Full-distance triathlon training
Full-distance triathlon training plan
A full-distance triathlon is a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike and a 42.2 km run, 140.6 miles in all. For most age-groupers it is a 10 to 16 hour day, so the plan is built around durability, pacing discipline and eating enough, not around speed.
- Distances
- 3.8 km swim · 180 km bike · 42.2 km run
- Typical build
- 24 to 30 weeks
- Peak weekly time
- 12 to 18 hours
- Taper
- 2 to 3 weeks
How a full-distance plan is structured
Most athletes need 24 to 30 weeks after a solid year of shorter racing. The plan moves from base to build to race-specific phases and then a taper. Peak weeks run about 12 to 18 hours, with the long ride and long run on separate days and a lighter week every three or four. The great majority of training is easy aerobic work; intensity is used sparingly so the volume stays sustainable.
Long rides are the backbone
The bike is the longest leg and the one that sets up the marathon. Long rides build to 5 to 6 hours, with race-effort blocks in the final months. If you use power, most age-groupers race at roughly 65 to 75 percent of FTP; sweet spot work at 88 to 94 percent of FTP, such as 2 × 20 minutes, raises the ceiling so race effort feels easy. Ride the race courses' terrain where you can.
Long runs, bricks and durability
The standalone long run builds to about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours; most coaches stop there, because longer runs cost days of recovery and the marathon is run on accumulated fitness. Bricks after long rides, 30 to 60 minutes at goal effort, teach you to run economically on tired legs. Strength work twice a week in base and once in build helps you hold form late in the day.
Fuelling is a trained skill
A full-distance race burns far more energy than you can store, so most athletes aim for 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on the bike, sometimes more if trained, and keep fuelling on the run, with fluid and sodium matched to the conditions. Practise the exact products and timings on every long ride and brick. Many full-distance races go wrong because of the gut, not the legs.
Swim steady and taper properly
For a 3.8 km swim, steady pacing and good sighting matter more than speed. Train around your critical swim speed with longer repeats, such as 5 × 400 m with short rests, and include continuous open-water swims of 60 minutes or more. Taper over 2 to 3 weeks, cutting volume progressively by up to about 60 percent while keeping short race-effort sessions in each sport.
A sample week
A peak-phase week of about 14 to 15 hours. On 10 to 12 hours, shorten the weekday sessions and keep the long ride, brick and long run.
- Mon
- Swim, 60 min: 5 × 400 m steady at CSS plus a few seconds, 20 s rest; strength 30 min
- Tue
- Bike, 90 min: 2 × 20 min sweet spot, 10 min easy between
- Wed
- Run, 70 min easy with 6 strides; swim, 45 min aerobic
- Thu
- Bike, 75 min easy; run, 40 min with 3 × 10 min at marathon effort
- Fri
- Rest or 45 min open-water swim
- Sat
- Brick: 5 h ride with 3 × 40 min at race effort, fuelling as on race day, then 45 min run
- Sun
- Long run, 2 h easy
The mistake that ends most full-distance races early
Racing the first half. The swim start, a fast bike split and an ambitious first 10 kilometres feel great, and the bill arrives at kilometre 25 of the marathon. Ride well within yourself, eat on schedule from the start, and treat the first half of the run as part of the plan, not a chance to bank time.
Common questions
How long does it take to train for a full-distance triathlon?
Twenty-four to thirty weeks of specific training, ideally after a season of shorter races, including at least one half-distance.
How many hours a week do I need?
Most age-groupers peak at 12 to 18 hours. Finishing is possible on around 10 to 12 hours if those hours are consistent and go to the long ride, long run and swim.
Do I need to run a full marathon in training?
No. Long runs of about 2.5 to 3 hours plus regular bricks build what you need, without the recovery cost of a full marathon.
Is the full-distance plan free?
Yes. AthleteSpace is free with no credit card, and you can see your full-distance season in the builder without an account.