Unofficial Ironman challenge goes ahead after Nice race cancelled
Hundreds of triathletes took on the Ironman Nice course independently after the official race was cancelled because of the heatwave.
Hundreds of amateur triathletes completed all or part of the Ironman Nice and Ironman 70.3 course on Sunday morning despite the official events being cancelled due to an orange heatwave alert.
Listen to this article
The races were called off on Friday over safety concerns, but from around 6.15am small groups of athletes gathered on the Promenade des Anglais for an unofficial start.
Without timing systems, aid stations or race organisers, participants chose to tackle the course independently.
Many competitors had travelled long distances, with some arriving from Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Hawaii and the United States.
Having spent months training and incurred significant travel and accommodation costs, many said they did not want to leave Nice without attempting the challenge.
The atmosphere was informal, with friends and family providing support and helping athletes between the swim, cycle and run.
While some opted to complete the full Ironman distance, others decided to shorten their efforts in light of the extreme temperatures.
Although there were no medals or official results, participants described the day as a personal achievement, turning the disappointment of cancellation into an opportunity to complete the challenge on their own terms.