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You don't have to go abroad to do an Ironman! The Hexagon hosts six long-distance triathlons organized under this label and spread between the Vendée, the Allier, the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes. Do you want to swim 3.8 km, bike 180 km and run a marathon in our country? A look at the Ironman in France to choose the playground of your future XXL adventure.
The Ironman France Nice
Cradle of European triathlon since 1982, Nice was the first city on the Old Continent to offer an Ironman-labeled race in 2005.
About 3,000 passionate amateurs and professional triathletes compete every June in the heart of the Alpes-Maritimes, on the French Riviera, in an idyllic setting... and in sometimes scorching heat! The climate is in fact one of the major difficulties of this international competition with a thermometer often bordering on 30 degrees, or more.
After a swimming part carried out in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Bay of Angels where the water is close to 25 degrees, the athletes set off on a most arduous cycling course. They must pedal over 180 km, swallowing a total of nearly 2,000 m of positive elevation gain. Fortunately, the route of Ironman France Nice crosses the beautiful hinterland: a breathtaking setting equal to the effort provided. Triathletes find a flat circuit for the running event on the famous promenade des Anglais.
Bref, the Ironman de Nice is a must-do, especially if you've never visited the French Riviera!"
The best time ever achieved in this competition belongs to Britain's Corinne Abraham in the women's race (9:11:39) and Belgium's Frederik Van Lierde in the men's race (8:08:59).
In September, the territory of the Nice Côte d'Azur Metropolis also hosts the Ironman 70.3 Nice, a shortened version of the extreme triathlon.
The Ironman Vichy
Drive to the center of the country to find the second Ironman of France. It is in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in the department of Allier, that the Ironman Vichy has been held since 2011, where some 4,000 participants jostle for the starting line every summer. This is not insignificant: the competition, which caracolates in the top 10 of satisfaction surveys, is very popular with the triathlete community.
The commune is also the only city on the planet to bring together two long-distance triathlons in a single weekend: the Ironman Vichy and the Ironman 70.3 Vichy (since 2015).
In addition, two other events take place:
- the Iron Girl, dedicated to young women over 15 years old;
- the Iron Kids, a run for children ages 5 to 13.
So much to attract triple effort enthusiasts, young and old alike!
A remarkable course awaits athletes: a loop swum in the warm waters of Lake Allier, a formidable bike circuit accumulating more than 2,300 m of positive elevation gain through the Montagne Bourbonnaise and to finish, a relatively flat marathon in the Queen of the Water Cities.
The Ironman Vichy, like the one in Nice, allows the best to be selected for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
The women's record on the Vichy course belongs to German triathlete Diana Riesler, with a victory in 8 h 59 min 48 s during the 2013 edition. On the men's side, it was Britain's Harry Wiltshire who took the record for the event in 2016, completing the 226 km in 8 h 17 min 14 s.
The Ironman 70.3 Les Sables-d'Olonne Vendée
It is on the Atlantic coast that we find the favorite Ironman of athletes in 2019! More specifically in the Pays de la Loire region, in the Vendée, in the city of Les Sables-d'Olonne. If the town is known for hosting the iconic Vendée Globe every four years, it is a completely different competition that takes place in June and July since 2019.
In summer, make way for the Ironman 70.3 Les Sables-d'Olonne! After a swimming event held in the city's canal, cyclists set off to discover the Côte Lumière on a rolling course, with only 600 m of positive elevation gain, before running the remaining 42.195 km to complete the race.
The race will be held in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France
The record for the event, which has seen only two editions so far, is held in the men's race by American Rodolphe Von Berg, the last defending winner (2019). He won the 113-kilometer course in a 3:44:12 triple effort.
The race was won by the American, who was the last winner in 2019
Among the women, it was the French Justine Mathieux who won the best time in Les Sables-d'Olonne the same year, 4 h 17 min 55 s.
The Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence
The latest event organized by the World triathlon corporation (WTC), owner of the Ironman brand, is held in the south of France, where the cicadas sing all summer long. Every June since 2011, the city of Aix-en-Provence has been decked out in the label's colors for a Half Ironman that smells like lavender.
On the program:
- a swimming loop in the lake of Peyrolles;
- a hilly cycling event on the roads of the Pays d'Aix and the Sainte-Victoire mountain, with more than 1,000 m of positive altitude difference;
- a half-marathon run in the city center and the park of the Torso, ending on the Cours Mirabeau.
The Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence and the one in Les Sables-d'Olonne both offer qualifying spots for the Ironman 70.3 Worlds.
When it comes to record times, France's colors shine. In 2016, the French Bertrand Billard emerged triumphant from the event with an impressive time of 3 h 30 min 32 s. An unmatched record to this day! On the women's side, we have to go back to the very first edition to find the current record holder on the Aix-en-Provence course. It was in 2011 that Jeanne Collonge, a French triathlete, came to the end of the 113 km in 4 h 17 min 42 s.
Now check out the list of Ironman events internationally and learn more about the Ironman distance.
