breeze, repeated turnarounds and a body that often arrives more deeply pre-fatigued than on more even courses. If your bike pacing was disciplined, you can still do meaningful work here. If not, the run does not become dramatic – it simply becomes slow. IRONMAN® is a registered trademark of the World Triathlon Corporation and has no affiliation with RaceYourTrack.

Why the simulation is worth it

Lanzarote is one of the courses where simulation adds exceptional value because speed and power are much harder to judge intuitively than on steadier routes. Wind, terrain and course design mean that similar watt values can translate into very different race realities.

That is exactly why the simulation helps you do more than just ride the climbs sensibly. It helps you read the entire course as an energy system. In Lanzarote, aerodynamics and position still matter enormously even though the course is more mountainous. System weight still matters even though not everything is uphill. And bike handling matters even though this is not formally a technical criterium-style course.

This becomes especially important when you look at the marathon. Lanzarote gives away very little on the run if you treat the bike as a separate project. A good simulation therefore shows you not only what is possible on the bike course, but what kind of distribution your overall race can actually sustain – especially when wind, sun and muscular fatigue begin to compound.

In short: Lanzarote is not a race for heroic moments, but for durable control. That is exactly why the simulation is worth it.

FAQ

Can I export the race plan?
Yes. After the simulation, the plan can be exported as FIT or ZWO.
Is the rider fixed?
The preview uses a fixed reference setup. In your own simulation, you can later work with your personal rider profile.
Is Lanzarote only for very light climbers?
No. A strong result in Lanzarote does not depend only on climbing ability, but on overall economy: sensible power use in the wind, disciplined pacing on climbs, stable aerodynamics, controlled descending and enough reserves for the coastal marathon.
Are disc wheels a good idea in Lanzarote?
They are generally allowed, but officially not recommended because of the sometimes strong crosswinds. For many age-group athletes in Lanzarote, that means stability in handling is just as important as aerodynamics when making equipment decisions.
Why is Lanzarote especially valuable for simulation?
Because on this course, wind, terrain, aerodynamics, handling and power distribution are tightly connected. Small mistakes on the bike often have a disproportionately large effect on the marathon.