The Olympic or standard distance (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) asks for more endurance than a sprint while still being raced hard throughout. Around sixteen weeks of training works well for most age-groupers.
Weekly structure
Plan two to three swims, two to three rides and two to three runs, plus strength work on easy days. Keep one quality session per sport and make the rest easy.
Key sessions
- Bike: threshold intervals such as 3 × 10 minutes, and a weekly longer ride.
- Run: threshold and 10K-pace intervals, plus a long easy run.
- Swim: sustained 100 to 400 m repeats at race effort.
Brick sessions
Regular bike-to-run bricks, building to 20 to 30 minutes of running at race effort, prepare you for the final 10 km.
Pacing
The bike sets up your race. Ride at a strong but sustainable effort so you can run well off it.
Ready to start?
The Endurance Lab Olympic triathlon training plans come in four levels (Start, Develop, Perform and Podium). Choose heart rate or power on the bike, and heart rate, pace or power on the run. Use Find your plan to filter by level, the hours you have each week and the weeks until your race. New to training by effort? Read our RPE guide and training zones guide first.
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