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Olympic Distance Triathlon Plan

A 12-week plan to prepare you for an Olympic distance triathlon — 1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run.

Intermediate

Overview

The Olympic distance triathlon is where the sport gets serious — 1.5km swim, 40km bike, and 10km run. It demands genuine fitness across all three disciplines, smart pacing, and a solid nutrition strategy.

This 12-week plan assumes you've completed a sprint triathlon (or equivalent) and can swim 750m, ride for an hour, and run 5km without difficulty.

Golden Rule: Train the discipline you're weakest at most often. It's tempting to do what you enjoy, but balance wins races.

What You'll Need

  • Swim: Goggles, wetsuit (if open water), pull buoy for drills
  • Bike: Road or tri bike, helmet, cycling shorts, spare tube + pump
  • Run: Fitted running shoes, race belt, visor or cap
  • Nutrition: Energy gels, electrolyte drink, race-day breakfast you've tested
  • Extras: Tri suit (saves transition time), bike computer or GPS watch

The 12-Week Plan

Phase 1: Base Building (Weeks 1–4)

Week Swim Bike Run Brick / Other
1 1 km drills + steady 50 min easy 30 min easy Sat: 40 min bike → 15 min run
2 1.2 km with 4 × 100m fast 60 min with 4 × 3 min efforts 35 min with 3 × 2 min fast Sat: 45 min bike → 20 min run
3 1.3 km technique + endurance 65 min steady 40 min easy Sat: 50 min bike → 20 min run
4 1 km easy (recovery) 40 min easy spin 25 min easy jog Rest or light yoga

Week 4 is a recovery week. Lower the volume and let your body adapt before pushing on.

Phase 2: Building Volume (Weeks 5–8)

Week Swim Bike Run Brick / Other
5 1.4 km with speed intervals 70 min with 3 × 5 min efforts 40 min with 4 × 2 min fast Sat: 55 min bike → 25 min run
6 1.5 km continuous 75 min steady ride 45 min easy Sat: 60 min bike → 25 min run
7 1.5 km with 6 × 100m race pace 80 min with 4 × 5 min efforts 45 min with 3 × 3 min fast Sat: 65 min bike → 30 min run
8 1 km easy (recovery) 45 min easy spin 30 min easy jog Rest or light stretching

Phase 3: Race Specificity (Weeks 9–11)

Week Swim Bike Run Brick / Other
9 1.6 km with race-pace efforts 85 min with 2 × 10 min at race effort 50 min with 5 × 3 min fast Sat: 70 min bike → 30 min run
10 1.5 km at race effort 90 min steady at target pace 50 min at race effort Sat: Full race rehearsal (reduced distance)
11 1.2 km easy with drills 60 min easy 35 min easy Sat: 30 min bike → 15 min run

Phase 4: Taper (Week 12)

Week Swim Bike Run Race
12 800m easy (stay sharp) 30 min easy spin 20 min easy jog RACE DAY! Olympic Distance Triathlon!

Nutrition Strategy

Getting your fuelling right is critical at Olympic distance. Practise everything in training.

When What Why
Night before Carb-rich meal — pasta, rice, or potatoes Top up glycogen stores
Race morning Toast + banana, 2–3 hours before Steady energy without stomach issues
On the bike 1 gel at 20 min, sip electrolyte drink throughout Fuel before you need it
Start of the run 1 gel in T2 or at km 2 Final energy boost for the run
Post-race Protein + carbs within 30 min Kickstart recovery

Transition Efficiency

Every second counts. Streamline your transitions:

Tip Detail
Use a tri suit Wear it for all three legs — no changing needed
Elastic laces Slip straight into your run shoes without tying
Helmet first, helmet last Put it on before touching your bike, take it off after racking
Practise, practise, practise Run through your transition setup at least 3 times before race day

Race Day Pacing

Leg Pacing Strategy
Swim Start steady — don't sprint the first 200m. Find your rhythm by 300m
T1 Move with purpose but don't rush. Smooth is fast
Bike Ride at 80% effort. Save your legs for the run. Keep cadence at 85–95 rpm
T2 Quick and calm. Gel in, shoes on, go
Run First 2 km will feel odd — your legs need time to adjust. Settle in, then build

What's Next?

Olympic distance conquered? You're in the big leagues now. Options: