Build your Hagg Lake Triathlon plan
Your coach opens with the Hagg Lake Triathlon set for August 7, 2027, asks about your week and your fitness, then writes every session of your Olympic-distance triathlon plan. Free, and you can start as a guest. About 41 weeks to go.
Start your Hagg Lake Triathlon plan- Formats
- Olympic, Sprint
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Field
- Upwards of 700 athletes across the event
- Taper starts
- July 29, 2027
Hagg Lake Triathlon distances
- Olympic 0.9 mi swim, 20.7 mi bike, 6.2 mi run
- Sprint 0.5 mi swim, 10.3 mi bike, 3.1 mi run
Course
The Hagg Lake Triathlon course
Racing is based at Bobcat Cove on Henry Hagg Lake, in the hills just outside Gaston and west of Portland. The swim is a counterclockwise triangle in the lake: one 750 m lap for the sprint, two for the Olympic.
Read the full course notes
The bike follows the road around the lake on a 10.34-mile counterclockwise loop of steady rolling hills (one lap for the sprint, two for the 20.7-mile Olympic ride), and the run is a scenic out-and-back along the lakeside road that keeps rolling. Now in its 45th year, Hagg Lake is one of the oldest triathlons in the country and counts Dave Scott among its early winners. The weekend also offers duathlon, aquabike, paddle and off-road options, the Skullman 70.3, and a trail half marathon and 5K.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Formats
- Olympic, Sprint
- Field
- Upwards of 700 athletes across the event
- Race-day conditions
- Early August near Gaston is usually dry and sunny, with mornings around 55–65 °F at the 8:25 a.m. start and afternoons in the low 80s. The race reports lake temperatures in the mid 70s °F, under USA Triathlon's 78 °F age-group wetsuit limit, so wetsuits are usually allowed; follow the race-morning call. The run can get warm and exposed, so drink at every station and wear sunscreen.
What to train for
The bike shapes most races here: the lake loop is a constant run of short rollers, so train with hilly rides of 20 to 30 miles and practice shifting early and staying seated on short climbs to save your legs.
Add 4 to 6 x 2-minute hill repeats on the bike at threshold effort once a week.
The run keeps rolling and can be sunny, so do brick runs straight off the bike on hilly terrain and practice drinking at every station. In the water, rehearse sighting and tight buoy turns in open water so the triangle laps flow smoothly.
Sample week
A sample Hagg Lake Triathlon training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Swim, 45 min: drills and technique
- Tuesday Key session
- Bike, 1 h with threshold intervals
- Wednesday
- Swim, 45 min: steady intervals at race effort
- Easy run, 40 min
- Thursday Key session
- Run, 40 min with tempo segments
- Friday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Saturday Key session
- Long ride, 1 h 30 min, then a 20 min run off the bike
- Sunday
- Long run, 1 h easy
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Hagg Lake Triathlon
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Trim the volume in all three sports, keep short race-pace efforts in each, and do one last short brick so running off the bike still feels familiar. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on August 7, 2027, your taper starts around July 29, 2027.
Also in Claude
Ask Claude for this plan
Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a Olympic-distance triathlon season for the Hagg Lake Triathlon & Trail Festival on August 7, 2027. I train about [hours] hours a week, [days] days a week.
Hagg Lake Triathlon training questions
How long should I train for the Hagg Lake Triathlon?
Most athletes give a Olympic-distance triathlon twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The coach counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
What is the Hagg Lake Triathlon course like?
Rolling. Racing is based at Bobcat Cove on Henry Hagg Lake, in the hills just outside Gaston and west of Portland.
How cold is the water at the Hagg Lake Triathlon?
Early August near Gaston is usually dry and sunny, with mornings around 55–65 °F at the 8:25 a.m. start and afternoons in the low 80s. The race reports lake temperatures in the mid 70s °F, under USA Triathlon's 78 °F age-group wetsuit limit, so wetsuits are usually allowed; follow the race-morning call. The run can get warm and exposed, so drink at every station and wear sunscreen.
When should I start tapering for the Hagg Lake Triathlon?
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Trim the volume in all three sports, keep short race-pace efforts in each, and do one last short brick so running off the bike still feels familiar. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week. With the race on August 7, 2027, your taper starts around July 29, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Hagg Lake Triathlon training plan?
Start as a guest and save a free account later. Your coach writes your Olympic-distance triathlon plan and adapts it every week as you log your training. No card.