What does it take to fuel the hilliest 70.3 in the world?

Six Triathlon Nutrition Academy athletes lined up at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France on 12 and 13 September 2026. A 1.9km swim in the Mediterranean, 90km on the bike with around 1190m of climbing, a long grind up the Col de Vence, an 11km technical descent with both hands on the brakes, then a flat half marathon in the baking French sun along the Promenade des Anglais.

One day after the race, five of them sat down with me to talk through what they did, what they would change and what they would tell you if Nice is on your bucket list. Most of them are masters athletes racing in the 60 to 69 age groups. Not one of them raced on the same nutrition plan.

Joining me are Kathleen Gilton, Kelly Estes, Stephen Duquette, Stanford Skelton and Daniel Walker.

WHAT YOU WILL TAKE AWAY

• Why the athlete who was most afraid of the bike had the best ride of her life
• How bike choice and gearing change what you can carry, and when you can actually drink it
• How to ride light on a long climb without under-fuelling the back half of your race
• What it takes to run a hot half marathon with no cramping, four years after cramping nearly ended a triathlon career
• The race week mistake that cost a well-prepared athlete 20 minutes on the run, and it had nothing to do with training
• Why six athletes on the same course, in the same heat, all fuelled differently and all got it right

TIMESTAMPS 

01:46 Meet the athletes who raced Nice
02:47 Kathleen on the bike leg she feared most
08:53 Road bike or TT bike, and gearing
11:36 Losing 8kg without losing bike power
15:24 Riding light on the climb without under-fuelling
17:53 A hot run and the cramps that never came
23:02 When race day does not go to plan
31:54 Saturday women, Sunday men: the split day
40:05 What each athlete is most proud of
49:40 Would they have got there without nutrition

If you want to be the athlete who gets off a plane in a foreign country and knows exactly what they are doing, come and join us inside the Triathlon Nutrition Academy.