An IRONMAN triathlon event scheduled for this Sunday in Nice, France has been cancelled after local authorities ordered the races shut down thanks to a dangerous heat wave sitting over Europe.
The Ramify IRONMAN France Nice and IRONMAN 70.3 Nice races, part of the IRONMAN triathlon series, were set for June 28th before the Alpes-Maritimes Prefecture stepped in and pulled the plug.
A Reddit user shared an apparent email sent directly to registered athletes, which included a formal statement from the Prefecture explaining the decision.
“The weather conditions, combined with the extension of the orange heatwave alert in the department and the context of a prolonged heatwave episode that has affected the national territory for the past ten days, have led us to cancel both events.” – the Prefecture’s statement, according to the email.
Officials cited the need to protect participants and avoid placing additional strain on emergency and healthcare services already stretched thin across the region.
IRONMAN acknowledged the blow to athletes who had spent months training and traveling to compete, and said it is working with the City of Nice to explore options for affected participants, including a possible replacement race date. The athlete village will remain open Saturday, with athletes able to pick up their event backpacks until 3pm.
The IRONMAN series draws competitors from around the world, and events in iconic European destinations like Nice typically attract thousands of athletes and spectators.