Ironman France Nice 70.3

The course: swimming, cycling, and running Swimming — 1.9 km in the Mediterranean Sea The race starts at Plage des Ponchettes, in the Baie des Anges. An open-water swim with no strong currents but a risk of swells depending on September weather—a chance to test your wetsuit before the big day. Bike — 90 km, the section that makes the course famous This is the most demanding part of the race. The course climbs almost continuously from the coast to the foothills of the Alps, with a cumulative elevation gain of approximately 1,190 m, concentrated almost entirely in the first half of the course: Col de Vence: the climb begins around km 26.6 and stretches for 9.7 km at an average gradient of 6.6%, with sections nearing 10% and a peak of over 12%. Once past Coursegoules (km 44), the terrain flattens out almost completely: less than 90 m of elevation gain over the remaining 46 km. Then comes a technical 11-km descent that takes the athletes back toward Nice starting around km 64. A course that rewards strong climbers as much as skilled downhill runners. Running — 21.1 km, flat, on the Promenade des Anglais Two laps on the Promenade des Anglais: a flat, fast course, but where the September heat in Nice (often above 25°C) becomes the real challenge after the exertion of the bike leg. September 12: women’s race; September 13: men’s race.