Over the last few years, several club members have been to Lanzarote either
as guests at Club La Santa or for this event in December and come back
with glowing reports of the events and Lanzarote as a place for a bit of
winter sun. So this year several of us informally organised a trip to run or
support the event. By word of mouth the group grew to 16 club runners, ex
Pegs and family and eleven of us entered online one of the three races on
Saturday 2 Dec 2023. We all made separate arrangements for flights and
accomodation either self catering apartments, airbnb or a package flight &
hotel in Costa Teguise where the race headquarters and the marathon
started and finished. We ended up within a mile of each other with several of
us in the same hotel, The Grand Teguise Playa. We all had arrived by the
Thursday before the race and the fun started. Just to give you an idea of
what we got up to during the week, I’ll outline each day.
Thursday: 10:30 flight out of Bristol, it was freezing on top of the hill as we
caught the airport shuttle to the departure terminal. Thankfully no hold ups
on the road into the airport. Some of us caught the National Express bus
from Cardiff to the airport. Graham and Sarah had arrived a couple of days
earlier and already organised a dune buggy trip and a motorcycle tour the
next day. An hours delay on our flight because of a delay in boarding
passengers and so the plane had to be de-iced again. In the evening we all
met up in our hotel and had a few drinks ( early training for the week ahead).
Friday: Early morning run along the front from our hotel led by Paul who
knew his way around Costa Teguise followed by a walk to the Expo to pick
up numbers and goody bags. Lots of merchandise and a chance to see the
set up and lots of other Cardiff club runners. In the evening Ben and Em
organised a pasta/pizza party at La Otra and we managed to restrain
ourselves from too much alcohol.
Saturday: Race Day. Graham was first away at 8:00 for the marathon starting
from The Sands Resort in Costa Teguise out to Puerto Del Carmen and back
X 2. I hate double lappers so hats off to Graham for doing this one. It was
cool with a few showers up to midday but the temperature was still up in the
twenties at the end and the return legs to Costa Teguise were into a head
wind. Whilst the route was not what we would call hilly, it was by no means
flat with a couple of sustained climbs in it. Well done Graham. Six of us did
the half marathon starting at Puerto Del Carmen and four of us did the 10K
starting from just outside Arrecife. All three races used the same course and
with half starting at 10:30 and the 10K at 12 noon we could support the
marathon/half marathons as they went through the start points. The race
organisers bussed the half marathon and 10K runners out to their starts 2 hrs
before and while we could support the other races, there was a lot of
hanging around – fortunately there were adequate toilets and bag drops at
each start. If we go back, it would be better to organise a taxi to the starts,
cheaper and less hanging around. We all completed the race, with Elaine 2nd
in her class in the half and debutante Jennie 3rd in class in the 10K. The
Expo was absolutely crammed afterwards with queues for free beer, but also
masses of free food, fruit and coke, etc, etc. Nice medal, great technical T
shirt and all in all a well organised event, lots of water and first aid stations
en-route. Could have done with a few more marshals, particularly when we
ran back into Costa Teguise when we did lots of turns through the streets.
The afterparty was at The Black Bull where Ben and Em had organised a
separate room for us and we all celebrated in our Lanzarote Pegasus Tour t
shirts. The party then kicked on to Decades Bar where there was a live group
and dancing until the early hours apart from a few lightweights who had to
retire early!
Sunday: A nice refreshing swim in the bay outside our hotel and in the pool
followed by a recovery run in the late afternoon. A few drinks somewhere
( my memory gets a bit hazy from now on) and an earlier night.
Monday: Sally and I went scuba diving in Puerto Del Carmen, with Phil and
Jenny on shorewatch. For an experienced diver some great sites underwater
with lots of fish, (barracuda, rays, grouper, cuttlefish, sea bass and octopii -it
is in a marine reserve). Sally did a trydive down to 5M with a Manta Diving
instructor for the first time and I take my other hat off to her for sheer
determination to overcome her dislike of getting her head underwater and to
the persistence of her instructor in persuading her to do it. Eventually she
disappeared underwater for 35 minutes and had a lovely time!! Evening more
drinking (I think) at The Hook cocktail Bar.
Tuesday: Volcano walk/run. Sally and Paul ran/walked up the Tinaguache
volcano ( one of 322 volcanoes in Lanzarote – most of them dormant) from
Costa Teguise. Jennie, Phil, Kevin and I walked it. The circular route along an
exposed ridge was over 9K on unforgiving terrain but with spectacular views
out over the sea and inland from the ridge. In the evening we went for a
gluten free pizza at La Familia and then a drink or two at The Black Bull.
Wednesday: The week has caught up with us, a few sore throats and snivels
about, but lots of running for RU2C, swimming and walking and a few quiet
drinks in the hotel.
Thursday: Packing and an uneventful trip home for most of us after morning
runs and walks but a 12 degree C temperature drop when we got back
Would I recommend another club trip here. Yes, lots to do besides running,
we barely touched the rest of the island or the other activities. We had a few
showers on a couple of days and there was a bit of cloud in the mornings,
but a lot of sunshine and it was warm when it came out. There is a range of
accommodation in Costa Teguise, plenty of good restaurants, bars and
nightclubs, not expensive to drink or eat out. We spent 20€ a head eating a
drinking out most nights. Lots of flight options from Cardiff and Bristol. There
were 2,800 runners for the 3 distances, a lot from the UK and the race
organisation was to a high standard. My thanks to Graham, Sarah, our tour
guides Paul and Julia, Ben and Em, Elaine and Garry, Kev and Ang, Sally and
Phil and Jennie for a great week. Sorry Phil and Clare could not make it.
Next year?