Nice, beyond the finishing line

The sunrise in Nice lit up the many people still revelling in the last of the summer nights. Laughter from bystanders and athletes proceeding to the boxes filled the air, along with that of family and friends taking position to watch the swim start. A blue light on the horizon hinted at where the sun would rise, and the silence that slowly took hold was heavy with the hard work, struggle and commitment behind these triathletes’ dreams come true.

The swim was the first barometer. The sea, warm and serene, forced competitors to leave their wetsuits behind and resort to swimskins for extra buoyancy and speed. The start, clean and quick, revealed what this year’s championship had to offer. The contenders eventually emerged from the water, aware that the hardest part was yet to come. 

The bike stage took the triathletes deep into the Maritime Alps, with roads passing through ravines, curving and disappearing into small villages, and descents that put the triathletes’ technique and courage to the test. In this setting, beauty became intertwined with pressure, and the race really began. Those athletes with a strong climb managed to get ahead; those with a speedy yet risky descent gained seconds; nature, all the while, judging in silence.  

Then came the marathon with its four loops of the Promenade des Anglais. The solid group that had initially led the race disintegrated, leaving each athlete running his own race. Positions ebbed and flowed, as did the competitors’ strength; the race evolving into an individual battle against the heat and exhaustion. At the end, the Norwegian flag unfurled over the podium, with Casper Stornes claiming the Ironman World Championship title and breaking the marathon record, followed by Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt.  

However, in Nice, not everyone’s story involves a victory. Fortitude and judgement also find their place in those moments when making decisions isn’t at all easy. 

Our athlete, Antonio Benito, left the water alongside the best and cycled with determination through the mountains to arrive at the transition point in 15th place after almost five hours of competition. But when things don’t go as planned, you haven’t failed - you’ve learnt something. You start running the marathon at your second Ironman and your body stops responding, you’re feeling empty, but the world’s best triathletes surround you and people are shouting encouragement at you from either side of the road. You ask yourself: What should I do? What’s the best thing to do? You don’t just prove your worth by crossing the finishing line. You own it with the certainty of knowing that all your hard work isn’t in vain, that the future is built around days like this and that in order to carry on building, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop - and anyway, there’s still time left in the season.