IRONMAN Barcelona 2026 cancelled due to severe weather: more races postponed due to rain
The IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona 2026, scheduled for this Sunday, October 4, has been cancelled due to the severe weather affecting Catalonia and the measures taken by Civil Protection. The bad weather is also disrupting other competitions in different parts of Spain, with triathlon, trail, gravel, and mountain bike events cancelled, postponed, or modified.
What should the participants of IRONMAN Barcelona do now?
IRONMAN has asked participants who have not yet deposited their bikes and race bags not to move to the transition area.
Athletes who had already left their equipment there could pick it up until 19:00 p.m. this Saturday.
Those unable to return to the transition area should contact the organizers at [email protected] . According to the statement, bicycles and other belongings will be stored at the Athlete Garden on Platja del Garbí in Calella and can be collected between 15:00 PM and 18:00 PM on Sunday.
The organization notes that the anticipated conditions pose a risk to athletes, volunteers, spectators, staff and the community as a whole , and urges everyone to follow the instructions of local authorities and stay indoors whenever possible.
All participants have also received an email with additional information. IRONMAN has not yet specified what options it will offer to athletes affected by the cancellation and has announced that it will communicate the next steps soon.
What's happening with the weather in Catalonia?
The cancellation comes amid a scenario of strong instability and warnings for torrential rains and severe weather phenomena in Catalonia.
Meteocat's weather warnings include rainfall intensities exceeding 40 liters per square meter in 30 minutes , a threshold that the Meteorological Service of Catalonia itself classifies as torrential rain. There are also warnings for very significant accumulations in a short period and for severe weather.
Forecasts suggest the possibility that the storms will organize into a mesoscale convective system , a structure capable of sustaining intense rainfall for several hours and affecting a relatively large area.
The risk depends not only on the total amount of rainfall. Intensity over very short periods can cause water accumulation, flash floods, problems on the road network, and difficulties for emergency services.
In this context, the authorities have established restrictions on mobility and outdoor activities in the affected areas during the hours considered to be of greatest risk.
Why the storm makes an IRONMAN impossible
In a long-distance competition, the problem is not limited to competing in the rain.
An IRONMAN mobilizes thousands of athletes, volunteers, organization vehicles, health services and emergency services for many hours on a course of 3,8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and 42,2 kilometers of running.
In addition to the possible adverse sea conditions, there is the risk of water accumulation, loss of grip on the bicycle, flooding, affected roads, falling branches, or difficulties for emergency services to move normally.
When there are also official measures affecting mobility and outdoor sporting activities, the holding of an event of this magnitude no longer depends solely on the specific condition of its routes.
The Oncotrail, stopped with the runners already in competition
The worsening weather situation has also forced action to be taken on competitions that were already underway.
The Oncotrail 2026 was halted this Saturday for safety reasons after the weather forecast was upgraded from danger level 4 to 6.
Following CECAT's instructions, participants had to head to the nearest aid station. The organizers later reorganized the race route to continue from Vall-llobrega to Palafrugell.
The race had started in the morning with additional preventative measures, but the evolving forecast forced a change in the plan when the runners were already on the course.
The Ultra Pirineu modifies its routes and cancels the Nit Pirineu
Bad weather has also affected the Salomon Ultra Pirineu 2026.
The organization activated alternative routes for the Ultra and the Marató with the aim of reducing the exposure of participants to high mountain areas during the hours of greatest risk of storms.
In the case of the Ultra, the alternative route was reduced to approximately 60 kilometers and 3.900 meters of positive elevation gain.
In addition, the organization decided to cancel the La Molina Nit Pirineu KV , the vertical race scheduled for Friday, due to the increased risk of storms.
The SCOTT Mediterranean Epic Gravel has also been postponed
The consequences of the heavy rains have also been felt in the Valencian Community.
The first edition of the SCOTT Mediterranean Epic Gravel , scheduled for this weekend in Sant Jordi, Castellón, has been postponed after the organizers inspected the route and found that the terrain conditions did not allow the race to take place as planned.
The event featured a competitive 146-kilometer course , in addition to two non-competitive options. The organizers have indicated that they will announce the new date and available options for participants soon.
Cancelled 100x100Half Platja d'Aro
The 100x100Half Platja d'Aro , also scheduled for this weekend, has been cancelled due to exceptional weather conditions.
According to the organization, the cancellation of the authorization by the Servei Català de Trànsit prevents the cycling segment from taking place and, as a result, the event cannot be held.
The Torrent MTB Race has been moved to November 29th
The start of the Valencia MTB & Gravel Series 2026/27 has also been affected.
The Torrent MTB March, scheduled for this Sunday, October 4th, has been postponed to November 29th due to adverse weather forecasts and the risk of heavy rain.
The decision was made for safety reasons due to the conditions the route might present, especially in its more technical areas.
More than 200 liters per square meter force the postponement of the Cabra Trail
Outside the Peninsula, rainfall has also affected this weekend's sporting calendar.
The Puntallana City Council decided to postpone the XV Puntallana Cabra Trail , initially scheduled for this Saturday, October 3rd in La Palma, after the heavy rains recorded in the previous hours.
According to the City Council, in the previous 24 hours, rainfall had exceeded 200 liters per square meter in the mountains of the municipality , significantly affecting the trails through which the race was to take place.
The test will finally take place on October 31st.
Barcelona already had to modify the swimming program in 2021.
IRONMAN Barcelona had previously suffered the consequences of bad weather. In the 2021 edition , the weather conditions forced the swim segment to be reduced to just 900 meters.
The situation in 2026 is different. This time it's not just about adapting one of the competition's segments, but about a weather event that has led to Civil Protection measures and modifications or cancellations of numerous sporting events.
For the more than 3.300 participants registered for IRONMAN Calella-Barcelona, the next relevant information will be that communicated by the organizers regarding the options available after the cancellation . At this time, IRONMAN has not specified whether there will be registration transfers, refunds, or other alternatives.
