Marjolaine Pierré after the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice: “I’m pleased to be so consistent in my results”

Marjolaine, you were very disappointed immediately after missing the podium at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice. A few days on, how do you assess that fifth-place finish?

I’m still disappointed. It’s hard to train so much for one particular day and miss the goal you set yourself. You give 200% for this kind of race, you make sacrifices, and when things don’t go the way you want, it’s always difficult to deal with. But you put things into perspective quickly. There are worse things. I’m healthy, everything is fine, I was able to race, and I’m still happy to have had the chance to experience a World Championship at home, in Nice. It’s a bit like the end of summer camp: you pack everything up at the end of the week and realise it’s over, that you have to say goodbye to your friends. That also adds to the disappointment: knowing that a chapter is coming to an end (*).

So what went wrong on the day?

On the bike, I didn’t feel good on the climbs. I was really strong on the flat and downhill sections, which I had memorised thoroughly, but I had no power on the climbs, or at least not the kind of power you need to make real progress. I could feel that things weren’t responding properly. I didn’t want to look at my split on the Col de Vence, a climb I do regularly in training. That’s also what makes it frustrating when you know the course well: you know exactly what you’re capable of on each section, and you quickly know whether you’re having a good day or not.

Do you have an explanation for that lack of energy on the bike?

It’s difficult to explain. I had tried to prepare as well as possible. I picked up a minor virus 10 days before the race, the kind you get in autumn or at the end of a training block, and I knew I was still fighting it. These are small things you try to control but can’t fully master. There was probably a combination of small factors that led to that lack of energy.

On the run, all I could think about was stopping and lying down. I was completely wiped out; my body just wanted to take a nap. There are even sections of the run that I don’t remember.

Did those sensations on the bike affect you mentally before the run?

No, I stayed really focused. A triathlon isn’t over until the run is finished, and I never told myself it was over. I kept fighting, and I was happy to enter T2 in second place. I was 4:30 behind, so that was quite a lot, but I’d been eight minutes down at the top of the Col de Vence, so I was pleased with myself and really wanted to keep fighting. But when I started the run, all I wanted was to collapse, which is what I did on the finish line. All I could think about during the half-marathon was stopping and lying down. I was completely wiped out. It wasn’t hypoglycaemia, more a general fatigue. My body just wanted to take a nap. There are even sections of the run that I don’t remember. For example, around the “ILOVENICE” sign, I’m not really sure whether I went along the Promenade or the road. It’s like a blank.

Had you ever experienced sensations like that before?

Not really, apart from once when I became dehydrated and then felt faint during a race. I think I was trying to push that limit as far as possible, but I was also losing places, so it was mentally difficult to stay in the race. I had dreamed of that podium and I was on it, so losing it was hard. I tried to hang on and at least stay in the top five.

The field was exceptionally deep. Were you able to enjoy the battle with the other women at least?

No, and that’s another reason I’m a little disappointed. I was never able to respond to the attacks, and when people passed me, I could never really get involved in the battle. I didn’t have the energy or the punch. I was completely flat. But with such a strong field, it was very difficult to predict where you would finish because there could be good or bad surprises. It’s still a positive to have maintained a run of strong results and a certain consistency.

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

You introduced a new element to your preparation by spending five weeks at altitude in Font-Romeu before Nice. What did you take away from that experience?

Only positive things. We were at a specialised training centre with all the facilities in one place, open Monday to Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and sometimes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. That was really valuable because at that time of year in Nice, you have to use the municipal pool and work around its opening hours and days. When those constraints are added to the demands of training, life becomes more complicated. So it was really enjoyable to have that freedom in our training. We also went there for the effects of altitude.

Do you think that lack of energy during the race was down to the altitude or coming back down from Font-Romeu? We know that sometimes the timing can be a matter of just a few days.

It’s true that you need to spend a lot of time at altitude to really understand how your body responds. That probably played a role in the fatigue I felt. But I also think the virus may have shifted my peak. It’s a combination of very fine details, and you have to get each one right to optimise a performance and a preparation.

You’re only 26, nearly 27, and still very young compared with the leading athletes in the sport. Is that reassuring?

Yes, of course. All my rivals have competed far more than I have. Some have raced at Olympic distance and have had support and guidance for decades. I didn’t have that opportunity. I learned everything by myself, I had no federation support in the early years, and I built my career through my results. I first had to perform before I could ask for support. That inevitably takes more time. In a way, I had to unlock each level as I went.

I’m only just starting to increase my running volume. Until now, I was doing around 40–50 km a week, and I increased that to 60–80 km in Font-Romeu. It was a first for me, whereas my rivals have been doing it for years.

Do you feel you still have room to improve, and can you see yourself racing on the IRONMAN circuit for many more years?

Yes, absolutely. I’m nowhere near my full potential. My training volume isn’t particularly high, and that was a deliberate choice because I didn’t want to skip any steps. It was almost essential to progress gradually and not try to move too fast. So I see myself either at the beginning or in the middle of my development, which is encouraging because I still have plenty of things to try and achieve. But they have to happen at the right time and in the right order. I also need to be patient and accept that I’ll get beaten sometimes. And I know I’ll have to do more intensity and more volume.

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

© Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/IRONMAN

When will you push that limit?

It’s been two years since I’ve had a stress fracture, so we started increasing my running mileage in Font-Romeu. Until then, I was doing around 40–50 km a week, and I increased that to 60–80 km. It was a first for me, whereas my rivals have been doing it for years. I’m a little behind in that area, but I’m starting to focus on it.

You’ve suffered a number of stress fractures in recent years. Why and how did that happen, and do you feel you’re past it now?

It happened in 2021, when I started triathlon during the Covid period. I had no knowledge and kept training more and more, just for fun, while also studying accounting. I quickly fell into an energy deficit and lost my menstrual cycle. I told myself it would come back, but then I stopped thinking about it. I was doing so many things at once that I had no time for myself or to pay attention to what was happening in my life and in my body. I was always in overdrive and never took a break. I lost a lot of weight, suffered stress fractures, became amenorrhoeic and developed an eating disorder. It was all connected. I had to understand how my hormones worked and learn to recognise the signs that I was in good or poor shape. It was a long and very instructive process, and I lost a lot of time. Or perhaps I actually gained some, because I know myself much better today. I also learned how to race without being properly trained, and that strengthened me mentally.

Last year, I was overwhelmed by the scale of the IRONMAN in Hawaii. This year, I really want to go back with a lighter mindset.

In less than a month, you are expected to be on the start line for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. What are your ambitions?

Little by little, day by day, I’ll get back to the key sessions that will put me on the road to Kona. I’ll gradually add training load, do longer sessions and plenty of heat training to get used to Hawaii’s heat and humidity, because that’s a very important factor there. I also need to recover from Nice, but because I wasn’t feeling very good, I didn’t push to the limit. So I’m actually quite pleased with my recovery, and I’ll be able to get in two good weeks of training before heading to Kona and acclimatising.

What do you take away from your experience in Hawaii last year?

It was a very difficult race. Physically, I was in great shape, but I was overwhelmed by the event (**). I think it’s very difficult to succeed there on your first attempt, and I really want to go back with a little more… lightness, let’s say.

Is the course profile and atmosphere a good fit for you?

Yes, it reminds me of Réunion, where I grew up. I love the heat and have always trained in hot conditions, so it’s not something that bothers me. The Kona bike course is very tough, even though it’s fairly fast. I also like fast sections: I’m not just a climber, so honestly, I can’t wait to get there.

(*) Nice was initially due to host the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in 2028 and 2030. Following a budget decision by the new municipal administration, that will no longer be the case.

(**) She finished 32nd in the women’s classification.