20 Oct 2024

Lakelanders Masters Swimmer Jenny does Fermanagh proud at the Ironman World Championships in Nice

The Vinfast IRONMAN World Championships are a culmination of 40 worldwide IRONMAN events where over 94,000 athletes (20% women) compete for qualifying slots. I was lucky enough to be one of the 1,400 athletes who qualified for the Women’s 2024 event on Sunday 22nd September. This was hosted in Nice for the first time to facilitate dedicated men’s and women’s events, alternating year about with racing in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.  

Nine other athletes travelled from Ireland to take part and, meeting up with them at registration, none of us could really quite believe that we were going to be able to race in a place like this!

The cut off for an IRONMAN triathlon to be wetsuit legal is 23.5°C for age group athletes. The water temperature sat at over 25 degrees during race week and the race looked likely to be swim skins only.  In Ireland, water temperatures rarely exceed the mid-teens and wetsuits are the norm. We weren’t looking forward to a non-wetsuit swim, knowing it would make the swim harder and our times slower. Thankfully cooler and windy conditions moved in and dropped the water temperature to 21.4°C. At 5.15am on race morning, IRONMAN confirmed that wetsuits would be allowed.

 

The race started with 3.8km (2.4 mile) sea swim in la Baie des Anges. From a mass deep water start 25m out from the shore, we followed a double out-and-back rectangular course perpendicular to the coastline and shaped like the letter ‘M’. Conditions were choppier than expected with a good swell, which made sighting challenging and we were glad of the extra buoyancy from our wetsuits. Safety is always paramount and we were surrounded by kayaks, jet skis and rescue boats, and even spotted divers at the furthest points out from the shore!

 

Back at the shore, volunteers formed a human chain to help us out of the water and up a steep cobbled beach to T1. After a quick dry off and change into cycling kit, we headed 10km out along the Promenade des Anglais and the start of a one-loop 180.2km (112 mile) bike, recognised as one of IRONMAN’S most difficult courses with steep climbs (elevation gain 7963 ft/ 2427 m), technical descents with hairpin bends and sheer drops.

Conditions remained cool and windy but the scenery was stunning as we cycled underneath limestone cliffs, through man-made tunnels and alongside mountain meadows. The climbs were tough but manageable, and the final descent was incredibly fast. My new bike, kindly sponsored by Future Renewables from Ballinamallard, certainly helped!

Back at T2, it was time for another change, this time into trainers and out for the marathon, a fairly flat four looped run out to the Airport and back (only 33m/ 107 ft elevation gain.) The crowds of spectators and 2 aid stations provided good support, and the views were amazing as dusk fell and lights sprang up all the way along the coast.

 

The atmosphere was electric as I hit the end of the fourth loop and got to run up the red carpet to the finish and congratulations from Joanne Murphy, the lead commentator, a friend and fellow triathlete from Galway. The race was the hardest Ironman event that I’ve done but an incredible experience and one I will never forget.

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