IRONMAN Lanzarote 2027: date and location

Plan your race pace

The Salomon IRONMAN Lanzarote 2027 has sold out and has passed 2,000 registered athletes, a figure the race has not reached since 2015, according to The IRONMAN Group, which announced it on 12 November. The island’s most emblematic long-distance triathlon will take place on Saturday 15 May 2027, in its 35th edition.

According to the organisers, 89% of entrants come from outside Spain. Since the pandemic, the maximum number of participants had stayed below 1,400 athletes. The number of registrations is not the same as the final number of participants who will start the race.

The edition also arrives with a decisive change in the organisation: The IRONMAN Group is taking over the race directly, after more than three decades linked to Club La Santa. The handover does not erase the history of a race that began in 1992, and the new chapter is presented with the backing of island and Canary Islands institutions and with an explicit priority: to preserve the features that have made the event recognisable.

From fewer than 1,400 to more than 2,000 athletes

The sell-out for 2027 contrasts with the years after the pandemic, when participation stayed below 1,400 athletes. In April, when the change of organiser was announced, the Cabildo (island council) spoke of reaching between 1,400 and 1,500 participants, a forecast that registrations have surpassed.

Fabio Cabrera, the race’s former director, recalls that Lanzarote once brought together some 2,300 athletes when it was the only IRONMAN in Spain. Agustí Pérez, Regional Senior Director for Southern Europe at The IRONMAN Group, called the moment historic: “Reaching a sell-out and passing 2,000 entrants is extraordinary and historic news for Lanzarote and for the whole IRONMAN community. It has been more than ten years since we reached participation figures like these, and we are especially pleased because they are the result of a firm and determined commitment by The IRONMAN Group to return Salomon IRONMAN Lanzarote to the place it deserves in the international triathlon landscape.”

On the weight of the foreign field, Pérez added: “The fact that nearly nine out of ten participants are coming from outside Spain also shows Lanzarote’s enormous international reach and its appeal as a sports destination. We are convinced that this is the way to keep strengthening the race and to establish it, once again, among the major events on the international calendar. We are very proud of this moment and, above all, of the commitment The IRONMAN Group has made to Lanzarote and to the future of this competition.”

Pro Series and National Ranking for the 2027 edition

In 2027 the race joins the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series. Its place on the circuit was announced alongside Valencia, as part of the addition of both venues. According to the organisers, this means having the world’s best professional athletes and a live television broadcast.

Pérez framed it within the company’s commitment: “At The IRONMAN Group we have taken on the commitment to drive this race forward, putting in all the means and resources needed to keep growing, raise our quality standards and give athletes the experience they expect from an IRONMAN event. Its inclusion in the Experience Oman IRONMAN Pro Series is a clear sign of this commitment: having the best professional athletes in the world, offering a live television broadcast that takes the competition to an international audience and strengthening its sporting and media profile, while raising the level of organisation and the participants’ experience.”

The race also counts each year towards the National Triathlon Ranking for Middle and Long Distance.

A new chapter for the Lanzarote race

The 2027 edition will be the first organised directly by The IRONMAN Group after Club La Santa’s departure from that role. Club La Santa had been behind the race since 1992, with thirty-four editions to its name. The change, announced before the official presentation of the 35th edition, formalises a transition that had been taking shape during 2026.

The presentation brought together representatives of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Government of the Canary Islands, SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Tías Town Council and the organising company. This institutional presence underlines that the race is not seen solely as a sporting competition. Its organisation involves coordination between public and private bodies, as well as preparation that affects the island and, in particular, Puerto del Carmen.

The organisers have expressed their commitment to the continuity of the race’s legacy, while the authorities have backed the project. The handover has not been accompanied by any announcement of a break with the historic identity the event has built since its early editions.

Thirty-five editions since 1992

The history of the race goes back to 1992, a fact that gives context to the 2027 edition: reaching 35 editions means more than three decades on the international long-distance calendar. The anniversary offers a chance to recognise the work built up by those involved in its organisation, from sports bodies to volunteers and local institutions.

Club La Santa has been a key part of that journey. For more than three decades it helped establish the event and take its name beyond the island. At the presentation of the new chapter, that work was expressly acknowledged, including its contribution to the race’s international standing.

What is known about the change of organiser

The confirmed change is concrete: The IRONMAN Group will organise the race from 2027. The company has presented the handover as a responsibility of continuity and respect for the event’s history. That statement sets the tone for the transition, although it does not amount to confirming in advance every operational aspect of the next edition.

The information released makes it possible to pin down the date, the edition number, the institutional framework of the project and the sell-out. It does not fully confirm the 2027 course or the start times. Details published for previous editions can give an idea of the race’s history, but they do not replace the specific programme for this edition.

A change of organiser can bring logistical adjustments, but there is no basis for assuming specific changes to the distance, the course or the services.

Lanzarote’s identity at the centre

The appeal of this race is tied to the place where it is held. Lanzarote offers an island setting of volcanic origin that sets the event apart from urban races and from triathlons held in more uniform surroundings. The volcanic landscapes and the island’s characteristic winds are part of a recognisable identity, even though the exact 2027 course has yet to be confirmed.

Preserving that personality does not mean freezing the race. The organisers will have to combine the continuity of its historic elements with the current needs of safety, logistics and managing an international event. The terrain is not just a backdrop: it is one of the components that explain the character of the triathlon.

Puerto del Carmen has a prominent place in that relationship. The municipality of Tías has reaffirmed its link with the race and the town’s role as one of its main settings since the early editions.

Full distance and course still to be confirmed

The race is held over the full IRONMAN format, a single day combining swimming, cycling and running: 3.8 kilometres of swimming, 180 kilometres of cycling and 42.2 kilometres of running. The official route for each leg in the 2027 edition has not yet been detailed.

In previous editions the course has been associated with the island’s volcanic landscape and with Puerto del Carmen. However, those descriptions are not enough to state that every section, turn or transition will stay the same in 2027. Confirmation of the course will matter for details such as elevation, checkpoints, transition areas and the characteristics of the run.

The full distance describes the challenge, but it does not replace the official map. Until the organisers publish the specific information, it is not prudent to present schedules, total elevation gain, water temperature or equipment rules as confirmed for this edition.

An event with year-round tourism impact

The event’s reach is not limited to race day. SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote has highlighted that some participants travel to the island in advance to train, get to know the area and prepare for the race. This longer stay extends the link between the triathlon and the destination, with activity related to accommodation, transport, restaurants and other local services.

The climate and the scenery help make Lanzarote attractive to international athletes. Sports tourism works here as a long-term relationship: it does not depend only on visitors who come to compete, but also on those who return to train or to get to know the island better.

The organisers say the next edition will bring more than 2,000 athletes to the island, along with their families and companions, with a significant economic and tourism impact.

Backing from local institutions

The Cabildo de Lanzarote, the Government of the Canary Islands, SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote and Tías Town Council took part alongside The IRONMAN Group in the presentation of the new project. Their presence shows that the race’s continuity rests on cooperation that goes beyond the sports organiser.

Organising a long-distance triathlon requires coordination and planning, especially when the competition coexists with the daily life of residents and businesses. Public-private cooperation will be an essential part of the new chapter, although each body keeps different roles and direct organisation rests with The IRONMAN Group.

The role of Tías and Puerto del Carmen is particularly important because of their historic relationship with the event. The race has helped to link the municipality with international triathlon, while the town provides the race’s most recognisable setting.

Details still to be confirmed

The race will be held on the island, with Puerto del Carmen historically linked to the event, although the exact locations of the start, finish and transitions will need to be set in the official information. The start time and the programme of activities have not been announced, and the detailed conditions of the 2027 course have not been published either.