IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia-Mallorca

The Palma Triathlon 70.3 is what happens when a city with Mallorcan sunshine on a cathedral-shadowed course hosts the world's most raced long-distance triathlon. Race morning in Palma starts early. The 1.9km swim sends you into cool saltwater at 17°C — cool enough to want a wetsuit, warm enough to swim without panic. It's long enough that a poor start costs real time, short enough that strong swimmers can build a genuine lead. The 90km bike is the centrepiece: rolling with serious elevation terrain with 606m of climbing that never lets you settle. At 70.3 distance, the bike is where races are won and lost — 90km of rolling road demands constant effort management. The 21.1km run rolls through Palma, adding 90m of climbing to legs already tested by the bike. The undulations are psychological as much as physical — each rise feels larger than it is when you've been racing for four hours. The kind of half-distance race that makes you understand why 70.3 is where triathlon's competitive heart beats loudest.