The toughest Ironman 11 in Europe

We have compiled the hardest 11 Ironman distance triathlons in Europe.

 

To start the list we will do it with the recently presented Challenge de Madrid, a test that will celebrate its first edition next Sunday 24 in September. He Challenge Madrid It is the only one of the 11 hardest ironmans in Europe which ends in a great capital. The rest of the tests are divided between France (4 tests), Italy (2 tests), Switzerland, Austria, United Kingdom y Norway.

 CHALLENGE MADRID

Place: Madrid (Spain)

Information: http://www.challenge-madrid.com/

• Swimming: 3,8km in the reservoir Riosequillo de Buitrago de Lozoya
• Cycling: 180km (+ slope 3500m)
• Race on foot: 42,2 km

Swimming is divided into two rounds of 1,900m in the reservoir of Riosequillo de Buitrago de Lozoya to cover the 3800m of this first sector. After the T1 the triathletes face a tough cycling sector that recovers the famous return to the ports with the ascents to Canencia, Morcuera and Cotos. After crowning Cotos and walking a few kilometers of false will take place a rapid descent of the port of Navacerrada and the last kilometers of the cycling segment will be more favorable until you reach the T2 that will be located on the esplanade of the King in Madrid Río. The marathon will run entirely, for Madrid Rio will be 5 laps and after finishing the last lap, the race will walk up the Cuesta de la Vega to join the main street and enter the Puerta del Sol for its arrival at "Km 0" , where the Goal will be located.

EVERGREEN ENDURANCE

Place: Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (France)

Information: https://www.evergreen-endurance.com/en/races/evergreen-228/

• Swimming: 3,8km on the Lake of Livigno
• Cycling: 195km (+ slope 5000m)
• Running on foot: 42,2 km (+ 2500m of vertical drop)

Swimming takes place in Lake Montriond, in the French town of the same name. Then the triathletes face a very tough cycling sector of almost 5000 meters of altitude worthy of a mythical mountain stage of the Tour de France with the ports of Col de Joux Plane, Côte de Morillon Les Esserts, Col de Romme, Col de la Colombière, Col des Aravis and Côte de Vaudagne (Les Houches) until you reach the famous Alpine village of Chamonix where the T2 is located. There starts a hard marathon with more than 2500m of unevenness through winding green paths on both sides of the Chamonix valley through Flégère, Brevent, Montenvers and the Pla de l'Aiguille.

LIVIGNO XTREM TRIATHLON

Place: Livigno (Italy)
Information: http://www.iconxtri.com/percorsi/

• Swimming: 4km on the Lake of Livigno
• Cycling: 195km (+ slope 4900m)
• Running on foot: 42,2 km (+ 2500m of vertical drop)

The competition starts with 3,8km in Lago di Livigno with water at a temperature of around 16ºC. Then the triathletes face a very tough 195km cycling segment with almost 5000 meters of altitude, first climb from the Forcola port of 2315m, then the race goes into Switzerland to climb the Bernina pass to 2323m, down to Saint Moritz and the port of Fuorn of 2149m is promoted. Then the triathletes return to Italy ascending the mythical 48 curves of the Passo Stelvio whose summit is at 2757m, after a long descent we reach Bormio and ascend the Foscagno pass of 2291m and descend to Trepelle Livigno where the T2 is.

From there the marathon begins, first they are 8km down to Livigno, then a loop of 25km is made around this town to finish with 9km of ascent where 1100m is saved until reaching the finish line located at 3000m of altitude .

AUSTRIA XTREM

Place: Thondorf and Dachstein (Austria)
Information: http://www.autxtri.com/

• Swimming: 3,8 km on the river Muro
• Cycling: 186 km (+ elevation 3900m)
• Running on foot: 43,6 km (+ 1,900m of vertical drop)

The Astria Xtrem starts with 1,9km of swimming in a favorable direction of the current in the Muro river to later give a turn of 180º and cover the same distance but with the current against. After arriving at the T1 the triathletes must travel 186 km of cycling with the ports of Gaberl to 1545m, Hochegg to 1341m, Kammersberg to 1100 and Sölkpass to 1795m, after crowning the latter and downloading it you will reach the T2. The marathon has a favorable first part and flat until the km 21 but the second half is almost all ascending, passing saving 1200m of unevenness until finishing to 1850m in the station of the Dachstein valley.

Photo: http://strassermichael.at/

STONE BRIXIA MAN

Place: Ponte di Legno (Italy)
Information: http://www.stonebrixiamanxtri.com/?lang=it

• Swimming: 3,8 km on Lake Iseo
• Cycling: 180 km (+ elevation 4900m)
• Running on foot: 43,6 km (+ 1,300m of vertical drop)

 The departure of the swim takes place at 4: 00 am from a boat on Lake Iseo and surrounds the island of Loreto until you reach Marone where the T1 is. Later the triathletes start the 180km of the very tough cycling sector that includes some of the mythical ports of the Giro d'Italia, such as Aprica, Mortirolo and Gavia. The T2 is located in Ponte di Legno, there the triathletes first realize an 25km around the population to finish with 17km of rise crowned first the Passo Tonale and then the Passo Paradisso to finish next to Lake Monticello at 2500m of altitude.

ALPS-MAN

Place: Saint-Joriz (France)
Information: www.Alps-man.com

• Swimming: 3,8 km on Lake Annecy
• Cycling: 183 km (+ elevation 4000m)
• Running on foot: 42 km (+ 1,300m of vertical drop)

The swimming takes place in the lake of Annecy, the trialtetas are laced from a boat located in center of the lake to cover the 3,8km until arriving at Saint-Joriz where is the T1. Afterwards, the cycling sector begins in the Bauges area with several mountain passes, where Semnoz stands out for its special category. In total there are 183km until reaching again Saint-Joriz, then the marathon is divided into two parts, a flat 27km around Lake Annecy and 15km of hard climb to the Crêt de Chêtillon where the goal is located 1600m of altitude.

Photo: Trimax Magazine

SWISSMAN

Place: Ascona and Brienz (Switzerland)

Information: http://www.suixtri.com/

• Swimming: 3,8km on Lake Maggiore
• Cycling: 180km (+ slope 4000m)
• Running on foot: 42,2 km (+ 1400m of vertical drop)

Swimming is done at Lake Maggiore, the cycling sector starts from Ascona and along the 180km where competitors must ascend 3 ports over 2000m the Gotthard Pass, the Furka Pass (race roof with 2436m) and the Grimsel Pass. In total there are more than 4000m of positive height difference until arriving at the town of Brienz, where the marathon begins. Brienz is at an altitude of 567m and the goal of the Swissman is located in Kleine Scheidegg at more than 2000m of altitude, so in the walking segment the triathletes save more than 1400m of positive height difference.

CELTMAN

Place: Torridon (Scotland, United Kingdom)

Information: http://cxtri.com/

• Swimming: 3,8km in the Bay of Torridon
• Cycling: 200 (+ slope 2500m)
• Running on foot: 42,2 km (+ 1500m of vertical drop)

Swimming takes place in the Bay of Torridon, under the cold waters of the North Sea. The cycling has a length of 200km, in a leg breaks circuit, full of steep slopes where the triathletes accumulate more than 2500m of unevenness. Like cycling, the marathon is done by a circuit breaks legs, discarding a rise of 7km between km 15 and 22. In total 1500m of unevenness is saved.

Photo: Colin Herderson

ALTRIMAN

Place: Les Angles (France)

Information: http://www.altriman.com/

• Swimming: 3,8km on the lake of Matemale
• Cycling: 195 (+ slope 5000m)
• Running on foot: 42,2 km (+ 700m of vertical drop)

The triathletes start the competition at the 5: 30 in the morning at the lake of Matemale where the 3,8km are made and then face what is possibly the toughest cycling segment of all the Ironmans. The first port is the Col de la Quillane, followed by Col de la Llose, Col de Creu, Port de Pailhères, Col de la Chioula, Col de Garavel, and Col des Hares until returning to Angles where the marathon begins around the lake of Matemale where the first 10km run. Afterwards, we cross Angles and start the ascent until the km 23 towards the Vallsera lake where the turning point is located. After finishing the descent, the last 13km also flow around the lake of Matemale. 

NORSEMAN

Place: Eidfjord - Gaustatoppen (Norway)

Information: http://www.nxtri.com

• Swimming: 3,8km (around 13ºC)
• Cycling: 180km (+ slope 2800m)
• Race on foot: 45km (+ 1800m of altitude difference)

In the Norseman takes place the hardest swimming of these ironman, because it is carried out in the fjord of Eidfjord where rarely the temperature exceeds the 13 degrees. Cycling begins with 20km llanos and then start the spectacular climb to Dyranut of 15km where 1300m of altitude difference is saved. Then begins an area of ​​slides and steep slopes, until the last port, Imingfjell road, between km 140 and 150, triathletes suffer the ramps 8% during 10km. The last 30km of cycling are favorable to the town of Austbygde, the T2 is located. Finally the marathon consists of two well differentiated parts, the first 25km level in asphalt and the following 17,2km are run by forest tracks saving a drop of more than 1800. The goal is located in Gaustatoppen at 1850m, the highest point of all ironman.

Photo: Michael Rauschendorfer

EMBRUNMAN

Place: Embrun (France)

Information: http://www.embrunman.com/

• Swimming: 3,8km on Lake Embrun
• Cycling: 188km (+ 3800 elevation meters)
• Race on foot: 42,2 km (+ 1200m difference)

The Embrunman is the most known and important ironman of those who do not belong to any of the two major franchises (Challenge and Ironman), has more than 30 years of history practically keeping the same routes. Swimming is done two laps in Lake Embrun. Then the triathletes face 188km durísimos where they accumulate more 3800m of unevenness. The most charismatic point of this test is the top of the Coll del Izoard at 2362m altitude, is crowned around the 100 km of cycling. Finally the marathon is two laps of 21km around Embrun, with continuous climbs that total 600m of unevenness in each of the laps.

Photo: Christophe Guard

* Acknowledgments: To thank the readers of Triatlonnoticias Luis Bartoló and Miquel Hueso who provided us with the triathlon data Evergreen Triathlon, Livigno Xtrem, Austria Xtrem and Stone Brixia Man.