Big Names Line Up at IRONMAN Lanzarote

It might be the IRONMAN Lanzarote event run by Club La Santa, but that doesn’t mean we’re not in for some fireworks! Long renowned as the world’s toughest IRONMAN event, the race has always managed to attract some of the sport’s biggest names, and this year’s race will continue that trend. In addition to the return of defending champion Lucy Charles-Barclay (pictured above winning last year’s race), the 34th edition of the event will also feature three-time Kona champ Patrick Lange and 2023 IRONMAN world champion Sam Laidlow.

“Normal limits do not apply,” was the tag line the race used for many years as it embraced the challenging course that begins with a swim in the Atlantic Ocean off the beach in Puerto del Carmen, then is followed by a challenging bike course that takes athletes through the challenging terrain (and the typically brutal winds) of the island, including climbs up the Fire Mountains in Timanfaya National Park, along with climbs up Mirador de Haria and Mirador del Rio. The day finishes off with a three-loop run along the waterfront’s rolling terrain.

Women’s Professional Field

Despite having surgery on her leg in January to remove her plantaris tendon, Charles-Barclay will arrive in Lanzarote as the prohibitive favourite, especially after an impressive Olympic-distance win at the Volcano Triathlon, Spain’s oldest triathlon race. Charles-Barclay is sponsored by Club La Santa, so her appearance at the race no-doubt covers sponsorship requirements while also allowing her to validate her Kona slot.

Switzerland’s Nina Derron, Brit Stephanie Clutterbuck and Germany’s Julia Skala (who finished fourth last year before winning Norseman in record time) would normally be names we’d associate with pushing for the win in Lanzarote – but barring an issue with Charles-Barclay, it’s hard to imagine anyone could be close. Last year the Kona and two-time 70.3 world champ had the day’s fastest swim, bike and run.

Men’s Professional Field

Things promise to be much more interesting in the men’s race as France’s Dylan Magnien returns to defend his title, but will now face a pair of world champs who will no-doubt want to make a bit of a statement with a decent performance, rather than just validate their spot for Kona in October. You can add to the world champs another major contender – Denmark’s Magnus Ditlev.

Lange was in great spirits heading into the race in Texas, only to be sidelined by a back issue a few miles into the bike. He had stated that his next big goal would be Challenge Roth, but would still need an IRONMAN finish in order to validate his Kona slot in October. Since his Kona win in 2024 gives him a slot in Kona, the German doesn’t have to win, or even get a top finish, but he’ll no-doubt be after a decent performance in order to arrive in Roth with the confidence he’ll need to take on the likes of Texas champ Kristian Blummenfelt.

Laidlow arrives in Lanarote in much the same boat – not needing a win, but in need of a finish to validate his Kona slot. The bike course in Nice is perfectly suited to the Frenchman’s strengths, combining the elevation gain of the Nice course with the winds of Kona – two courses where he’s excelled.

Ditlev is another super-cyclist we can add to the mix for the Lanzarote race. He was forced to pull out of the Texas race due to sickness. The Dane does need a Kona qualifying slot, so he’ll be gunning after one of the three on offer. He’s no stranger to the island – in fact we caught up with Ditlev last March while he was there for a training camp leading up to his win at IRONMAN South Africa, so if he’s recovered and healthy as he hits the start line in Puerto del Carmen, Ditlev will certainly be a contender for the win. After a tough year that saw him have to deal with a penalty that was later reversed in Frankfurt, and a DNF due to illness in Nice, he bounced back with a sixth-place finish at the 70.3 worlds in Marbella, but will no-doubt be more-than-motivated to get things back on track with a win.

The men’s field includes 33 men, including a couple of Norwegians who could be in the mix. No, not those Norwegians, but a couple of speedsters none-the-less. Jon Breivold finished fourth here last year, while Kristian Grue finally won Norseman in 2025 after a pair of runner-up finishes at that event. France’s Léon Chevalier didn’t have a great 2025 season, but when he’s in good form has proven he can win – he’s a three-time IRONMAN champion and has a pair of top-five finishes at the IRONMAN World Championship to his name.

Another Frenchman to watch for is Arthur Horseau, who won in Lanzarote in 2025 and had a magical comeback to racing with a win in Cozumel last year after back issues sidelined him for so long he had contemplated giving up on the sport.

Slowtwitch senior editor Kevin Mackinnon will be in Lanzarote next week, so we’ll have lots more coverage from the race.

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