Ironman France will take place on June 22, 2008, in Nice and the surrounding Niçois hinterland. A record number of 2,500 participants will compete in this long-distance triathlon, facing 3.8km of swimming, 180km of cycling, and 42.195km of running. The event will offer 50 qualifying spots for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. The presentation of the race was held at the Nice City Hall on Thursday in the presence of Yves Cordier, organizer and former high-level triathlete, and Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and also a former triathlete, though of a much more modest level: “I did three Nice triathlons. Each time I finished seven hours after Yves!” This is also what triathlon is about: the combination of professional and amateur or more modest athletes. Yves Cordier also remembers that period: “Twenty years ago, I went to see Christian Estrosi, then Deputy Mayor for Sports, so that I could race under the Niçois colors and represent my city all over the world.”
The Ironman race will start at 6:30 AM on the Nice beach. Athletes must finish within a cut-off time of 16 hours. The best will finish after 8 hours of triathlon, while the last ones will arrive at 10:30 PM, just in time. The finish line will be on the famous Promenade des Anglais, where numerous entertainers and DJs will set a lively atmosphere for the athletes and the 70,000 spectators present throughout the day.
99% of athletes are age-group athletes, and only a small portion are professionals. The athletes range from 19 to 70 years old, with the average participant being 38 years old. Eight percent of the athletes are women. At Ironman France, every athlete finishing an Ironman is celebrated as a hero, regardless of their performance.
The headliners for 2008 will be two-time winner Marcel ZAMORA (ESP, 2006 and 2007) and French pros Hervé FAURE (2005 winner), Julien LOY, Xavier LEFLOCH, and former cyclist Laurent JALABERT, who will attempt the challenge of an Ironman for the first time in his native country. On the women’s side, Erika CSOMOR (HUN) and Alexandra LOUISON (FRA, 2007 champion) will be present. “The arrival of Laurent Jalabert is an event. This is the first time he will compete in an IronMan in France. It will also be an opportunity to create a Tour de France-style atmosphere!” announces Yves Cordier.
Nice became the host city for Ironman France in 2005. With a long historical past with the International Triathlon of Nice, which Ironman France replaced, the city of Nice has always been attached to sports in general, and to triathlon in particular. Christian Estrosi, unusually, thanks Jacques Peyrat: “I salute my predecessor who made it possible to bring this event here.”
After three editions, Ironman France has become one of the largest triathlons in the world, attracting 2,500 athletes from over 50 different countries. After France, with more than one-third of the participants, the most represented nationalities are Great Britain, the United States, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
Ironman France is part of the international Ironman series, sanctioned by the WTC (World Triathlon Corporation). There are 21 Ironmans, each offering qualifying spots for the Ironman World Championship in October in Hawaii.
Ironman France is organized by Triangle France, which belongs to Triangle International, the most international Ironman organizing agency. Today, the Triangle France team, around former pro athlete Yves Cordier, includes 6 permanent members. In the months leading up to the event, this team expands with 8 interns, 60 team leaders, and 1,500 volunteers on race day.
