We’re just about getting our breath back here at Sands Beach Resort after the phenomenal success of the Lanzarote International Marathon weekend which saw Costa Teguise thronging with visitors, athletes, spectators and more than a few unsuspecting bystanders!

Lanzarote kindly provided us with her usual temperate winter climate of sunny intervals in a balmy 19ºC with a breezy accompaniment – ideal conditions for everyone who was working up a sweat running or helping with the event. In all, some 2000 people were on hand, most of them around the finishing line, to witness the day and help to make it such a huge success.

At the centre of the activity were the athletes themselves, almost 650 in all, many of whom had travelled from great distances to be with us, including the winner in the women’s full marathon, Pilar Mahamud, who came from running in the New York marathon and is heading to Alicante next. Most chose to run in the half and quarter marathon distances with some 250 runners in each, while the full marathon attracted around 100 runners.

Amongst those competing were some 14 reduced mobility athletes, some of them International success names such as our own Rafael Botello (above), Denis Lemeunier who recently achieved a third place result in New York, and Claude Issorat the Olympic and Paraolympic Champion. Special applause goes to our Sands Beach Resort runner José Carlos Hernández, Canary Islands Marathon record holder, who clocked up first place in the quarter distance. Well done, José!

Sands Beach Resort would like to extend a HUGE gracias to the 150 volunteers who helped to ensure everything ran smoothly; to the Costa Teguise Triathlon Club for their invaluable support and above all to the Sands Beach CB Grubati Basketball Club – it’s fair to say we simply could not have done it without all you guys We also owe a debt of gratitude to the Civil Protection and to our neighbours, the residents of Costa Teguise for their support and help on the day.

Thanks also go to James Mitchell for his own marathon session in capturing the day in such wonderful images and don’t forget, you can purchase high resolution pictures of the day from James for the paltry sum of €5 each and all proceeds will go to support TriWWW who work so tirelessly to ensure the field for all athletes will always be a level one.

To all our winners and runners-up, many congratulations, and to everyone who participated  – well done and thank you for making the Lanzarote International Marathon 2011 such a success. You are all superstars in our book

Winners and Runners-Up in the Lanzarote International Marathon 2011

Full Marathon Distance:
Women – 1st place Pilar Mahamud (above) (03:14:30); 2nd place Minna Syvälä of Finland (03:17:27); 3rd place Heli Lehtinen of Finland 03:30:47
Men – 1st place Marcos Diehl of Germany (top photo) (02:37:40); 2nd place Haj Atef of Finland (02:49:14); 3rd place John Nagelhout of Northern Ireland (02:54:51)

Half Marathon Distance:
Women –  1st place Aroa Merino of Lanzarote (01:20:50); 2nd place Maja Stage of Denmark (01:24:09); 3rd place Christina Hedegaard of Denmark (01:26:39)
Men – 1st place Miguel Vaquero Agauna of Spain (above left) (01:08:48); 2nd place Victor del Corral of Spain (above right) (professional triathlete) (01:13:19); 3rd place Thomas Trampedach of Denmark (01:16:31)

Quarter Marathon Distance
Women – 1st place Tamara Sanfabio of Spain (current Spain marathon record holder) (00:39:02); Lisbeth Pedersen of Norway (00:40:48); Summer Ibrahim of Spain (00:41:21)
Men – 1st place José Carlos Hernández of Lanzarote (00:32:57); 2nd place Francisco José García viñoly (00:33:52); 3rd place Javier García Gómez (00:35:56)

Wheelchair Marathon:
1st place Denis Lemeunier of  France (above); 2nd place Simon Lawson of Great Britain; 3rd place Claude Issorat of France

Hi resolution digital copies of the photos from the Lanzarote Marathon can be purchased for 5€. All proceeds will go to the TriWWW. Please contact James Mitchell. Payments only by Paypal or transfer.

Copias digitales de alta resolución de las fotos del Maratón de Lanzarote se pueden comprar por 5 €. Todos los ingresos irán a la TriWWW. Por favor, póngase en contacto con James Mitchell. Los pagos sólo a través de Paypal o transferencia.

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Anyone who plans to be in Lanzarote in the first week of December may find more than just sun in those brilliant blue skies as the participants in the Canaries XV Delta Wing Open gliding competition take to the skies in the hopes of soaring to success.

Sands Beach Resort are proud to be amongst the sponsors of this year’s competition final which will see pilots hanging in their cradles beneath their gliders like static-winged butterflies floating across Lanzarote’s extraordinary landscape. Each pilot will be competing to pick up a trophy and title in the Canaries Open and the Canary Islands Champion 2011 competitions which are being held in parallel over the 4th to the 10th December 2011.

Delta Wing gliders are so called after the shape of the wings which mirrors the Greek letter ‘delta’. Pilots are suspended beneath the hang glider in a cradle supported by an aluminium frame and usually they adopt a prone position to ride the updraughts and steer by pendulum movements which shift the centre of gravity.

Flying High in Lanzarote
Located within a sub-tropical high pressure belt and experiencing near-constant trade winds, Lanzarote is an ideal island for the use of hang gliders. Throw into the mix its semi-desert lack of rainfall which averages little over 200mm annually and a topography that means there are take off points on the island for just about any wind direction and you’ve got the perfect conditions for competition flying.

Access to taking off points is easy, take off will be on foot and the island is small enough that if your wind direction changes you can locate a fresh head wind within 20 minutes. All of which adds up to the prospect of an exciting competition for both pilots and spectators.

Entry to the XV Canaries Open
The International Canaries Open 2011 Championship is open to all pilots with the appropriate rating and federal license in force and you can register online here. The registration fee is 30 € for Canaries pilots and 60 € for everyone else. Trophies will be awarded to the winner of the Canarian category who will be awarded Canarian Champion 2011 and to 2nd and 3rd placed Canarios; to the winner and 2nd and 3rd places in the International category and to team/club, sport and female categories.

At registry pilots must provide:

• Sporting License.
• FAI sporting license
• At least 1 GPS, 3D GPS recommended for flight verification (also recommended a backup GPS) for registration.
• Pilot, team leader (if any) and driver mobile telephone numbers. Any other contact numbers available
• Receipt for payment of entry fees

Closing date for registration is 18.00 on the 3rd December 2011.

Entries and pilot briefings will be held at Sands Beach Resort on December 3rd at 14.00 and 15.00 respectively.

On Saturday the 5th of November, four hard men of the ring went head to head at the Annual Fight Night held in Dave Payne’s gym in Playa Bastian Costa Teguise not far from Sands Beach Resort.

Annual Fight Night featured a programme consisting of two thrilling battles. There was nothing to separate Bob Hoskins and David Timmo in the first whilst Brian Timmo Junior took the honours against Mark Preston in the second bout.

Although Annual Fight Night offers a hit for boxing fans on holiday or living in Lanzarote, one of the most interesting things about it is the gym where it’s held, or more accurately its inspirational owner, boxer Dave Payne.

At 71 he’s still a rock of a man and known and respected, apart from his boxing skills, for the work he does teaching young people on the island discipline and a code of conduct using boxing and training at his gym as tools.

Last year Dave was the subject of a mesmerising short film by the immensely talented photographer  and film-maker John Hicks. The Hardest Fight is just over three minutes long yet packs a punch as hard as one of Dave Payne’s bare knucklers.

Anyone from 14 years and up is welcome to train at Dave’s gym, whether professional or beginner, English or Spanish speaker. He’s open from 9am to 7pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 11am to 1pm on Saturdays.

If you want to find out more about the gym or this charismatic ‘film star’ boxer, call Dave on +34 639 987 629  or send an email to davepaynegym@hotmail.co.uk

Annual Fight Night Photos by James Mitchell

What are Sundays for? Washing the car, long lunches with the family, lazy afternoons on the beach? Not if you’re thinking of running in the Lanzarote International Marathon 2011 they’re not, they’re for getting into your stride with the Sands Beach Resort ‘Train With Us’ club.

Every Sunday morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm, the Train With Us team take visitors and residents through the techniques of running, including proper stretching and warm up routines, both in the gym and at the beach in Costa Teguise.

Presented by Canarian running champ Jose Carlos Hernandez and Sands Beach Resort’s Wellness Centre resident sports physiotherapist Juan Montero, the sessions are aimed at all ages and all abilities and are free to join. Although in Spanish, many of the instructions are decidedly visual in nature which, along with no shortage of helpful unofficial translators, ensures that everyone is able to understand and participate on an equal footing (no pun intended).

Aside from helping you to develop more efficient running styles and prevent injury, the sessions are great fun and a good way to ensure that when you take your place at the start line for any of the races lined up for the Lanzarote International Marathon on Sunday 4th December, you’ll see lots of familiar and friendly faces on the line next to you.

So tomorrow, leave the car wash sponge under the sink, defer the beach until the afternoon and head along to Sands Beach Resort to join the enthusiastic ‘Train With Us’ gang for some professional advice on your running techniques. Everyone’s welcome

You’ll find lots more of photographer James Mitchell‘s images of the Train With Us club here.

This weekend the Lanzarote resort of Puerto del Carmen will be alive with the sound of music as athletes and entertainers join forces to raise funds for some favourite causes in the access-for-all Music Marathon Festival 2011 on Saturday 22nd October.

Organised by Kenneth Gasque – Race Director of Ironman Lanzarote and the man behind the Ocean Lava Triathlon and the Wine Run – and his team of professionals, music provides the inspiration to competitors and spectators alike and connects us all, regardless of our age, background and abilities.

Very much an inclusive event, everyone is invited to attend, either as a competitor, a volunteer or a spectator. Over the course of half, quarter and eighth marathon distances for adults and mile or half mile for children, you can run, jog, walk, Rollerblade or race in a wheelchair and the music will be there to accompany you and to spur you on to the finish line.

Beginning and ending in front of the Los Cocoteros Apartments, Avenida de Las Playas in Puerto Del Carmen will be converted into one big street party from 3pm with music provided throughout the afternoon and evening by local punk kids The Nauty Boyz; Country, folk, rock dynamic duo The Mick James Band; 60s songster Andy Reynolds; pop,Country, folk duo Charlie and Nolita from Joy Council; Derek and Pedro with Jake on drums; kid rockers The Tareaways; Gail O’Donovan; Los Rubaroos and Soul Diva Project.

When the races have been run and the awards have been presented, it’s time to celebrate the achievements of everyone who took part in the Finish Line Festival where a medley of bands keep athletes, spectators, volunteers, organisers and the whole resort celebrating life through music, food and the company of good friends.

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make time for the Music Marathon Festival.

Photos from official Music Marathon Festival website

Here at Sands Beach Resort we’re pulling out all the stops in readiness for the biggest marathon event of the year – the 2011 Lanzarote International Marathon which this year is being organized jointly by ourselves and Club La Santa.

Registration for the event is now open and you can find all the race details and an entry form on the official Lanzarote International Marathon website.

The event will be held over a weekend of race events and family fun for athletes, supporters and anyone on holiday in Costa Teguise on 2nd, 3rd and 4th December 2011.

The main event of the weekend will be the full marathon of 42.195km which will be held on Sunday 4th December with an athletes meet time of 8.15am and a start time of 9am. Half and quarter marathon distances of 21.100km and 10.550km respectively will be held concurrently.

The timing and sub-division of race distances present an ideal opportunity for athletes of all levels to either compete at their distance or to use the day as a real time training exercise and the inclusion of wheelchair user categories means that the event is open to all athletes. The temperature promises to be around the 18ºC (60ºF) mark which will be ideal for an event of this nature and the course takes runners along the picturesque Costa Teguise sea front where crowds of spectators are expected to add race day excitement and encouragement to push adrenalin levels further.

The course begins outside Sands Beach Resort on Avenida Islas Canarias and continues to Avenida del Jabillo where it turns down towards the marina. From there it joins the promenade to take runners alongside the beautiful sea front of the Jabillo, Bastián and Ancla beaches, all the way to La Caleta before looping back on itself and returning to Sands Beach. Four laps of the course will constitute the full marathon distance; two laps will be the half distance and a single lap completes the quarter marathon.

Entry fees for the marathon are 25 euros for the full distance, 20 euros for half and 15 euros for quarter and there are cash prizes of 100 euros to 500 euros for placed finishers in each category.

On Saturday 3rd December the youngest athletes of the family are invited to get in some real time training with a 1km race beginning at 6pm on the promenade at Pueblo Marinero. Entrance is free and it promises to be a fun event for all the family.

Sands Beach Resort and Club La Santa are offering special accommodation packages for athletes which means that the whole family can combine a holiday in this beautiful part of Lanzarote with competing and supporting the event.

We’re very much looking forward to seeing you for what promises to be a wonderful weekend of sport and fun

Photos by James Mitchell Photography

Nobody thought it was going to be easy, but the Lanzarote weather made life just that little bit harder for the participants in the Ocean Lava Race 2011.

A combination of blisteringly hot temperatures, an unforgiving sun, wind and lively seas made what is normally one hell of a challenge a real killer that tested athletes’ stamina and fitness levels to their limits.

In the men’s field it looked as though it might be a two horse race but in the end Sebastian Kienle took first place without a serious challenge at a time of 4:14:40 with the real battle taking place for second and third positions with Thomas Hellriegel (4:21:34) finishing two seconds ahead of David Rodriquez Rodriquez (4:21:36).

A bit of controversy in the women’s race saw victory go to Michelle Vesterby with a time of 4:52:02, whilst her most serious challenger, Tamsin Lewis found herself relegated to third place after a disputed penalty resulted in a time of 4:58:41. Second spot went to Eva Ledesma Calvet with a race time of 4:57:30.

Telde Actualidad took the honours in the teams race with a time of 5:25:10 whilst Sands Beach Resorts’ favourite photographer (who supplied these great images) and team ‘James Mitchell Photographer’ finished a respectable eighth with a race time of 6:12:25

Sands Beach Resort would like to take this opportunity to say congratulations to everyone who took part in the thrilling and gruelling Ocean Lava Race. We’re already looking forward to next year’s challenge.

It was a decisive victory for Gran Canaria 2014 at the weekend as they beat CB Granada 77 to 61 in the final of the Sands Beach Resort International Basketball Tournament at the Pabellon de Teguise stadium.

750 people turned out to watch the final as coach Pedro Martínez watched his side, including NBA player Rasual Butler, put in a convincing, crowd-pleasing performance. Gran Canaria 2014 started the tournament in good form on Friday night, beating Caja Laboral 67 – 65. Saturday saw CB Granada dominate Caja Laboral with a 78 – 67 scoreline, setting up Sunday’s final to be a mouth-watering prospect.

If you weren’t lucky enough to be in the crowd over the weekend, professional sports photographer James Mitchell has captured the action for us, and you can get a grandstand view on the Sands Beach Resort Flickr photostream.

Photo by James Mitchell Photography.

The Asociación de Clubs Baloncesto (ACB) is the Spanish basketball equivalent of La Liga and is considered to be one of the best and most elite basketball leagues in Europe. This weekend (16th, 17th and 18th September), sponsored by Sands Beach Resort, the ACB is coming to Teguise.

Playing in this exciting weekend of top, men’s professional basketball will be Caja Laboral – currently lying fourth in the ACB, Gran Canaria 2014 – currently holding fifth position and CB Granada who are currently propping up the league at position 17th out of 18 teams.

The action tips off tonight (Friday 16th) at 8pm and again on Saturday 17th at 8pm and then on Sunday at 11.30am. It’s all free so slam dunk down to the Pabellon de Teguise stadium and treat yourself to some world class basketball – courtesy of Sands Beach Resort.