This article explains the various distances of Triathlon. From the Super Sprint to the Ultra triathlons … even the dreaded Deca’s, we tell you how long the swim, bike and run distance are.

The Triple deca ultra triathlon – 71 mile swim/3400 bike/780 mile run is the hardest of all the triathlon distances
Table of Contents
Triathlon Distances
If you are reading this, you have the itch to do a triathlon. The sport where you get to do three disciplines, as if one wasn’t enough of a challenge.
Fantastic! Welcome to all like-minded, challenge craving fanatics. Fortunately, there is a distance out there for all of us.

One of the best aspects of triathlon; it can be a rewarding physical and mental challenge to any person, at any skill level, at any distance.
Before we get into it, where was this idea of triathlon born? What crazy, awesome person came up with this epic human feat.
This idea for a multisport race, now known as triathlon was the brainchild of a group of endurance runners who wanted to mix up their cross training.
The first recorded triathlon took place in 1974. Mission Bay in San Diego was the location of the first event including a 500-yard swim through the bay, followed by a 5-mile bicycle and 2.8-mile run.
Four years later, John Collins, a San Diego local, combined three of Hawaii’s long standing endurance events into a single triathlon-style competition (now known as Ironman) that attracted the attention of sportscasters and television with the amazing efforts of the courageous humans who took part. ( source: USA Triathlon)
Whether you are reading as a newcomer to the sport or a seasoned veteran, the common denominator here is the shared desire to push our bodies and minds in a way that takes structured training, preparation, patience, and persistence. It’s not easy and that is what we love about it!
The topic of triathlon can easily become overwhelming, as there are countless aspects of the sport to learn and attempt to master.
No matter how much experience a triathlete has, there is always something to learn and improve on, which makes triathlon such a great lifelong sport. Wherever you stand, you have to start somewhere!
Depending on your personality and to what degree you want to challenge yourself, let’s dive into the distance options of swim, bike, and run.
Super Sprint
First you want to “try-a-tri” distance. The distance that requires the least training and preparation to finish. However, a great place to begin to see if the sport is everything you imagine.

Typically, the swim will be around 300 meters, the bike is about 8k ( 5 miles), and the run is about 1.2k (2k).
If you are coming from a minimal athletic background, you don’t have much time to train, and you just want to see how it feels to complete a three disciplined sport, this will be your go-to distance.
The super sprint is often a great way for a child who is interested in doing their first triathlon too.
Sprint
The most common and most widely participated distance of triathlon and another great place to start as a beginner to the sport.
Expect to swim 750m (.47) in some body of open water (bay, beach, lake), bike 20k (12 miles), and run 5k (3.1 miles). Although this is a “shorter” distance for the sport, you will need to train and prepare your body to be able to compete at a strenuous level for an average of 70-90 minutes of duration.
Olympic or 5150
Most events will offer the Olympic distance, which is also often referred to as an International or 5150.

This is something to look into once you have done a few sprint distances, you have a solid base of training in all three disciplines under your belt, and are ready to be racing from 130-150 minutes or more depending on the course.
The swim will be 1.5k (.93 miles), the bike will be 40k (24 miles), and the run will be 10k ( 6.2 miles).
Half Ironman
Half Ironman – Now we are talking serious talk. In this distance, you will begin to see more competitive triathletes and most certainly not many newcomers to the sport participating in this distance.

Some eager souls may jump into it cold turkey, but it is very rare, as this distance requires double, maybe triple, the amount of training required for a sprint triathlon. It is not an easy endeavor, however it is extremely rewarding to do and finish. A goal worth working towards! At this distance, the preparation is key to get to the start line.
Many love this distance and it seems to be a crowd favorite in the world of like-minded triathlon fanatics. A strategic nutrition plan will need to be practiced and put in place in order to keep your body functioning optimally, this is not the triathlon to wing it.
As many will tell you, this distance is pleasurably painful in a different way compared to the sprint and Olympic distances. It is more about maintaining mindset and form to get you to the finish line.
Get ready for 1.9k (1.2 mile) swim, 90k ( 56 mile) bike, and 21.1k ( 13 mile) run. Age groupers can expect to be out there 5-6 hours. The cut off time to finish the entire race is 8 and a half hours. However, this cut off is nothing to worry about, it is more than enough time to finish the race.
Full Ironman
First thing that comes to mind? KONA. The big dogs. We welcome all the crazies with open arms!
Now we are REALLY talking some serious triathlon talk. If you have made it this far, kudos to you and ALL the intense, hard work put into this distance. It is no joke.
However, the strength gained both mind and body from this distance experience is incomparable. The swim is a 3.8k ( 2.4 mile) swim, 180k mile (112 mile), and 42.2k (26 mile). The cut off to finish an Ironman is 17 hours.
Ironman athletes require anywhere from 20-30 hours of training a week to get to the starting line and finish an Ironman.
It is a process getting to this distance and it required some sense of “all in” both mind and body. It takes time to adapt to the body to these types of miles, especially the 26 mile run.
Triathlon ULTRA Distances
Next up, the ULTRA distances of triathlon. You mean there are longer triathlon distances?! Yes, the bar continues to be raised.
- Double ultra triathlon – 4.7 mile swim/220mile bike/52.4 mile run
- Triple ultra triathlon – 7.1 mile swim/340 mile bike/78.7 mile run
- Quadruple ultra triathlon – 12 mile swim/560 mile bike/131 mile run
- Deca ultra triathlon – 24 mile swim/ 1100 mile bike/ 262 mile run
- Double deca ultra triathlon – 47 mile swim/2200 bike/524 mile run
- Triple deca ultra triathlon – 71 mile swim/3400 bike/780 mile run
Cue **JAW DROP** I know, it is hard to comprehend a human body traveling these distances but it has been done.
Deca Triathlon
Let’s chat about the Deca Triathlon – IRONMAN TIMES TEN!
The race takes weeks. As you can try to fathom, it is beyond brutal. We are talking about sleep deprivation, hallucinations, blood, sweat, and tears.
Each leg is a “Deca” aka 10 times longer than a normal ironman, with 24 miles of swimming, 1,120 miles of biking, and 262 miles of running. Want to take a guess where these athletes started? Yes! With the shortest distance of triathlon.
Have you heard about Ultraman?
It is a three-day, 515 km (320 mile) multisport race held annually on the Big Island of Hawaii.
This includes a total of a 6.2 mile swim, 261.4 mile bike, and 52.4 mile run over the course of three days and three stages.
Entry is limited to 40 participants and is by invitation only. This event was founded in 1983 and is held annually on the traditional Thanksgiving weekend.
If you have yet to participate in a triathlon or need a little inspiration and push to get out there, just go watch one of these events at any distance and see people of ALL backgrounds defy their perceived limitations.
Wherever you stand at this very moment, there is always room for more challenge and growth.
Whether that is choosing a longer distance of triathlon to race, or maybe adding a couple more races to your calendar a year, it is a great hobby to get involved with.
All around the world, there are communities of triathlon fanatics who train, push, and support each other in and out of the sport.
Triathlon is a community who celebrates finishing the race. Although times and splits are great for tracking improvement and setting new goals, simply just getting out there and DOING IT is what it is all about. You don’t have to be glued to your Garmin Forerunner triathlon watch.
Did You Know?! Triathlon WOW Facts
- Going under 8 hours in the full ironman distance was once compared to breaking the two hour time in a marathon. This was once deemed impossible. With several individuals now under the 8 hour mark, the bar continues to be raised. Jan Frodeno is currently the fastest man with a time of 7:35:39 from Challenge Roth in 2016.
- The youngest full ironman finished in the world is just 13 years old, Hunter Lussi competed and broke an Ironman world record and won the 2.4 mile swim portion a year later in the same event.
- Hiromu Inada is 85 year old and is officially the oldest man to complete a full Ironman.
- The slowest finish time ever recorded at the Ironman Triathlon World Championship was 26:20:00 set by Walt Stack, 73, in 1981.( Source: Ironman)
- Over the years, 88 different countries have been represented at the championship
You gotta start somewhere. We as humans are capable of so much more than we realize. Get out there! Do it!
Top 3 FAQ’s on Triathlon Distances
The Triple deca ultra triathlon – 71 mile swim/3400 bike/780 mile run is the hardest of all the triathlon distances
Sprint – Expect to swim 750m (.47) in some body of open water (bay, beach, lake), bike 20k (12 miles), and run 5k (3.1 miles)
The swim is a 3.8k ( 2.4 mile) swim, 180k mile (112 mile), and 42.2k (26 mile). The distance has to be completed within 17 hours to record a finish
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