For most of us, it sounds like a sure way to ruin a perfect day in paradise: start with a strenuous 1.2 mile 
swim, take a not so leisurely bike ride for 56 miles, then run like your life depended on it for 13.1 more miles. And, if you’re lucky, thousands of people will be chasing you.
For those hale and hearty souls with a more rugged disposition, an iron constitution if you will, it sounds exactly like the perfect day in paradise.
It, of course, is the Ironman Los Cabos 70.3, the numerical aspect of which refers to the total amount of miles covered. That total, incidentally, is only half of what is required for a traditional triathlon.
The Ironman (or Ironwoman as the case may be) lifestyle began under the tropic Hawaiian sun in the late 1970s, when a debate started between members of regional swim and running clubs about which sport produced fitter athletes. A U.S. Navy officer threw a monkey wrench into the dispute by noting it was a cyclist who had the highest recorded “oxygen uptake”, and…well, you can see where this is going.
Hawaii birthed the idea and the first race, held in Oahu in 1978. The 50th and final U.S. state remains an important stop for Ironman, hosting the annual world championship in Kailua-Kona. The difference today is that it is just one of many locations around the globe. Over three dozen Ironman triathlons were held in 2018, on six different continents. The 70.3 races have proved even more popular. At last count, there were more than 80 taking place annually (including the one in Los Cabos), although in a break from the 140.6 triathlon tradition, the 70.3 world championship is held in a different international location each year.
When the first Ironman race was run in Los Cabos in 2013, it was as a traditional (140.6 mile) triathlon under the sponsorship of the Ford Motor Company. With that inaugural race in March 2013, Los Cabos became the second location in Mexico–after Cancun–to host the Ironman series, unveiling a rigorous course that included a swim leg in the protected waters off Punta Palmilla, a bicycle leg that featured several back-and-forth trips between cape cities Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, and a full-length marathon that concluded in front of City Hall in San Jose del Cabo.
As the managing director of the Ironman race operations, Steve Meckfessel, noted at the time: “This is truly a spectacular addition to the Ironman circuit. The vitality of Los Cabos’ natural beauty combined with the challenging course that our team has laid out really sets Ironman Los Cabos apart.”
He was right on many counts. The race course was rich in natural beauty and spectacular views, and it proved popular immediately…with both locals and visitors. However, as one might imagine with a race of such epic size and scope, logistics can and have been an issue. Traffic problems accompanied the first few races, but after a seasonal move from spring to autumn, and a slimmed down 70.3 version with a faster, flatter course layout, Ironman finally seems to have hit its stride in Los Cabos.
This year’s Ironman Los Cabos 70.3 is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2018. In addition to pride and $50,000 in prize money, the half-triathlon offers 30 coveted qualifying spots for the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Messenia, Greece.
Registration is still open, but time is running out for those who want to raise their fitness from “very good” to “potential race finisher” or “potential winner” in the grueling Ironman series event.
by Chris Sands
For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Chris Sands is co-founder of CaboVivo, co-writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, Editor at Baja.Ca, and a contributor to Forbes, USA Today and Cabo Living, as well as other websites and publications.
Photo courtesy of Ironman Los Cabos 70.3.
Upcoming Event Calendar
September
Día de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Sep. 16
October
Sammy Hagar Birthday Bashes at Cabo Wabo Cantina – Oct. 9, 11, 13
Los Cabos Billfish Tournament – Oct. 14 – 18
Bisbee’s Los Cabos Offshore Fishing Tournament – Oct. 18 – 21
Bisbee’s Black & Blue Fishing Tournament – Oct. 23 – 27
25th Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally – Oct. 28 – Nov. 10
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
November
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) – Oct. 31 – Nov. 2
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Life Luxe Jazz Experience at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica – Nov. 1 – 4
IRONMAN 70.3 Latin American Tri Club Championship – Nov. 4
Adidas Golf Invitational at Cabo del Sol – Nov. 6 – 11
WON Tuna Jackpot – Nov. 7 – 10
SCORE Baja 1000 – Nov. 14 – 18
Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day) – Nov. 20
Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving) – Nov. 22
December
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Dec. 6, 13, 20, 27
Virgin of Guadalupe Feast Day – Dec. 12
Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) – Dec. 24
Navidad (Christmas) – Dec. 25
Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve) – Dec. 31
January 2019
Día de los Tres Reyes Magos – Jan. 6
Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol – Jan. 14 – 18
February
Día del Amor y la Amistad (Valentine’s Day) – Feb. 14
March
Cabo Collegiate at Querencia – March 3 – 5
Please let me know what you think about this!