Order of Triathlon: What Are the Order of Events and Race Types?

If you’re thinking of participating in a triathlon, you might have a few questions about how the race operates and what the competition involves. After all, it can be a bit overwhelming to try to do three sports that you may not have had much experience with before!

With that in mind, we wanted to create a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide that walks you through what order triathlon includes in its events. We’ll cover the different race types you can choose from.

After reading this, you’ll be ready to get signed up!

Sprint Triathlon

A Sprint Triathlon is the shortest of the race types and involves a 750-meter swim followed by a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 5-kilometer run. The order of the events is swim, bike, and run in that order. Depending on the course, the swim may be in either open water or a pool, and the bike course may be on roads, paths, or trails, while the run usually takes place on paths or trails.

The swim and bike courses range from flat to hilly terrain and aid stations may be stocked with water and sports drinks to make sure the racers can stay sufficiently hydrated. The transitions between the swim, bike, and run, involve changing into the necessary equipment for the subsequent discipline and can take precious seconds off a racer’s total time. 

Olympic Triathlon

An Olympic triathlon is the most popular and competitive type of triathlon and consists of swimming, cycling, and running in that order. Athletes are required to complete a 1.5 km (0.93 miles) open water swim, followed by a 40km (24.85 miles) cycling route, and lastly a 10 km (6.21 mile) running course.

The athletes must then cross the finish line in the same order in which they began. Sports such as duathlon, consisting of running and cycling only, and Aquathlon, consisting of just a swimming and running combination. 

Half Ironman (70.3) Triathlon

Half Ironman 703 Triathlon is a popular long-distance triathlon event that consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 55.9-mile bike ride, and a thirteen-mile run. This race typically begins with a swim in a body of water such as a lake or the ocean, and equipment such as wetsuits may be mandatory depending on the conditions.

Afterwards, the athletes must transition to the cycling part of the race, where they must complete 56 miles. Finally, the athletes transition to the run part of the race, which is a thirteen-mile road course with some inclines and declines.

Ironman Triathlon

An Ironman Triathlon is one of the toughest endurance events which consists of three successive endurance races, each in a different sport. The order of events involves a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile (180 km) bike ride, and finally, a 26.2-mile (42.2km) marathon to finish it off. The swim and bike races are done as one “long course” event, while the marathon is done as a stand-alone event.

The course layout depends on the particular race venue, however, the total race distance will always be 1,140 miles (1,828 km). The Ironman Triathlon is a test of physical and mental endurance that can take a maximum of 17 hours to complete. If you are up for this challenge, make sure to have a triathlon coach as this type of triathlon needs intense training.

Understand What Order Triathlon Includes in Each Event

Triathlons consist of an intense but rewarding sequence of sports activities and challenge athletes to reach their fullest potential. The most common order triathlon includes are swim, bike, and run, and a range of race types cater exclusively to what athletes can handle. Start your journey today!

Visit our blog for more articles.