A 70.3 is a great distance for athletes who specialize in endurance over speed and is a compromise for athletes who like high-mileage racing without committing to a full IRONMAN training plan.

The very best triathlon runners manage to run within seconds of their best times for the run distance even after they have swum and biked. Depending on your fitness level, course conditions, and the weather on race day, you can expect to complete these three legs in about 1.5 hours. Fair warning: the Olympic distance is no easy feat.

Both avid triathletes, Holland is a 26-time Ironman triathlon finisher, and Ryan has completed more than 15 Olympic-distance triathlons, three half Ironman triathlons, and one full Ironman triathlon. A half IRONMAN is a challenging race that can take up to eight and a half hours to complete—although finishing is obtainable after a completing a structured training program. Its distances are standardized, with a 1.5K (0.93-mile) swim, a 40K (24.8-mile) bike and a 10K (6.2-mile) run. All athletes have 17 hours to cross the finish line where they will be met with the iconic words, "You are an IRONMAN!". You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

The order of triathlons is generally swim/bike/run. This is the “real deal,” says Ryan. The sport evolved out of a 1970s American craze for long-distance running and fitness and was introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. Sign In, Join Active Ironman. However, if you’re an experienced triathlete, Ryan says you may only need four to six weeks to get race-day ready. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Primož Roglic’s Soul-Crushing Tour de France Loss, ASO Reportedly Planning a Women’s Stage Race, Remco Evenepoel Fractures Pelvis at Il Lombardia, Hailstorm Batters Peloton in Critérium du Dauphiné. Support & Feedback Careers

(Sept. 1, 2010) http://ironman.com/mediacenter#axzz0yO1H6JLO, Mackinnon, Kevin. (Sept. 1, 2010) http://ironman.com/holdingcell/2003/june-2003/julie-moss-back-to-kona-to-celebrate-her-defining-moment#axzz0yO6Axvgr, USA Triathlon. Footwear | Fitness Apparel | Outdoor Gear. Are you sure you want to delete this family member? Terms of Use

“It’s challenging, but does not require huge lifestyle modifications to train adequately, and it may be the bug that bites you— enticing you to try the next level.”. Bicycling talked with Tom Holland, M.S., C.S.C.S., and Michael K. Ryan, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center to find out everything you need to know about the different triathlon distances.

"Julie Moss: Back to Kona to Celebrate her Defining Moment."

Adding family members helps ACTIVE find events specific to your family's interests. © 2020 Active Network, LLC and/or its affiliates and licensors. Probably the most well-known IronmanTriathlon is the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in Kona. Even "sprint," or mini-triathlons, are still arduous, requiring a 0.5-mile (0.8-kilometer) swim, 15-mile (24-kilometer) bike ride and 3-mile (5-kilometer) run. The official distance for triathlon was set at a 1,500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run – taken from existing events in each discipline already on the Olympic programme. This format generally starts separately from longer distances (you won't have to swim with a lot of other athletes), and buying new gear isn't necessary. There are approximately 4 million people in the U.S. who participate in triathlons each year. Double its 70.3-distance sibling, an IRONMAN is 140.6 miles long and consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run. The most common triathlon distance follows international Olympic guidelines: A swim of 0.93 miles (1.5 kilometers), a bicycle route of 24.8 miles (40 kilometers) and a run of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). Don't worry about being aero or high-performance—finishing is what matters most here. Triathlon, an endurance contest involving swimming, cycling, and running.

Ryan says novices may require three to five months to be ready for this distance, while experienced triathletes may only require six to 12 weeks. Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, 96,000 athletes register to compete in Ironman races, The Difference Between Good and Bad Cholesterol, Everything You Need to Know About Glycogen, What You Should Know About Getting Your Bike Fit, ​Everything You Need to Know About Riding RAGBRAI.