Relax and enjoy your family holiday at Sands Beach Resort hotel, and if you want something more energetic, you can always leave it to the experts. Ironman is the ultimate triathlon challenge and the annual Lanzarote event is seen as one of the most testing on the international circuit. The 2008 challenge has already got it’s full line up of 1,200 competitors, ready to swim, cycle and run from the Puerto del Carmen base on Saturday May 24.

So what’s involved?

Take a deep breath and just imagine this tough schedule. First there is a 3.8 km swim around the beaches of Puerto del Carmen, then a 180 km cycle ride around the island, through the mountains and lava fields, and finally, a 44.2 km run of 4 looped circuits along the beachfront of Puerto del Carmen.

The main event is the climax of several weeks of excitement and social activity in Lanzarote organised by Club La Santa, the centre of sporting excellence in the northern district of Tinajo. Many of the competitors are professionals on the international Ironman stage and despite the name – it does include many women. There is a warm up event on Saturday May 3, the Volcanic triathlon with 6,000 euros of prize money and a reduced course of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run. For the main event the prize money rises to 50,000 dollars, split between the first 10 professional finishers.

If you are lucky enough to be in Lanzarote in May, you are bound to get caught up in the excitement of a true international sporting event – and you don’t even have to break into a trot.