Eneko Llanos and Lanzarote – a Relationship that Goes Beyond Sport. The triathlete sees the island as the perfect place to train and visit family
Eneko Llanos Burguera was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz on 30th November 1976. He has practiced many and varied sports ever since he was a child. His first contact with triathlon was thanks to his brother Héctor, who he accompanied and cheered on in his competitions. At the end of 1992, Eneko participated in his first duathlon. In 1993 he competed in the Basque circuit in both duathlon and triathlon.
I started thanks to my brother Héctor
The first important results came around 1995. He won the Spanish Triathlon Championship in the Junior category, and as an elite athlete he participated in several World Cups. From that year onwards he dedicated himself professionally to triathlon, participating in European and World Cups, and European and World Championships, over the Olympic distance.
After some good results, I also started to compete at international level with the Spanish National Team, in the European championships and world championships
At that time his main objective was to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and thanks to finishing in the top ten in several World Cups and good regular competition results, he achieved the position in the ranking he needed to access that much-desired Olympic place. In 2004 he obtained good results at the beginning of the year and this put him in a good position to obtain a place on the team for the Olympic Games in Athens.
His beginnings in Ironman were not very promising, but little by little he got the measure of this distance and nowadays he one of the Spaniards with most IRONMAN competitions under his belt, and with several important victories.
He has won the Lanzarote race twice, in 2007 and 2010, both dates being very well engraved in his memory. He has also given great performances in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, with a second place in his list of wins.
I got that victory in the Ironman Lanzarote which was undoubtedly a very special moment in my sporting career and on a personal level
Eneko got to know Lanzarote during his first training camps with the Spanish National Team and was already impressed by the magnificent conditions it offers as a sports destination. The fact that his wife Ruth Brito is from Lanzarote has also contributed to the fact that the Volcano Island has become one of his favourite places to train and to enjoy himself.
My connection to the island has always been very strong, and I’m always looking for those ideal training conditions that we have found here in Lanzarote
