Thanks to this Half-IRONMAN format, it is now possible for the greatest number of triathletes to access the legendary and historic Nice triathlon!
If the triathlon in Nice has been established for more than four decades, making it one of the pioneers in the field in France, the IRONMAN format was invited to the Côte d’Azur in 2005. We will therefore celebrate the year next the 20th anniversary of a label which has only increased the popularity of the event. But the IRONMAN format is not the most accessible of all, as it requires heavy preparation, especially for first-time triathletes and beginners.
In this context, the IRONMAN 70.3 format is much more accessible (it is half the queen distance), since it requires less preparation, and “pulls” a little less on the “beast”. The global statistics also show the success of this format, very popular, and the Nice event was able to seize the opportunity.
In 2018, this format appeared, on a different course from that of the IRONMAN, but just as attractive, particularly by bike (see below), traced in the backcountry.
Photo Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
A year later, the event hosted the World Championships for the distance. An incredible event, in which 6,000 athletes took part around the Promenade des Anglais, and which crowned Lucy Charles (GBR) and Gustav Iden (NOR).
While it was believed that the event was doomed to disappear after these World Championships, the date remained on the calendar, with the IRONMAN 70.3 taking place on Saturday, and the IRONMAN the following day, Sunday. A royal opportunity for the community to meet up, whatever their skills, in one of the cradles of French triathlon! In recent years, the two formats have coexisted on the same day, Sunday, at the cost of a real performance on the part of the organization to seamlessly accommodate the thousands of triathletes present in the two formats!
The course
Swimming (1.9km) – The peloton sets off in Rolling Start from Plage des Ponchettes, on the Quai des Etats-Unis, near the Promenade des Anglais. On the menu, a single loop in a translucent Mediterranean, most often calm and peaceful at the time of departure.
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Bike (90km/1230m D+) – A great game of cranks awaits the competitors in the Nice hinterland and its picturesque villages! The triathletes take the same start of the route as on the IRONMAN, but at Vence, they go north, via the pass of the same name (km 36), which constitutes the main difficulty of the cycling section. They then join Coursegoules, and then take the same last 50 kilometers of the IRONMAN via Bézaudun-les-Alpes, Bouyon, Le Broc, Gatières, to finish on the big one in the heart of the Var plain leading to the city center of Nice and the transition park.
Photo Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Running (21.1km) – The running race takes place at the same location as the walking section of the IRONMAN. Namely on the famous Promenade des Anglais. A long round trip often exposed to the furnace, which sends the runners to the surroundings of the airport, before returning in the opposite direction. a simple route, close to the city center, which promises a beautiful atmosphere, surrounded by onlookers, tourists and your supporters who will see you pass four times!
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Palmares
Signing a victory in Nice is a guarantee of fame for Elite athletes. And even if it’s “only” in the half IRONMAN format. Reading the complete list of winners, we see that the best in the world won, even if the demanding course requires good cycling skills on the passes.
Rudy Von Berg (USA) and Manon Genêt opened the list in 2018; the Norwegian Casper Stornes and the Olympic champion Nicola Spirig won in 2021. Over the past three years, the event was only open to age groups, where French athletes particularly stood out.
