How long is a triathlon?
B · Beginner · The race and the swim · 2 of 5It depends on the event. The standard distance is a 1500 m swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run. The sprint distance is half of that: 750 m, 20 km and 5 km. There are shorter super sprint and relay distances, and middle and long distances that go up to a 4000 m swim, 200 km bike and 42.2 km run.
How it works
- Sprint distance: 750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run.
- Standard distance: 1500 m swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run.
- Super sprint: 250 m to 500 m swim, 6.5 km to 13 km bike, 1.7 km to 3.5 km run.
- Relay legs: 250 m to 300 m swim, 5 km to 8 km bike, 1.5 km to 2 km run for each athlete.
- Middle distance: 1900 m to 2999 m swim, 80 km to 90 km bike, 20 km to 21.9 km run.
- Long distance: 3000 m to 4000 m swim, 91 km to 200 km bike, 22 km to 42.2 km run.
- Minimum ages: 15 for super sprint and relays, 16 for sprint and 18 for standard and longer.
- Shortened swims: the swim may be shortened or cancelled for water that is too hot or too cold.
- Time penalties scale: a penalty for an ordinary infringement is 10 seconds in a sprint and 15 in a standard-distance race.
- Brand names: "Ironman" and "70.3" are brands for particular long and middle distance races and are not World Triathlon terms.
The glossary has the sprint distance, the standard distance, the middle distance, the long distance, the mixed team relay and the cut off time entry.
Tricky cases
Is "Olympic distance" an official term?
The rule book calls it the standard distance. "Olympic distance" is common usage for the same thing.
Is the swim always exactly 1500 m?
In a standard-distance race that is the distance in the table. It can be shortened for water temperature, and open-water courses are measured, not marked like a pool.
How far does each athlete go in the mixed relay?
A swim of 250 m to 300 m, a bike of 5 km to 8 km and a run of 1.5 km to 2 km.
A 15-year-old wants to enter a sprint triathlon. Is that allowed under these rules?
No. The minimum age for the sprint distance is 16. Super sprint and relay events are open at 15.
Why the rule exists
Fixed distances make times and races comparable, and the ratio between the three keeps any one sport from deciding everything. The longer events are given ranges, not single figures, because a 180 km bike course has to fit real roads. The age limits rise with the distance to protect young athletes.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 750 m, 20 km, 5 km | WT distance table |
| Standard | 1500 m, 40 km, 10 km | WT distance table |
| Middle and long | Given as ranges | WT distance table |
| Duathlon and aquathlon | Their own tables | WT distance table |
From the rule book
World Triathlon, Competition Rules (2026 edition, amended 29 April 2026), the distance table in the appendices, and sections 3.3 and 4.4. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Triathlon Competition Rules (PDF).