Despite the heatwave, the Ironman of Nice "will take place normally" this Sunday, a call for vigilance for the public

In Nice, this Sunday, on the Promenade des Anglais, the thermometer will hover around 40°C. Despite this, 4,800 athletes will be taking part in the Ironman France. This extreme triathlon is a challenge in itself. During a heatwave, it becomes an even more formidable event. It's also a challenge for the 15,000 supporters and all those who will be cheering on the athletes.

In 2019, due to extreme heat and a spike in pollution, the cycling and walking race was shortened by a few dozen kilometers. The goal was to reduce participants' exposure to these conditions and the risks to emergency services. What will happen this year?

"The event will proceed normally," says Yves Cordier, director of Ironman France. "We're not facing the same conditions as in 2019 in terms of temperatures. Above all, there's no air pollution barrier that forced us to revise the format for safety reasons."

"We're used to it."

For Yves Cordier, a former triathlete who has become the conductor of this organization, " We have learned to cope with these high temperatures that are becoming recurrent . We always organize our events in summer and inland, it is often even hotter than on the coast. And then this year, the heat has been there for several days already, there is no surprise effect. But it remains a warning that we do not minimize. The climatic aspect is an essential parameter for all our events."

Hydrate and refresh yourself at the many refreshment points

At the Ironman refreshment points, athletes will have everything they need to refresh, cool down and hydrate. "For the bike, we have eight refreshment points, one every 20km , which corresponds on average to 40 minutes of racing. At each point, there are more than 2 liters of drinks per runner: 1.5 liters of water supplemented by electrolytes, drinks rich in mineral salts that help to withstand high temperatures. There is also ice at each refreshment point to cool the bodies and showers on the run. Here, we have refreshment points every 1.8km , which corresponds to between 7 and 12 minutes of racing. Finally, as for the swimming event, usually the athletes go into the water in wetsuits. Tomorrow this will not be the case, the water is at 26°C, this will allow the bodies to cool down for half an hour, three quarters of an hour."

"That's pretty much the system we have for each event," says Yves Cordier. "We're also able to deal with weather events like rain, cold, etc. In addition to all that, there's also medical support."

Call for public vigilance

Regarding the public, expected in large numbers along the route of this sporting spectacle, "vigilance must be exercised," the organization urges. Spectators will have to deal with the crowds and the intense heat: "Remember to take a cap, put on sunscreen and look for shady spots. And above all, remember to drink to hydrate yourself without waiting until you are thirsty. In case of extreme heat, you must drink regularly."