For Smyrna triathlete Renee Parsons, crossing the finish line at the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France, represented another major milestone in a journey that began with marathon running nearly two decades ago.
Parsons competed in the women’s race Sept. 12, finishing the demanding course in 8 hours, 11 minutes and 30 seconds.
The championship, held along the French Riviera, brought together athletes who had qualified through designated IRONMAN events around the world. The women raced on Sept. 12, followed by the men on Sept. 13.
An IRONMAN 70.3—often called a half Ironman—combines three endurance disciplines without a break: a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bicycle ride and a 13.1-mile half marathon. The distances total 70.3 miles, giving the event its name.
For Parsons, the swimming portion in Nice proved particularly memorable.
“With five turn buoys it can become congested with swimmers, and the human contact was a lot,” Parsons said.
The bicycle course presented an entirely different challenge as competitors traveled through the Alpes-Maritimes surrounding Nice.
“The challenge was the 56-mile bike ride up through the Alpes-Maritimes,” Parsons said. “The major climb Col de Vence was a 5-mile switchback climb with 6% grade. My ears popped and it became quite cool at the top.”
By the time athletes reached the running portion, they had already completed more than 57 miles of swimming and cycling, but Parsons said the half-marathon run along Nice’s famed Promenade des Anglais was her favorite portion of the course.
“The run was the best along the Promenade des Anglais for 13.1 miles,” she said. “Nice, France knows how to put on a memorable race.”
Placing 35th out of 42 competitors in her age group, Parsons said she was pleased to complete the championship within the race’s time limits, even though running has become more difficult for her than it once was.
“I’m happy to say I performed within my limits,” Parsons said. “The bike ride alone was so taxing on our legs.”
Her endurance sports career stretches back to 2007, when she began running marathons in Nashville.
“I first became involved with triathlon in 2015 for 70.3s and 2016 for full triathlon events by peer pressure, after running marathons since 2007 in Nashville,” Parsons said.
Running has also remained a family activity. Parsons said she and her daughter continue to participate in half marathons together each year.
Parsons has lived in Smyrna since 1998, where she and her family raised three children. She worked for a Murfreesboro dermatologist until 2012.
Much of the preparation that has taken Parsons to international competition happens close to home. She frequently cycles the country roads around Rockvale and travels to the Natchez Trace for hill training and longer rides. She swims at the Smyrna YMCA and at Anderson Beach in Antioch, where local triathletes gather for early-morning Friday swims. Her running is done either independently or with Rutherford Runners.
Her training has become particularly demanding as she prepares for her next challenge: the full 2026 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on Oct. 10.
Parsons said she currently trains between 20 and 25 hours per week and is working with Brian McLean through the TriDot Mentor program, the first time she has used a coach. A full Ironman doubles the distance of a 70.3, consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.
Parsons qualified for Kona through IRONMAN Chattanooga in September 2025.
She has competed in Kona before, making the upcoming championship particularly meaningful.
In 2023, Parsons attempted the event while dealing with a torn meniscus. Although she reached the finish around midnight, she was approximately 15 minutes beyond a race cutoff.
This time, she is returning with unfinished business.
“This is a redemption race,” Parsons said.
