Race Live Blog Updates
16:11
Race Time
Race Time
Thanks for joining usIt's hardly a secret that Ironman Lanzarote is one of my favorite events. Like the Big Island in Kona, this is an easy place to become very attached to. If you love a challenge, just training here is a riot. Doing this Ironman? That pretty much sums up the word challenge.
As hard as Ironman Lanzarote is, what makes this race so special, like all the other amazing Ironman races around the world, are the people who put on the event. It starts from race director Kenneth Gasque, who greets every finisher across the line. It includes all the amazing folks from Club La Santa who will seemingly do just about anything to make sure you not only enjoy your race, you enjoy every minute that you're here on the beautiful island of Lanzarote.
If you haven't had the opportunity to see Lanzarote, you owe it to yourself to get here at least once to really experience everything this island has to offer. It's impossible to describe the countryside that is, all at once, stark, beautiful and breathtaking.
It's also impossible to explain what the winds and climbs can be like on that bike course until you've done them. Today the athletes got some respite from the usual conditions, but most of the time they don't.
While none of the 1,437 athletes who started today's race will be disappointed that this wasn't a typical year in terms of the wind conditions, they were happy to find that all the support and hospitality they've come to expect from the race organizers here at Ironman Lanzerote was all in order.
It was another magical day here at Ironman Lanzarote, thanks for joining us for it.
As hard as Ironman Lanzarote is, what makes this race so special, like all the other amazing Ironman races around the world, are the people who put on the event. It starts from race director Kenneth Gasque, who greets every finisher across the line. It includes all the amazing folks from Club La Santa who will seemingly do just about anything to make sure you not only enjoy your race, you enjoy every minute that you're here on the beautiful island of Lanzarote.
If you haven't had the opportunity to see Lanzarote, you owe it to yourself to get here at least once to really experience everything this island has to offer. It's impossible to describe the countryside that is, all at once, stark, beautiful and breathtaking.
It's also impossible to explain what the winds and climbs can be like on that bike course until you've done them. Today the athletes got some respite from the usual conditions, but most of the time they don't.
While none of the 1,437 athletes who started today's race will be disappointed that this wasn't a typical year in terms of the wind conditions, they were happy to find that all the support and hospitality they've come to expect from the race organizers here at Ironman Lanzerote was all in order.
It was another magical day here at Ironman Lanzarote, thanks for joining us for it.
16:02
Race Time
Race Time
Morrison takes the day ...But your guess is as good as mine as to how she managed that feat.
My first question after the Scottish fireball crossed the line? "Are you kidding me?"
She wasn't. For those who choose not to read any of the exciting day's coverage other than the last few posts, I'll give you the quick version of Morrison's win:
She was blasting away from the rest of the field when her chain broke. She then waited more than a half-hour for a mechanic to fix it. By the time she finished the bike (along the way organizing an ambulance for a rider who had crashed on the descent from Mirador del Rio), she was 28-minutes behind the leader.
Starting the last of the three laps of the run, Morrison was trailing fellow Scot Bella Bayliss by just a few minutes. Bayliss wasn't the only athlete Morrison had to catch to get the win, though - super-age-grouper Louise Collins was leading the race until very close to the finish before Morrison cruised by to take the win.
Like Eneko Llanos, Morrison was many people's pick to win here today. She proved that she is a true champion by winning despite a hefty challenge that was put in front of her.
Ironman Lanzarote is tough enough just to finish. There are precious few who can claim to also have won here. Catriona Morrison did just that in very impressive style here today.
My first question after the Scottish fireball crossed the line? "Are you kidding me?"
She wasn't. For those who choose not to read any of the exciting day's coverage other than the last few posts, I'll give you the quick version of Morrison's win:
She was blasting away from the rest of the field when her chain broke. She then waited more than a half-hour for a mechanic to fix it. By the time she finished the bike (along the way organizing an ambulance for a rider who had crashed on the descent from Mirador del Rio), she was 28-minutes behind the leader.
Starting the last of the three laps of the run, Morrison was trailing fellow Scot Bella Bayliss by just a few minutes. Bayliss wasn't the only athlete Morrison had to catch to get the win, though - super-age-grouper Louise Collins was leading the race until very close to the finish before Morrison cruised by to take the win.
Like Eneko Llanos, Morrison was many people's pick to win here today. She proved that she is a true champion by winning despite a hefty challenge that was put in front of her.
Ironman Lanzarote is tough enough just to finish. There are precious few who can claim to also have won here. Catriona Morrison did just that in very impressive style here today.
15:50
Race Time
Race Time
Eneko pulls throughEneko Llanos won his first Ironman here in Lanzarote in 2007. It was a special day as he became the first Spanish man to win this race.
His career has taken off since that win. He finished second at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, he finished second at the Ford Ironman World Championship, he won the XTERRA World Championship.
Today, though, he faced more than a bit of pressure to claim another title here in Lanzarote. His girlfriend is from the island, he's Spanish ... there were a lot of expectations.
Llanos lived up to those today. While it wasn't easy, he overcame a gallant charge by two-time defending champion (and brand-new dad) Bert Jammaer and also managed to get to the line ahead of a fast-riding Maik Twelsiek.
He did what he was supposed to do - but as he put it so perfectly at yesterday's press conference, you don't need tough competition for this race to be hard - it's tough enough all by itself.
But Eneko Llanos is one tough competitor - he proved that today, beating a classy field in impressive style.
His career has taken off since that win. He finished second at the Frankfurter Sparkasse Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, he finished second at the Ford Ironman World Championship, he won the XTERRA World Championship.
Today, though, he faced more than a bit of pressure to claim another title here in Lanzarote. His girlfriend is from the island, he's Spanish ... there were a lot of expectations.
Llanos lived up to those today. While it wasn't easy, he overcame a gallant charge by two-time defending champion (and brand-new dad) Bert Jammaer and also managed to get to the line ahead of a fast-riding Maik Twelsiek.
He did what he was supposed to do - but as he put it so perfectly at yesterday's press conference, you don't need tough competition for this race to be hard - it's tough enough all by itself.
But Eneko Llanos is one tough competitor - he proved that today, beating a classy field in impressive style.
15:44
Race Time
Race Time
Speaking of amazing age group racers ...How about Louise Collins, who came within a few kilometers of winning today's race. Collins rowed until three years ago - at one time she was on Britain's U23 lightweight team.
That's when she turned to triathlon. She somehow manages to get her training done every week thanks to early morning and late-night workouts - just like so many other age group competitors.
Not too many age group athletes come as close as Collins did today to winning an Ironman outright. It was only in the closing kilometers of the race that Catriona Morrison finally got passed the gutsy British woman who will, if she sticks to her plan to race in Kona in the 25-29 age group, be a definite contender in that category.
That's when she turned to triathlon. She somehow manages to get her training done every week thanks to early morning and late-night workouts - just like so many other age group competitors.
Not too many age group athletes come as close as Collins did today to winning an Ironman outright. It was only in the closing kilometers of the race that Catriona Morrison finally got passed the gutsy British woman who will, if she sticks to her plan to race in Kona in the 25-29 age group, be a definite contender in that category.
15:37
Race Time
Race Time
Sian Brice makes an impressive Ironman debutThe former Olympian from the UK (she, unfortunately, crashed in the 2000 Games on the bike) completed her first Ironman today, also running her first marathon.
The result was an age group win by almost an hour! Her 11:12 clocking today will net her a Kona spot.
The result was an age group win by almost an hour! Her 11:12 clocking today will net her a Kona spot.
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