Training for a triathlon isn’t easy; you have to juggle three different disciplines over the course of the week, and unless you’re one of the few lucky professional triathletes, you have to fit all of your triathlon training around your job, family responsibilities, and so on.
For this reason, not many people have the time or energy to train for a full Ironman triathlon. This grueling endurance event involves 140.6 miles of self-propelled travel (a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run).
However, training for an Olympic distance triathlon is a much more feasible and achievable goal for most beginner triathletes.
In this guide, we’ve created a 16-week beginner Olympic triathlon training plan to help you build your fitness and competence in the three triathlon disciplines to finish an Olympic distance triathlon in 16 weeks.
Ready to become a multi-sport athlete? Let’s check out the 16-week beginner Olympic triathlon training plan to get you prepared for race day and cross that finish line.
What Is an Olympic Distance Triathlon?
Like other triathlons like half Ironman or full Ironman, a sprint triathlon is a multi-sport event that involves a swim, followed by a bike ride, which is then immediately followed by a run.
The distances for each leg in an Olympic triathlon1Home. (2023, July 5). Www.teamusa.com. https://www.teamusa.com/ are as follows:
- Swim: 1.5 km swim (approximately 1 mile)
- Bike: 40 km (24.8 miles)
- Run: 10 km (6.2 miles)
Between each of the segments of the olympic distance race, there is a “transition” when the athlete swaps their gear or kit before embarking on the next portion of the event.
How to Follow the 16-Week Beginner Olympic Triathlon Training Plan
Our beginner Olympic triathlon training program is designed for novice triathletes who have an interest in this endurance sport and some familiarity with each discipline but who aren’t currently doing much consistent training in any one discipline.
If you already have an aerobic base from cycling workouts, or you’re a runner who’s looking to migrate to the sport of triathlon, or you’re already up to the sprint triathlon distance, you can feel free to modify our 16-week beginner Olympic triathlon training schedule.
This can be done by either skipping a few weeks into the program after the intensity has increased, or you can pick and choose which of the written training sessions you do and which ones you substitute with a more challenging workout that you are capable of.
For example, if you’re already able to complete a sprint triathlon, skip the base phase and straight to week 9 and complete the 8-week Olympic triathlon training plan portion, which can be thought of as a sprint to Olympic race specific triathlon training plan.
What Is The Training Regime For A Triathlon?
Our triathlon coach has put together the following training plan with specific training workouts for an Olympic distance. This plan will include:
- Run/Walk Intervals: Run and walk the intervals indicated in each workout.
- Easy Runs: Run at a conversational pace to aid recovery from harder workouts.
- Easy Cycle: Easy effort bike workouts.
- Rest Days: No structured exercise. Focus on rest and recovery (stretching, foam rolling, taking it easy).
- Threshold / Tempo Runs: During the Threshold or tempo intervals, run at a pace you can sustain all out for one hour.
- Strides: With strides, accelerate over the duration of the stride, reaching max speed at the end of each one.
- Brick Workouts: A back-to back workout consisting of at least two different disciplines performed one immediately after the other. This works on transitions.
- Speed Workout: Run intervals at the indicated pace for each individual workout.
- Strength Training: Besides the written training plan, it is also important to strength train twice a week. Your strength training workouts should be total-body workouts, focusing on compound exercises like squats, lunges, step-ups, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups, rows, and core exercises.
Download The 16-Week Beginner Olympic Triathlon Plan:
- Open the Google Sheets version of this plan
( File > Make A Copy) to create your own version
Download The Training Plan Here
Enter your email, and I’ll send you this free training plan now, in PDF and Google Sheets formats (completely customizable), in both miles and kilometers.
Previous visitor or not seeing where to sign up?
Head over to our triathlon training plan database for full access to all plans.
| Week 1 Focus: Establishing a triathlon workout routine | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: Warm-up: Brisk walk for 5 min Workout: 8 x 2 min run/1 min walk Cool down: 5 min walk | Bike: 20 min at an easy effort | Swim: 10 x 25m taking 30 sec of rest after each length | Rest Day | Run: Warm-up: Brisk walk for 5 min Workout: 8 x 3 min run/1 min walk Cool down: 5 min walk | Swim: 10 x 50m (1 full lap) with 45 sec of rest | Rest Day |
| Week 2 Focus: Building your base | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: Warm-up: Brisk walk for 5 min Workout: 4 x 5 minute run/2 min walk Cool down: 5 min walk | Bike: 30 min at an easy effort | Swim: 5 x 100m (2 full laps), taking 60 sec of rest after each | Rest Day | Run: 2 miles (3 km), taking walking breaks as needed | Swim: Easy distance: 10 minutes without stopping | Rest Day |
| Week 3 Focus: Starting to add some speed | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: Warm-up: Brisk walk for 5 min Workout: 1 mile (2 km) without stopping Cool down: 5 min walk | Bike: 45 min at an easy effort | Swim: 10 x 50m in zone 4, with 60 sec rest | Rest Day | Run: 1.5 miles (2 km) without stopping | Bike: 40 minutes total: 5-min warm-up then 10 x 2 min intervals in zone 4 or about 85% of max heart rate, 1 min of recovery 5 min cool down | Rest Day |
| Week 4 Focus: Recovering from the work you’ve been doing | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 2 miles (3k) at an easy effort | Bike: 50 min at an easy effort | Swim: Easy distance: 15 min without stopping | Rest Day | Run: Warm up: Jog for 5 min Workout: 10 x 1 minute hard (zone 4) with 1-min easy jog (zone 1) Cool down: 5 min walk | Swim/Bike Brick Workout: Swim for 10 min without stopping and then immediately bike for 45 min (zone 3) | Rest Day |
| Week 5 Focus: Ramping up your training now that you’re getting fit | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 2 miles (3k) at an easy effort; 4 x 50m strides | Bike: 60 min at an easy effort | Swim: 2 x 300m in zone 3, with 90 sec of rest | Rest Day | Swim: Easy distance: 20 min without stopping | Brick workout: Bike for 30 min and then immediately run for 10 min | Rest Day |
| Week 6 Focus: Preparing for the race experience with a race simulation | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 2.5 miles (4 km) without stopping; 4 x 50m strides | Bike: 70 min at an easy effort | Swim: 2 x 400m in zone 3, with 90 sec rest | Rest Day | Swim: 1000m easy effort (zone 2) | Race simulation: Swim 500m, Run 2 miles, Bike 10 miles | Rest Day |
| Week 7 Focus: Building endurance | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 3 miles (5 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 75 min at an easy effort | Swim: 2 x 400m in zone 3, with 90 sec rest | Rest Day | Brick workout: Bike 45 min (zone 2) and then immediately run 15 min (zone 3) | Bike: 40 min total: 5-min warm-up, then 5 x 3-min intervals in zone 4 or about 85% of max heart rate, 1 min of recovery, 5 min cool down | Rest Day |
| Week 8 Focus: Sprint triathlon simulation or trial | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 2 miles (3k) at an easy effort; 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 30 min at an easy effort (zone 2) | Swim: 10 min easy (zone 2 effort) | Rest Day | Bike or run easy for 15-20 min | Sprint Triathlon Simulation or Official Event | Rest Day |
| Week 9 Focus: Recovery before the next build phase | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 3 miles (5 km) easy (zone 2-3) | Bike: 15 miles (24 km) at an easy effort (zone 2-3) | Swim: 4 x 200m in zone 3, with 90 sec rest | Rest Day | Bike: 16 miles (25-25 km) with 4 x 5 min at tempo pace (upper zone 3) with 90 sec of recovery in between | Swim: 600m easy effort; 4 x 25m sprints | Rest Day |
| Week 10 Focus: Adding volume | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 4 miles (6 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 18 miles (29 km) easy effort | Swim: 2 x 500m in zone 3, with 90 sec rest; 4 x 25m sprint | Rest Day | Brick workout: Bike: 60 min (zone 2) and then immediately run 30 min (zone 3) | Bike: 40 minutes total: 10 min warm-up then 25 min at tempo pace, 5 min cool down | Rest Day |
| Week 11 Focus: Building endurance and strength | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 4.5 miles (7 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 20 miles (32 km) at an easy effort | Swim: 800m easy effort; 4 x 25m sprints | Rest Day | Run: 4 miles (6-7 km) with 2 x 10 min at tempo pace | Swim: 8 x 100m (zone 3-4) with 60 sec rest | Rest Day |
| Week 12 Focus: Race simulation | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 5 miles (8 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 60 min with 3 x 10 min at tempo pace (upper zone 3) with 2 min of recovery | Swim: 1,000m easy effort; 4 x 25m sprints | Rest Day | Bike: 20 min easy | Mini Race Simulation: Swim 1,000m, Bike: 18 miles (29 km), Run 3 miles (5k) | Rest Day |
| Week 13 Focus: Building endurance | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 5.5 miles (9 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 22 miles (35 km) | Swim: 1200m easy effort (zone 2) | Rest Day | Run: 5 miles (6-7 km) with 10 x 90 sec in zone 4, with 60 sec recovery | Swim: 5 x 300m zone 4, 4x 25m sprints | Rest Day |
| Week 14 Focus: Building strength | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 6 miles (10 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 75 min in zone 2 with 2 x 20 min in upper zone 3 | Swim: 3 x 500m with 90 sec rest (zone 3) | Rest Day | Swim: 1500m easy effort (zone 2) | Bike: 25 miles (40 km) at an easy pace | Rest Day |
| Week 15 Focus: Building confidence before the race experience | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 6 miles (10 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 60 min with 10 x 3 min (zone 4) with 1 min of recovery | Swim: 4 x 400m in zone 3, with 90 sec rest | Rest Day | Run: 4 miles with 10 x 90 sec with 30 sec jog in between (zone 4 for intervals, zone 2 otherwise) | Swim/Bike: Swim: 1,000m/Bike 18-20 miles (29-32 km) | Rest Day |
| Week 16 Focus: Getting ready to race your first Olympic triathlon! | ||||||
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Run: 3 miles (5 km); 4 x 75m strides | Bike: 30-40 min at an easy effort (zone 2) | Swim: 15 min easy (zone 2 effort) | Rest Day | Bike or run easy for 15-20 min | RACE! | Rest Day |
Feel free to modify this 16-week Olympic triathlon training plan as needed. Good luck with your training!
If you are a runner looking to participate in a triathlon, we have a special guide just for you.
Download The Training Plan Here
Enter your email, and I’ll send you this free training plan now, in PDF and Google Sheets formats (completely customizable), in both miles and kilometers.
Previous visitor or not seeing where to sign up?
Head over to our triathlon training plan database for full access to all plans.
