Girona, the land of the triathlon

Girona is a prime triathlon training location. There are few places in the world that provide so many excellent opportunities to train and develop your full potential when it comes to swimming, cycling and running. And the secret lies in its perfect blend of Mediterranean climate, diverse terrain and world-class facilities that make it an unbeatable triathlon destination.

Anyone training in the Girona province is quite likely to cross paths with figures, such as Jan Frodeno, Vincent Luis, Mario Mola, Jelle Geens, David McNamee, Nick Castelein, Taylor Spivey, Laura Siddall and many others, as well as local triathletes, such as Genís Grau and Nan Oliveras.

Five top swimming, cycling and running destinations

Banyoles

Triathletes, welcome to a town for which sport is part of its identity. Lake Banyoles is a scenic wonder where you can get in the water to train in a 500 metre-long channel reserved specifically for swimmers. The Banyoles Swimming Club also has two heated swimming pools, one indoor and one outdoor.

The shores of the lake also make an idyllic place to train for the foot race, with 7 km of completely flat terrain. There are many roads to choose from for the cycling element, but the Rocacorba mountain climb makes for a great workout for your legs, with its 800 m elevation gain over a distance of 14 km.

Banyoles also acts as host to its own fair share of sports competitions, as the site of more than fifty annual events, including various international triathlons, such as the Olympic and sprint distance races of the World Cup.

«There is a network of virtually traffic-free roads around Banyoles, offering a wide range of circuits with different gradient profiles, incredible peaks, such as Rocacorba, unique roads, like those in Mieres and Santa Pau, and the opportunity to get down to the sea.»

—Marcel Zamora, five-time winner of the Ironman France Nice and six-time Embrunman champion

Girona

Girona is a city with a special charm, which has established itself as one of Europe’s leading destinations for sports tourism. Many professional teams have identified Girona as the ideal base for their training camps, offering them access to everything they need: sports facilities, a wide range of tailored accommodation and specialist services.

The GEiEG (Girona Excursionist and Sports Group), for example, is fully equipped to host training camps, with facilities that include an Olympic-size swimming pool, athletics stadium and all kinds of equipment for fitness and recovery activities.

The city also has a special connection with cycling. In fact, it is common to see professional cycling teams preparing for events, such as the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia. Its extensive network of secondary roads that pass through spectacular places on the Costa Brava and the Gavarres massif make it a paradise for mountain biking and trail running.

Lloret de Mar

Lloret de Mar has established itself as a top sports destination on the Costa Brava, with a strong commitment to providing specialist facilities and services for sports professionals and enthusiasts in both team and individual sports disciplines.

Triathletes have access to athletics tracks, fitness rooms, heated Olympic-size swimming pools and much more. And all just a stone’s throw from the beach, where the aptly named ‘Sea Routes’ provide an ideal spot for some open water training, with more than 2.5 km of buoy-marked swimming channels.

Basing yourself in Lloret de Mar provides you with an endless choice of cycling and running routes  that cater for all tastes, combining track and asphalt, flat and very steep sections, and all set against the magnificent backdrop of the Mediterranean landscape.

Roses

The Bay of Roses is one of the most emblematic natural areas on the Costa Brava, with its expansive beaches, small coves and cliffs that make it a mecca for elite and amateur athletes in water sports, triathlon and other sports disciplines.

The municipal Olympic-size swimming pool and clear, shallow waters of the Bay of Roses, complete with an exclusive lane for swimmers, serve as the swimming training grounds for a host of swimming and triathlon clubs.

Cycling is a fantastic way to discover areas of great natural beauty in Empordà, such as Cap de Creus Natural Park, with routes that combine a variety of road, mountain and gravel paths.

When it comes to running, the Camins de Ronda coastal paths that trace the Girona coastline are an absolute must as one of the most authentic experiences the region has to offer.

Platja d’Aro

Platja d’Aro is famous for its active and family-friendly vibe, as a beach and mountain destination which makes for an ideal training base.

Platja d’Aro’s events calendar is packed with sporting events for all audiences, including the highly prestigious TradeInn 140.6 INN International Triathlon that attracts top triathletes from all over the world, as well as extensive amateur participation to compete in the full distance, half distance, and two gravel, half distance and Olympic triathlons that are held over the course of a weekend.

Girona, a wonderful place to train and live

All triathletes fall in love with the Costa Brava. Some decide to return and spend whole seasons here and others even decide to make it their home. That is precisely the case of Jan Frodeno and Emma Snowsill, two international triathlon legends who have settled in Girona and won the respect of the local residents by founding projects, such as the Frodeno Fun(d) association, which promotes active lifestyles and healthy habits among boys and girls under the age of 16, and La Comuna, a cafe that has become a popular hub for the area’s cycling community.

The two triathletes also organise the immensely popular Sgrail 100 trial that includes a gravel section and has quickly become a true triathlon celebration to mark the end of the season in the wake of the long-distance World Championship.