IRONMAN Barcelona 2021
3 October 2021. Peter Heron
This report is written from the perspective of a 60-64 age grouper but equally, I’m sure there’s more than enough general information to be of use to anyone regardless of age, who might be considering this iconic event. Barcelona came relatively soon after Nottingham Outlaw full IRON distance, so there was some uncertainty in my mind around my ability to successfully complete Barcelona after just a 10 week gap.
Pre-Race
IRONMAN Barcelona didn’t take place in 2020 due to the pandemic and so this year [2021] the race organiser pulled out all the stops to make the event special. Race day offers the options of either 70.3 (new for 2021), or IRONMAN, with the 70.3 athletes going off first followed approx. 30 minutes later by the IRONMAN. English is the main language with each announcement repeated in Spanish. 75 countries were in attendance with UK being the #1 represented nation. 4000 signed-up to the full distance and 2000 for the 70.3. Post race figures showed approx. 30% failed to start at both distances.
You're able to register (collect your race bib, stickers, and wristband) on either the Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and your bike must be racked on the Saturday. You collect your timing chip when racking your bike.
The Race
On race day it was an easily bearable warm sunny 23° with a moderate SSW wind (more on that below!). The start time was a little later than most races I’ve done at this distance, but necessary when taking into account sunrise which at that point in the year is around 08:30. The race must be completed within 15:40.
SWIM
Rough seas powered by the SSW wind forced the organisers to cut the swim short to 950 metres. Absolutely the right call due to safety reasons. Having talked with other athletes this has happened several times before and is a consequence of staging the race in the open sea on the coast. Do I feel cheated for not swimming the full distance(?), no not at all; the short swim was fears and would not have been possible without the volunteer water safety support.
BIKE
It was hard mainly due to the wind! There are 2 laps, with the out-bound leg measuring 50k, and the in-bound 40k. My Strava is HERE. The first 2k from T2 is along narrow tourist streets and understandably you're told to keep the pace slow and not to drop into the aero position. The tourist streets have some fabulous support on route. You’re riding slowly, so avoiding the many manhole covers and uneven surfaces isn’t a problem. I saw at least 2 riders in this short stretch, loose bike / tool bottles that weren’t secured adequately.
The first 36k is surprisingly undulating (this includes the ‘technical’ section), but then you are treated to a nice descent to a flat and fast road for the majority of the remaining 44k of the first lap, to the turnaround point for the start of the second lap. The course is billed as being flat and fast which is true for approx. 60% of the course. The 15mph SSW wind was constantly in your face on both of the outward legs of the 2 laps. That, combined with the technical section left my legs drained. I don’t respond well to hills and the combination of wind and climb took its toll later on the run!
Finally, the bike cut-off time was the thing that caused me so many sleepless nights! I’m not a strong cyclist but coming in successfully in a fraction under 7 hours, I can now put that particular demon to bed.
RUN
A pan-flat and simple out and back x 3 along the coast. Surfaces are a mixture of tarmac and tightly compressed grit. Some unevenness but in the main no problems. The final lap was covered in the dark but the street lights were adequate. Previous triathlons have seen me complete the marathon in around 5 hours but not today! As mentioned above, the combination of wind and unexpected / unwelcome elevation on the bike did take its toll. Can’t say I’m happy about a 5:55 marathon but I’m proud of that given the very high level of fatigue I suffered.
TRANSITION
The race has a single transition which is always welcome. There’s enough to do in a triathlon without having to think about transporting kit to separate places! The transition was large and covered an entire astroturf football pitch - plenty of room. Pre-race you’re issued with 4 different colour coded bags for kit storage, which are hung on clearly labelled hook numbers - idiot proof even for me! A minor inconvenience, is that following the finish, there’s a 1.5k walk from the finish line, to collect your bike and bags from T2. This is unwelcome for obvious reasons! That distance can then be doubled taking into account the onward walk to your hotel. However, you do have the option of leaving your bike and bags in T2 overnight and collecting them the next morning between 08:00-10:00 which is something I elected to do.
Pros
Two formats offered; 70.3 and IRONMAN
International experience
Single transition
Incredible staging and support
Flat run, and flat / undulating bike
Swim takes place in the warm waters of the Mediterranean - who could ask for more!
Cons
A minor inconvenience, mentioned above is the 1.5k walk from the finish line, to collect your bike and bags from T2. However, you do have the option of leaving your bike and bags in T2 overnight and collecting them the next morning between 08:00-10:00 which is something I elected to do.
Verdict
Nothing compares with Barcelona! I’ve competed in IRONMAN Staffordshire 70.3 (2018, race report HERE), and supported at IRONMAN UK twice (2018 and 2019), and have also competed in Nottingham Outlaw (July 2021, race report HERE). These other events are well managed, but don’t come close to the staging and truly international experience offered by IRONMAN Barcelona. Large parts of Calella are turned into an athletes village with many of the hotels, bars and restaurants flying the IRONMAN branded flags. If you want a truly memorable experience this is for you.
Finally, we all owe a massive debt of gratitude and thanks to those who support us and for me I couldn’t have done this without the planning, attention to detail for the travel plans, hotel bookings, and support on race day from my wife Colette. Thanks as well to the club coaches - you know who you are, for your time, advice and guidance over the years on the build-up to Barcelona.
Travel and Accommodation
Travel
Calella is 70k from Barcelona airport and is easily achievable by train. The journey is split into three parts with the first part being an easy 10 minute walk from the terminal (via covered walkways), to the airport train station. Some of the guides mention a shuttle bus is available but there’s really no need to wait around for that. The train journey then begins from the airport terminal on the R2 line, to Sants station in the centre of Barcelona taking just 17 minutes. A platform change is then required (just one level by either elevator or lift). You then take the R1 line to Calella; around 55 minutes. The whole journey costs just €5.50 per person.
It is possible as well to take a pre-booked shuttle bus service from the airport directly to the centre of Calella. However, some people commented that they waited 2 hours for the bus to depart from the airport.
Bike Transport
Again, there are several options. I elected to carry my bike with the suitcases on the flight (round trip bike transport was £90) and train journey. Dismantling and loading the bike into the bike box, then reassembling at Calella needed a quick learning curve! Others had arranged a bike courier who managed the transport of the bike separately from their journey with the bike waiting for them on arrival at Calella. Others dispensed with their own bike, and chose to hire a bike at the destination. There’s no right or wrong way of doing this - just depends on what option works best for you.
Accommodation
There are many choices in the centre of Calella. Due to a favourable deal, we stayed at the Hotel President which is a 15 minute walk from the IRONMAN village (finish line, Expo). The full board option gave plenty of opportunity to continue the carb-loading! Other club member(s) stayed at the Hotel Internacional which is on the sea front and less than a 10 minute walk to the IRONMAN village.