The 31st edition of the race set a new record in a day with superb weather conditions
The 2023 Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote adds a new edition making history. The thirty-first edition has culminated in new records and left a high-voltage competition that exceeded many of the expectations.
The day contributed images and dreamlike sceneries that perfectly matched the extraordinary landscapes of Lanzarote, whose characteristic geography once again made the headlines and received great praise. In addition, the weather conditions were ideal at all times. The wind did not blow with excessive force and provided a setting that matched the quality deserved by the 1,000 participants who dared to compete in one of the toughest races on the planet.
The island of the Volcanoes was decked out for one of its big days with the oldest IRONMAN competition in Europe that promised many surprises and a spectacular atmosphere from the previous days. The XXXI Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote event did not disappoint and offered an exciting day, full of anecdotes and stories to remember that went beyond the 3.8 km swim, 180.2 km bike ride and 42.2 km run.
The men’s podium was a good example of this, with the three medalists beating all records. Frenchman Arthur Horseau beat the record by stopping the stopwatch at 08:22:31, a spectacular time that the Dutchman Niek Heldoorn (8:24:48) and Australian Cameron Wurf (8:30:17) managed to match, all of them beating the record that was held until now. Special mention goes to Jordi Montraveta, best Spanish runner.
It was on the podium that we saw one of the most acclaimed stories, leaving one of the most iconic images of this edition and demonstrating how this competition overcomes frontiers that go beyond the sport. At the finish line, Niek Heldoorn showed his emotion hugging his father, knowing that he was the bearer of a historic silver medal, but above all because he was adding a new milestone to the family legacy.
With his feat, the Dutchman managed to inscribe his surname in the annals of this competition that began with his very father, Frank Heldoorn, a lover of the Lanzarote event in which he has won two gold medals, in the 1994 and 1996 editions, but in which he has also won three silver medals, being present consecutively on the podium of IRONMAN Lanzarote from 1993 to 1997.
In 2023, Niek once again bathed the Heldoorn name in champagne in a podium that seemed to close the circle, but at the same time promised an open ending. With his great performance, the Dutchman is aiming to repeat the feat of his progenitor – who knows, maybe even with a gold in future editions!
A new feat was also achieved in the women’s classification with Lydia Dant (09:59:13) winning clearly in what would be her second consecutive gold in Lanzarote, after racing an excellent sector on the bike. The Briton was followed by Belgian Liesbeth Verbiest (10:06:10) and French Jeanne Collonge (10:20:53).
Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote once again made visible the iconic paradox of what is considered by many as one of the most demanding triathlon events in the world. Proof of this could be seen in the smiles and faces of satisfaction of all those new men and women of steel.
