IRONMAN 70.3 Nice

Keep your first 2–3 minutes controlled so you don’t sprint in the chute. Do a quick warm-up in the water (or just outside it) focusing on calm breathing and a steady stroke rhythm, then let faster swimmers find their lanes—aim to be seeded so you’re not punching through slower traffic. In the opening minutes, find clear water, settle into a repeatable cadence, and get your breathing timed before you start working for position.

You’ll cover 1.916 km of ocean swim in 25.6°C water, where the official wetsuit ruling is set on race morning—confirm in the official IRONMAN athlete guide. With the water already warm, focus on technique and efficiency rather than fighting for propulsion; your goal is to exit feeling “charged,” not cooked. Expect typical coastal chop to influence your sighting—keep your head steady and rely on consistent strokes between sights. Fueling during the swim is usually minimal; prioritize getting to T1 calm and ready to execute your bike start.

Use T1 to set up your bike properly: rack cleanly, grab nutrition/bottle access, and get shoes on quickly without rushing. The first 10–20 minutes off the mount should feel like controlled activation—keep power steady, get your cadence smooth, and start drinking early so you’re not “catching up” later. Because the course is hilly/climbing (1158 m gain over 92.2 km), decide your uphill approach before you hit the first major climbs: shorter, steadier efforts rather than big spikes.

You’ll ride 92.2 km with 1158 m of elevation on a hilly/climbing profile, so treat each climb as a pacing problem rather than an all-out effort. With NW wind around 4.1 m/s, you can feel wind impact changing your speed and effort—on exposed sections, hold your plan and resist surging; in calmer moments, use the steadier rhythm to recover slightly. Aim to execute fueling and hydration from the start: 90 g carbs per hour, 1000 mg sodium per hour, and about 800 ml fluid per hour, adjusted to what your stomach tolerates. Keep drinking regularly through the climbs and avoid waiting until you’re thirsty—consistency is what protects your run.

In T2, the goal is to re-start your legs without forcing them. Take a few seconds in transition to settle your breathing, then jog out immediately with shorter steps to avoid overstriding while your quads are still waking up. Because the run is flat/fast (21 km with 32 m elevation gain), your early pace should feel “slightly easier than you think,” so you can build rather than fade.

Run 21 km on a flat/fast profile where the temptation is to sprint early—resist that. With moderate heat and a typical 18.8–26.4°C air range, manage your pace by effort, not just GPS speed, and let the flatter sections allow controlled acceleration rather than chasing splits. You’ll want to keep hydration on board continuously; use the aid stations consistently so you’re not waiting until you’re behind. If you’ve executed bike fueling well (90 g carbs/hr, 1000 mg sodium/hr, ~800 ml fluid/hr), your run should feel sustainable—focus on smooth mechanics and steady breathing rather than power bursts.