Bassetlaw Triathlon Club stars conquer tough European circuits including Ironman Lanzarote
As the UK sweltered in the early summer heat, three members of the Bassetlaw Triathlon Club took to the continent to take on some of the toughest events on the triathlon circuit.
Having travelled to Mallorca in 2025 and completed the Ironman 70.3 event, Mark Bringloe set his sights on the event again this year and intended to make a holiday of the trip too.
The first stage of the Ironman 70.3 Alcúdia 2026 is a 1.9 km open water swim near Alcúdia Harbour, where the water temperature is usually around 17 degrees celsius. After the transition, participants rode 90km by bike. From km 21, the road begins to climb with gradients between one and four percent.
Between km 24 and 28, there were steep sections of up to 15 percent, the toughest part of the course.
Then, cyclists ascended to the top of the Sierra de Tramuntana, reaching a summit of 565 meters. From km 35, after passing Lluc, a long descent led to Campanet. Then, on mostly flat terrain, the route passed through Muro and returns to Alcúdia. Finally, the athletes ran through
the streets of Alcúdia, with much of the course along the beach and views of the Mediterranean Sea. This final stage consists of three laps of 7km each along the bay. Weather permitting, you can enjoy the scenery and refresh yourself at certain points.
On a day that had a significant storm, the conditions were particularly challenging. Many of the entrants had to be withdrawn from the challenging sea swim conditions and the high winds made the already tough cycle route even tougher. Mark finished in a time of six hours and 18 minutes.
Elsewhere, Emma Ryan was entered in the Challenge Championship in Slovakia.
Comprising of a 1.9km swim in the Danube Canal with its clear, fresh water rand great spectator vantage points, running adjacent to the x-bionic sphere resort, followed by the 90km ride on a fast and flat on closed roads but was deceptively challenging, especially in the windy, exposed areas.
Finally, the 21km run is entirely within the x-bionic sphere resort and again, while flat, is tough with no less than four different surfaces under foot – grass, sand, tarmac and cobbles before finishing in the giant arena. On a particularly hot day for such an event Emma return a great time of 6 hours and 16 minutes.
Further south on the island of Lanzarote, Barnaby Gray was entered for the full Ironman event, widely regarded as one of the toughest endurance races in the world. Barney was taking on the event as a final validation race ahead of the Ironman World Championships in Kona this October, Barney’s focus was firmly on completion rather than competition. The race also held deep personal significance, undertaken in support of the mental health charity Mind and in memory of his nephew Ben, who tragically passed away last year.
Ironman Lanzarote is infamous for its demanding course, featuring an Atlantic Ocean swim, a relentlessly hilly and wind-exposed 180km bike ride through volcanic terrain, and a sun-scorched coastal marathon. True to its reputation, the race tested athletes to their limits.
Barnaby successfully completed this renowned Ironman Lanzarote in a powerful and purposeful performance. Demonstrating disciplined pacing and strong nutritional strategy throughout, Barney completed the course in an impressive 13 hours and 41 minutes, with split
times of 1:26 (swim), 7:36 (bike), and 4:23 (run) – crossing the finish line in control and without issue.
His effort has also driven significant fundraising momentum, with £815 already raised toward a target in support of Mind, as Barney continues his journey toward the World Championships.
After the event, Barney expressed heartfelt thanks to the overwhelming support from family, friends, clubmates, and colleagues – both on the course and from afar – who have played a vital role in both his performance and fundraising efforts.
If anyone would like to further support Barnaby’s fund raising efforts, please use this link.