With the Olympic Games taking centre stage, it’s easy to forget about all the other exciting sports events coming up. From cycling tours to marathons, here is a list of our five most anticipated upcoming sports events in 2016:
Olympic Games – 5 to 21 August
Unless you’ve literally been living under a rock (or a remote village in the Amazon), you’ve probably heard about the Olympic Games. The leading international sporting event unites thousands of athletes from around the world to participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are held every four years, and features summer and winter games. This year’s games will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. If it is anything like the World Cup in 2014, sports lovers are in for a treat. Famous athletes like Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, and Bradley Wiggins will all be taking part.
Cycling Vuelta a Espana – 20 August to 11 September
The 2016 Vuelta a Espana is a three-week cycling Grand Tour in Spain. The race is made up of 21 stages, and will cover a total distance of 3,277.3 kilometres. It will start off in Galicia in the north-west of Spain, then move into the mountains of the Asturias region, and eventually into Aubisque. The final week will head through the south east regions Valencia and Alicante, before the traditional sprint finish in Madrid. The challenging race will include 10 summit finishes – one more than last year’s edition.
Paralympics – 7 to 18 September
The Paralympics is a major international sports event for athletes with disabilities. The game consists of 23 sports, including swimming, archery, athletics, and wheelchair rugby. The games are split up into 528 events and will be held over the course of 11 days. The Paralympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – making them the first Summer Paralympics to be held during the host city's wintertime. The paralympics is one of the world’s most anticipated upcoming sports events.
Road World Cycling Championships – 9 to 16 October
The 2016 UCI World Championships is set to take place in Doha, Qatar – making it the first time Qatar and The Middle East will host the championships. The event consists of a road race, a team time trial, an individual time trial for elite men and women, as well as junior members. Unlike previous editions, the route features no climbs whatsoever. However, the searing temperatures and strong winds won’t make it any easier. The race will host around 1000 racers from 75 countries, as well as about 30 000 spectators.
Palma de Mallorca Marathon – 16 October
The Palma de Mallorca Marathon is a new international marathon that replaces the TUI marathon after eleven successful editions. It is an accredited-distance marathon by the Spanish Athletics Federation. With great weather and beautiful surroundings, this is one of the best races in Spain. The race consists of a marathon, half marathon, 10 km, and kids run. The course runs along the promenade of Palma Bay, opposite the Cathedral and through the historic downtown. There is still time to register for the Palma de Mallorca Marathon, and it’s not something you have to qualify for, unlike most of the upcoming sports events mentioned above.
Being a spectator at one of the listed upcoming sports events would be great, but if you’re considering taking part in the Palma de Mallorca Marathon and need some comfortable and affordable accommodation, contact us. We have a stunning range of Mallorca Hotels in convenient locations, perfect for active travellers.
