Some of the big sporting events in Lanzarote during 2010 have been announced and are already attracting entries from competitors.

One of the first competitive events of 2010 will be the 14th International Duathlon, a race combining cycling with running, which takes place on Saturday 23rd January. This is similar to a triathlon but without the swim element which is replaced by a second running leg. Club La Santa is the base for the event which starts with a 5 km run over a 2 lap course, before the athletes jump onto their bikes for a 20km route which passes through Caleta de Caballo, Soo and past the surfing beaches at Famara. There are some substantial prizes on offer but don't set your expectations too high until you check out the quality of the field which is bound to be high.

Mountain biking takes centre stage during late January when various training camps are organised and a 2 day mountain bike race is held on the 30th and 31st January. This should be a spectacular way for sportsmen and women to see some of the more remote parts of northern Lanzarote, which sees tracks criss-cross the lava fields and sandy inland areas of the island. The first day's route is one of 30km which should be a challenge in itself, but is merely a warm up for Sunday's 60km race.

The Lanzarote Ironman Triathlon is the jewel in the island's sporting calendar and with the 2010 event taking place on 22nd May, many of the events in the first half of the year act as preparation and training camps for the big day. A warm up event, called the Volcano Triathlon, has a tradition that dates back even further than the main Ironman event. This year will see the 26th Volcano Triathlon taking place on 1st May.

Athletes can take advantage of the flythomascook.com winter flights schedule to travel to Lanzarote from various UK airports.