Lanzarote becomes epicenter of triathlon

In Lanzarote, the earth beats at a slow but powerful rhythm, like that of the volcanoes that sleep under its skirt. Perhaps that is why athletes find a paradise on this Island, because the earth beats at the same rate as their steps.

Lanzarote calls for adventure and feat and for this reason it has become the ideal setting for an event such as the Enduroman, a triathlon festival designed for lovers of challenges.

In February of this year, its first edition was held with resounding success and since then the organization, in charge of the Enduroman label and the Cabildo de Lanzarote, has been working on the second installment, which will take place on February 4 and 5, 2012. The event, which will be sponsored by LA PROVINCIA/DLP, will bring together the best international triathletes in Lanzarote.

Félix Andrés García, director of the Lanzarote Enduroman, affirms that, according to scientists, Lanzarote's climate makes it an “ideal island for the human species”. It is also a land aware of respect for the environment - Biosphere Reserve for 18 years - and its people have managed to live in balance with nature at times hostile, but splendid. The cars show exemplary respect towards cyclists and runners find freedom in the middle of lava fields.

A warm and friendly sea is offered to swimmers to train throughout the year, although sometimes when it gets rough you have to flee until your anger passes. It is only a matter of listening to the earth, the trade winds and the rumor of the saltpeter. If the rabbit farmer has managed to make the grapes grow in the middle of the fire, nothing is impossible in Lanzarote.

Completing the Enduroman double: 7.6km swim, 360km bike and 84.39km walk might seem like a pipe dream. But when an athlete becomes obsessed with the goal, the limits become blurred. The test has three other versions, to involve a wide range of brave people. The Enduroman has a 3.8 km swim, 180 km on the bike and a 42.195 km run. In the Enduroman half you have to overcome 1.9 km by swimming, 90 by bicycle and 21 on foot; and in the Olympic Enduroman, 1.5 km by swim, 40 by bike and 10 on foot.

The test routes have been drawn up in the southwest of Yaiza, a charming municipality where some of the best kept secrets of the Island are hidden. The bicycles will roll along a circuit parallel to the coast of the Volcanoes Natural Park that surrounds Timanfaya. The swimming tests will be held in Playa Blanca, a fishing village where all the houses smell of the sea; and the foot race will take place along the promenade that connects Playa Blanca with the Marina Rubicón marina.

To show that daring knows no gender, two women are already among those registered for the double Enduroman. Violeta Tatay, a 45-year-old dentist, is the first Spanish. She is accompanied on the reduced list by the English Joanna Carritt, who since 2010 has been dedicated to triathlon as a professional. The triathlete Paul Thompson, winner of the Enduroman 2010, has already confirmed that he will participate again in the second edition, with the aim of improving his impressive mark of 29 hours and 14 minutes (the maximum time to complete the double Enduroman is set at 36 hours ). The rabbit athlete Goyo Cáceres, who always sneaks into the best positions, will also start in February. They have also confirmed the participation of Miguel Basurco, the first Spaniard to reach the finish line in the first edition, and Guy Rossi, who at 64 is a benchmark in world triathlon.

Lanzarote is 17 million years old and has 110 dormant volcanoes in its jaws. The Island, sunk in a deep torpor, maintains a constant pulse with the fire that stirs under its rocky skin. The strides that will raise the dust of the earth will not be able to wake her from her deep sleep. Athletes who dare to challenge can rest easy. Their footprints will be carried away by the trade winds, although the echo of their footsteps will remain engraved in the eternal memory of the lava.

Source: laprovincia.es