Multi-Race Season Planning

How to plan two or three peak races per year without burning out. A/B/C races, periodisation, and the discipline to rest.

Overview

A single race per year is easy to plan — build, taper, peak, race, recover. Two or three races per year in a single season is where planning becomes an art. Do it wrong and you either peak once and underperform the rest, or you try to peak three times and peak nowhere. Do it right and each race gets its share of preparation while none leave you in a hole.

This guide is for experienced triathletes (or any endurance athletes doing multiple event types across a season) who want a framework for planning a multi-race year. It covers the A/B/C race system, season arc design, recovery discipline, and the specific considerations for different race distance combinations.

Golden Rule: You can race well often, or race extraordinarily occasionally. You cannot do both. Decide which races get your full taper and which are training with numbers on.

The A/B/C Race System

This system comes from elite coaching and applies beautifully to amateur multi-race seasons.

A Races (1-2 per year)

Definition: Peak performance targets. Full taper, full mental preparation, full focus.

How many per year: 1-2. Any more and you dilute.

How to treat them: 2-3 week taper. Zero compromises in the 10 days before.

B Races (3-5 per year)

Definition: Important, but not peak. 1-week modified taper — reduce volume by 50%, keep some intensity.

How many per year: 3-5 depending on season length and goal distance.

How to treat them: You race to win/PR, but the season arc isn't built around them.

C Races (unlimited)

Definition: Training with numbers on. No taper.

How to treat them: Run, ride, race hard, but these exist within a training week, not as peaks.