Insight

How Long Does a Triathlon Take?

Established at the San Diego Track Club in the early 1970s, modern Triathlon has enormously grown over a very short time period into a variety of famous formats.

Now, there are thought to be almost 100,000 active participants merely in the UK, and this sport is loved by many passionate athletes who want to do something different.

Are you thinking about starting your first Triathlon? Well, maybe you’re serious about its training and other stuff, but you lack knowledge of how long a triathlon takes.

So, if you’re interested in exploring the average finish times included in triathlon completion, this guide is here to help you. Let’s get started!

How Long is a Triathlon? Depends on the Distance

There’s no simple answer to how long this contest takes. In fact, the average triathlon distances and times depend on which level of Triathlon you choose

Let’s jump into further details of average triathlon times for beginners:

1. Super-sprint Distance 

The shortest Triathlon, super-sprint, is an ideal point for beginners who want to compete in their very first Triathlon.

Basically, the distances for this Triathlon can differ. Experts will be able to complete it during the event of the mixed relay, which consists of a 1-2 km run, a 5-7 km bike, and a 300 m swim.

At super sprint races, the distance is normally longer. For a starter, the ideal time to aim for would be around an hour.

That is actually equal to taking under 30 minutes to bike (20km/hour), 20 minutes to complete the run (8 mins per km), and 10 minutes for Swimming (2.5 mins per 100m).

2. Sprint Distance 

Sprint is a frenetic and fast-paced race, and this course is a bit challenging for complete beginners, but, of course, easy enough for someone who has been training already.

So, how long does a sprint triathlon take? Well, the distances for every segment of the super sprint triathlon are: Running – 1.5 miles (2.5km), Cycling – 6.2 miles (10km), and Swimming – 0.25 miles (400m).

For specific age group competitors, 45 minutes to 1 hour is believed to be a good average time for this level of Triathlon.

As this race is short and suitable for athletes with any experience level, it’s the best way for you to start!

3. Standard ‘Olympic’ Distance 

For people who are unfamiliar with the triathlon distances, the term “Olympic” may conjure up thoughts of rigorous training schedules and professional athletes.

Many sports enthusiasts wonder, “What is a good Olympic triathlon time?” In general, the Olympic distances are 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) run, 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) bike, and 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) swim.

The overall pace of this contest is super fast, with only 5 minutes mile in the run, which is quite short.

If you want to compete in an Olympic triathlon, make sure that you’ve got exceptional skills and expertise to fall into this difficult category.

4. Half, Middle, or 70.3 Distance 

Ironman or middle-distance 70.3 finishing times can significantly vary because of the variety of courses available out there.

In the pro field, one can expect to see athletes finishing in between around 3.5 – 4 hours. In addition, an ideal time for amateur triathletes that’ll have you within the distance of the podium can be 5 hours or less.

That’ll usually involve being able to finish the running in 90 minutes and bike in almost 2.5 hours.

A solid completion time for the Ironman 70.3 or middle distance event is under 6 hours, which basically cut-off times to every discipline totaling approximately 8 hrs and 30 minutes.

5. Long or Full Ironman Distance  

Finishing an Ironman within a period of 17 hours is undoubtedly a big achievement. Elite times include Tim Don’s 7:40:23 at IRONMAN Brazil and Kristian Blummenfelt’s 7:21:12 at IRONMAN Cozumel.

Moreover, the fastest female lead is Laura Philipp, who made a record at 8:18:20 at IRONMAN Hamburg. Challenge Roth also holds some world records, like Daniela Ryf (8:08:21) & Magnus Ditlev (7:24:40).

For age groupers, under 14 hours for women and 13 hours for men is commendable.

Conclusion

Triathlons are undeniably challenging fitness events that combine Cycling, Swimming, and running. And if you are training for this contest, you’ll definitely want to know the average triathlon distance and time included in the event.

This guide will help you get an insight into the sprint, super-sprint, Olympic, half-ironman, and ironman times so that you know the competitive time for qualifying in the contest better.

Good luck, folks!