Search
shop

Ocean Lava Madeira: Alice Hector reports…

British Long Distance triathlete Alice Hector raced Ocean Lava Madeira on Sunday and came away very impressed with the event. Oh, and she won too...
Chief Correspondent
Last updated -
Get the ultimate guide to destination racing

“The organisers couldn’t be more welcoming and it had a real personal touch”

Great Britain long-distance athlete, Alice Hector (www.alicetri.com) wanted to test out her early season fitness and decided to head to the middle distance Ocean Lava Madeira triathlon, from the rapidly expanding Ocean Lava series of races across Europe.

Lots of boxes ticked, a ‘faff free’ race and an event the organisers “had clearly put their heart and soul into”.


Ocean Lava Madeira Sunday 27th March 2017

“Great. A triathlon in mainland Portugal. I’ll do that.” A quick search for Madeira airport sent me way off to a Portuguese dot in the Atlantic ocean. Geography has never been my strong point.

But, with cheap direct flights from Gatwick, it was a very easy trip to the remote Madeira Island.

Ocean Lava Madeira - Alice Hector

And what a scene to behold upon arrival. Madeira is as green and hilly as Scotland, but warmer, with dramatic coastlines and vast mountainous landscapes that are the very things goosebumps were invented for.

As for the race, I’m a big fan of faff-free. 10 mins drive from the airport. One tick. Race hotel the hub for for the race start, finish and transitions. Two ticks. A training pool five metres from my door. Three ticks. Ocean Lava Madeira can officially come with a Faff-Free Guarantee.

Ocean Lava Madeira - Alice Hector

The race is tough, but certainly not as extreme as it could be! The sea swim is obviously open to the elements of the day’s weather; we had it choppy but I like that: it makes it more fun. It was a multi-lap bike affair which means you can spy regularly on the opposition. Absolutely zero flat, but no ‘heartbreak’ hills either, which are abundant in Madeira. The run was also a challenge: essentially 10*1km hill reps, but that comes with the advantage of making it easy to break down into sections.

Ocean Lava Madeira - Alice Hector

The organisers couldn’t be more welcoming and it had a real personal touch; they had clearly put their heart and soul into the event.

For me, it was a race I wanted to do to let me know of any weaknesses at this early stage in the season. Whilst lacking race ‘sharpness’, I was strong throughout and it proves winter training has done its job. Now it’s time to knuckle down, and tighten the screws on things like nutrition/indulgent treat limitation. With the clues given to me in this race, and breakthrough sessions in winter training, I am really excited about the coming year.

Cost effective Ocean Lava events are now popping up all over the world. Check out http://www.planet.oceanlava.com for more information.

Alice Hector wins Ocean Lava Madeira 2017

John Levison
Written by
John Levison
TRI247's Chief Correspondent, John has been involved in triathlon for well over 30 years, 15 of those writing on these pages, whilst he can also be found commentating for events across the UK.
Discover more
TRI247 podcast p/b Challenge Family episode 2
Go behind the scenes at Challenge Roth with the latest episode of the TRI247 podcast
Cadomotus Chronos triathlon cycling shoes
The triathlon cycling shoe that promises a 10-watt saving: Cadomotus Chronos Aero triathlon cycling shoes review
Challenge Family Roth
Five things you need to know about the Challenge Roth bike course
Challenge St. Pölten 2024 - image credit Jose Luis Hourcade / Challenge Family
Expert swim coach on the three most common swim mistakes age group triathletes make (and how to fix them!)
TRI-FIT VANGUARD tri suit review
The entry-level tri suit with a serious amount of performance for the price point – TRI-FIT VANGUARD review
latest News
Kristian Blummenfelt Kristian Hogenhaug Casper Stornes IRONMAN Frankfurt 2025
Triathlon GOAT Mark Allen sends “great champions” message to red-hot superstar Kristian Blummenfelt
Zachary Josie bike
Age-group athlete with dwarfism says INCREDIBLE goal is “in his grasp” at Challenge Roth
Joe Skipper finished fifth at Challenge Roth 2023
Challenge Roth 2025: Triathlon star Joe Skipper comes back from the brink for another shot at iconic race
ironman hamburg 2025 podium laura philipp kat matthews solveig lovseth beer
Challenge Roth 2025: Laura Philipp backed to make triathlon history by crashing through magical time barrier
Challenge Roth press conference 2025
Challenge Roth 2025: Date, start times, how to watch live and who’s racing
triathlon on your terms
Never miss out with our triathlon alerts & digest. Get a dose of adventure & inspiration with Boundless.
The 247 Group

The home of endurance sports

Share to...