How long olympic triathlon

All rights reserved. Go Premium. Need Help? Learn More Customer Login. By Michael Nystrom. More to Chew On 1 of Find: Your Next Race. Fine-Tune Your Skills 2 of Convenience 3 of Relatively Cheap 4 of More Competition 5 of Test Yourself 6 of Ego Boost 7 of More Cowbell 8 of Endorphins on Endorphins 9 of Back to Beginning.

Share this article. Explore Similar Activities. Allocating time early in the season to build endurance, do the strength work, and injury-proof your body is more important when racing higher volume events that take on average 3 hours to complete.

But for competitive athletes and even those at the professional level, speedwork and efficiency play a critical role in reaching the podium. Not only are transition times mere seconds, but the overall pace is often extremely fast, hovering just above a 5-minute mile run pace. While not everyone is going for speed, Olympic triathlon requires diligent pacing, energy management, and significant stamina. To compete in the Ironman World Championship today, entrants must earn a top spot in one of 70 qualifying races across the country leading up to the annual event [source: Ironman ].

The same is true for other elite races, including those sanctioned by the Olympic sports governing body, but some offer age-group and amateur divisions for the soft-core athlete. Fortunately, many local and regional races don't have a qualifying system, encouraging anyone who'd like to give it a try. Although the Ironman Triathlon is arguably the multisport discipline's most recognizable event, thousands of triathlons of varying distances take place each year around the globe, including shorter youth-focused events and "ultra" competitions where competitors double or triple the typical Ironman distances.

Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Outdoor Activities. Triathlon Facts. What Are the Various Triathlon Distances? The most common triathlon distance follows international Olympic guidelines: A swim of 0. An Ironman Triathlon, perhaps the event's most famous race, is a 2. Even "sprint," or mini-triathlons, are still arduous, requiring a half-mile 0.

The most common triathlon distance follows international Olympic guidelines.