IRONMAN Lanzarote

Get to the swim with enough time to settle your nerves and run a quick warm-up: a few minutes of easy strokes, a couple of faster 10–20 second efforts, and practice your first sighting so you know what you’ll look for off the start. If there’s seeding, place yourself by expected pace—don’t start deep or over-crowded if you plan to swim controlled. For the first few minutes, focus on clean, repeatable breathing and relaxed cadence; aim to cover the distance efficiently rather than trying to sprint your way out of the start surge.

You’re swimming 3,799 m in about 19.9°C water, with the official wetsuit ruling set on race morning (confirm in the official IRONMAN athlete guide). Expect a fast-to-settle rhythm: settle into your lane, keep your head position consistent, and sight often enough to avoid drifting into extra distance. With the overall conditions typical for the day, prioritize efficiency over speed—cold enough to feel present but not chaotic, so keep your hands and kick calm and repeatable. Fueling during the swim is minimal for most athletes, so your job is to arrive at T1 composed and ready to start taking in carbs and fluid as soon as you mount.

Plan your T1-to-bike flow around simplicity: check your bike is set (shoes, bottles, nutrition placement) and move through transition with deliberate steps so you don’t lose time or gas. In T1, get your legs moving early—take a moment to focus on posture before you start pedaling. When you mount, settle into a strong, sustainable effort immediately rather than accelerating hard; the first 10–15 minutes should feel like building rhythm, not racing. Have your first drink and first nutrition intake ready to go so you start fueling before you’re fully warmed up.

The course is 180.7 km with 2,236 m of climbing on a hilly/climbing profile, so ride by power/effort with attention to gradients: push climbs within your sustainable range and recover on descents without spiking power. With wind from the N at about 7.8 m/s, you’ll feel it as you ride—stay smooth into headwinds, keep your steering quiet, and avoid sudden surges that cost you on the next climb. Heat is described as moderate (air 16.3–21.7°C), so don’t under-drink early; keep a steady intake that matches what you can digest. Target fueling on the bike is 90 g carbs/hour, 750 mg sodium/hour, and about 650 ml fluid/hour—take sips often rather than waiting until you’re thirsty, especially when the climbs make breathing heavier. Aim to take in nutrition consistently across both climbing and flatter sections so your energy stays stable for the run.

In T2, focus on getting your feet underneath you quickly: walk only as needed, secure your footing, and start the run with controlled cadence. The first few minutes often feel “spongy” in the quads—ride that sensation out by staying slightly under race pace early while your legs wake up. As soon as you’re running confidently, begin your planned fueling and drink strategy immediately so you don’t wait until late into the marathon to catch up.

You’re running 42.2 km after a demanding 180.7 km climbing bike, with the run profile listed as unknown—so treat it like a tactical effort management challenge rather than a pure flat-race. The biggest variable to manage from day to day is that the N wind can affect exposed sections: stay composed, keep your breathing controlled, and adjust effort on windy stretches instead of forcing pace. With the day’s air temps sitting around 16.3–21.7°C and heat described as moderate, you can maintain consistency—just watch for dehydration cues as the marathon progresses. You’ll likely need frequent small intakes: take fluids regularly and keep carbs coming to protect your late-race performance. Use aid stations to stay on top of your thirst and pacing; if you feel your pace slipping, don’t “fight” the wind or hills—reduce effort slightly and focus on steady cadence and form until conditions improve.