In addition to its natural beauty, mild weather and unique cultural heritage, Mallorca is the ideal destination to practise sports 365 days a year. Due to its long sporting tradition and excellent infrastructure, the island isn’t short of international competitions either and in 2023 a large number of events will attract visitors throughout the year. Here we take a look at the cycling, triathlon, running, golf and tennis events and activities in Mallorca.
Cycling
With 2,071km of roads and cycling paths, Mallorca has become a bucket list destination for the world’s amateur and professional cyclists alike due to the island’s 16 routes that make up its extensive cycle route map infrastructure.
Mallorca 312 is one of the island’s most important races. Taking place on 29 April, this competition offers athletes a choice of three routes ranging from 167km to 312km. All of them share the same starting and finishing line in Playa de Muro and run through the Unesco world heritage site, Sierra de Tramuntana, along beaches and across natural parks located on the north shores of the island.
Scheduled for 12 November, the UCI Track Champions League Mallorca will be held at the Balearic Islands velodrome in an effort to popularise track cycling, making it more accessible and entertaining.
Taking place each October during the International Masters Cycling Week, the Challenge Vuelta Mallorca Masters has been running for 26 years and gathers over 300 professionals in an adrenaline fuelled race.
Triathlon
The 25th Portocolom Triathlon will be held on 2 April. With several accolades as one of the best sporting events in the Balearic Islands, the race starts in the town of Portocolom and passes through parts of the old town with unbeatable views over the Mediterranean.
Recognised as the best race of the year by the Challenge Family Race Awards in 2022, the Mallorca Peguera Challenge is a fully immersive experience allowing competitors to involve their entourage prior to the competition in a series of fun activities including concerts, gastronomic experiences, Zumba classes and much more. The itinerary is also said to offer the best finish line in the area.
Other triathlons taking place amidst Mallorca’s beautiful landscapes include the Mallorca Long Course Weekend from 20-22 April, Mallorca Olympic Triathlon on 27 May and the Mallorca 140.6 Triathlon on 30 September.
Running
Mallorca offers plenty of competitive races for amateur runners and marathon runners alike, from the Galatzó Trail Mallorca on 12 March, the Spartan Mallorca on 18 March, the Magaluf Half Marathon on 22 April to the Zafiro Palma Marathon on 15 October and the Mallorca 5000 Skyrunning also taking place in October.
Running through the municipality of Calvia, the Galatzó Trail Mallorca is a marathon along the trails of the Serra de Tramuntana, showcasing the island’s outstanding natural beauty at its best. Calvia also plays host to the Magaluf Half Marathon, a race combining coastal landscapes, urban layouts and expanses of countryside.
Golf
With 23 courses, Mallorca is one of Europe’s most diverse and sought after golf destinations. It is therefore no surprise that the island has in recent years experienced a significant increase of international visitors keen to indulge in their favourite sport.
Part of the DP World Tour (European Tour) schedule, the Mallorca Golf Open is a first-class tournament welcoming the world’s most renowned players every October to Son Muntaner Golf Club in Palma. By attracting fans from all over the world, the tournament has contributed to positioning the island as a golf destination to be reckoned with.
Tennis
The brainchild of Mallorca’s famous tennis ace Rafael Nadal, the Rafa Nadal Academy is an international high-performance tennis centre which not only trains young talents from all over the world but also provides them with higher education. The school is the site for the Rafa Nadal Open, a week-long tournament taking place at the end of each summer and featuring some of the best tennis players on the circuit.
The Mallorca Championships, an ATP 250 grass-court tournament, will take place from 25 June to 1 July 2023 at the Mallorca Country Club.
Picture: the Mallorca Peguera Challenge (Credit: Mallorca Tourism Foundation)