IRONMAN Lanzarote 2026: Laidlow, Lange and Charles-Barclay — Final Race Preview
The Race Starts Saturday
IRONMAN Lanzarote returns for its 34th edition on Saturday 23 May, and the pro field assembled for this year’s race may be the strongest in the event’s history. Three days out, the build-up has centred on one rivalry: 2023 Kona champion Sam Laidlow versus three-time Kona champion Patrick Lange, going head-to-head on the most brutal bike course in European Ironman racing.
Men’s Race: Laidlow vs Lange on the Volcano Roads
Sam Laidlow is one of the sport’s most exciting talents — the Frenchman won Kona in 2023 with a jaw-dropping bike split and has been building back to top form after a patchy 2025 season. Lanzarote’s relentless climbing suits his aggressive bike style, and he arrives as many pundits’ favourite for the day.
Patrick Lange, however, is a three-time Kona champion who knows how to win Ironman races when it matters. His run off the bike is among the best in long-course history, and if he can survive the punishing 180km through the volcanic highlands — with over 2,500m of climbing — his marathon legs should bring him home in front.
Dylan Magnien, the young French rising star who has been tearing up Pro Series results in 2026, and Spanish local favourite Jordi Montraveta also feature, making the men’s podium genuinely unpredictable.
Women’s Race: Charles-Barclay Returns as Favourite
Lucy Charles-Barclay is the defending champion in Lanzarote and arrives as the pre-race favourite despite having surgery in January to remove her plantaris tendon. The British star is one of the most gifted long-course athletes of her generation — a swim-bike powerhouse who has proven she can run at the front of full-distance fields. If her recovery has held, she should be very difficult to beat.
Challengers will need to stay within striking distance on the bike to have any hope of overhauling Charles-Barclay on the run. The women’s field has not been as widely publicised as the men’s, but Lanzarote has a history of producing upsets from non-headline athletes who know the course.
The Course
IRONMAN Lanzarote is widely regarded as the hardest bike course on the European calendar. The 180km ride takes athletes through Timanfaya National Park and past Los Jameos del Agua, with over 2,500m of total elevation gain and the ever-present Canary Island wind. The 3.8km swim starts in Puerto del Carmen, and the marathon follows a run course through the streets of the resort. Kona qualification slots are on offer across multiple age groups.
How to Follow the Race
The race starts on Saturday 23 May 2026 in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote. Follow live tracking via the IRONMAN Athlete Tracker app and the Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote social channels. Full pro results will be published on the PTO stats page shortly after racing concludes.
