This weekend, the Toyota Land Cruiser Challenge Israman will once again commence in Eilat, offering nearly 2,000 triathletes one of the most challenging race courses in the world. The Israeli event will be held for the 27th time and, for the third consecutive year, as part of the global Challenge Family series.

In the men’s race, the clear favourite is Germany’s Marcel Bolbat, winner of the past two editions. Last year, Bolbat set a course record of 4:13:41, and following a successful season that included victory at Challenge Gdańsk, he will be aiming for another win – and possibly another record-breaking performance.

Expected to challenge him head-to-head is last year’s runner-up and former course record holder, Israeli triathlete Itamar Eshed, who arrives in strong form. Former Israeli Olympic-distance champion Shachar Agur will make his middle-distance debut and could also be a factor in the fight for victory. They will be joined by young Israeli national team members Yoav Meliar and Eyal Weinstein.

The women’s race is set to feature an all-Israeli showdown. Israeli middle-distance champion Hadas Mazar will be challenged by former Israman podium finishers Inbar Zahavi and Hadar Shahar.

During the weekend, a long-distance race will also take place, and attention will focus on what is expected to be the “last dance” of one of Israel’s greatest triathletes of all time, Dan Alterman. The defending champion will be aiming for a sixth Israman victory in what is planned as his farewell appearance on the course he knows so well.

Approximately 2,000 athletes are expected to descend on Israel’s southern resort city to compete in both the middle-distance and long-distance races, starting with a 1.9km or 3.8km swim in the Red Sea. The bike leg of 90 km or 180 km starts with the Netafim climb, a 10 km ascent with 650 m of elevation gain and gradients reaching 13%, followed by rolling terrain through the Eilat Mountains, often affected by strong winds. The cycling section ends at the top of Netafim before athletes move onto the run, which begins with a steep downhill section for approximately 10 km, then continues along Eilat’s coastline and finishes with either a 21.1km or 42.2km run in the city’s main tourist area.