Ironman France 2025: Age Group Stats and Qualification Times
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EmailThe second race of the weekend is Ironman France. The Nice course is known for long climbs and matching descents on the bike and a hot, exposed run course. And conditions were hot this year bringing a wetsuit ban to the swim. As is often the case when the weather is hot we have a slow race.
Result Distributions
Every stage of Sunday’s race trended slower than the previous 4 years of racing in Nice. In total it amounts to 20-30 minute slower times on average for the course. Clearly conditions took their toll and athletes had to manage their pacing carefully to sustain in the heat.
DNF Rates
We also achieve some all time high DNF rates at this year’s race. Despite the wetsuit ban the swim DNFs were low, but bike and run DNFs were the highest seen on the course. At least in the last 13 year. Clearly not an easy day out there.
Median Splits
Our median splits reflect the slowness of the race as seen in the distributions. This year is slower at every stage when compared with the previous four years of racing.
Competitor Origins
Most athletes are French, but there’s a good amount of competition from across Europe. French athletes hold the majority of qualification slots at the finish. One factor to consider with qualification in Nice is the climbing and descending on the bike. If you’re not used to this type of descending ground can be lost without much effort.
Performance Changes
We can see a strong uptick in finishing times at this year’s race. While there are other years that are also slow, this year does stand out. When we look at some of the biggest age groups – men in their forties – 2025 looks to be the slowest they’ve had.
Qualification
Based on the start numbers for this year’s race and the slots available in France I’ve calculated the slot allocation and automatic qualification times. Roll down is not factored in. As always the Ironman France stats section allows you to adjust these numbers to see the impact on times.
Age Group Top 20
At this stage our expectations are set and we’re not surprised to see this year’s top twenty times were generally slower than average. In some instances the slowest seen on the course in at least 20 years. At best a few age groups, M18-24 or F30-34 for example, perform close to average for the course.
Conclusion
Nice has never been a fast course compared to some European Ironman races, but this year’s results are particularly slow. Combined with the high DNF rates it appears that race day conditions were challenging and the heat of the day took its toll on competitors.
