While the Ironman triathlon blossomed in the ’70s and ’80s, it wasn’t until the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia that the official Olympic distance triathlon was formed.
How long is an Olympic triathlon? The official Olympic distance triathlon consists of a:
- 0.93 mile (1.5 km) Swim
- 24.8 mile (40 km) Bike
- 6.2 mile (10 km) Run
The Olympic triathlon is exactly double the traditional sprint distance triathlon. It’s also just shy of half the distance in a 70.3 triathlon.
This requires athletes to have greater endurance and stamina to complete the race, but also have fast legs and efficient transitions to be competitive.
Training for an Olympic distance triathlon? Check out our 8-Week Olympic Training Plan.
| Race Type | Swim | Bike | Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Triathlon | 0.93 miles (1.5km) | 24.8 miles (40km) | 6.2 miles (10km) |
Transitioning from Sprint Distance to Olympic Triathlon
Making the jump from sprint to Olympic distance triathlon requires greater dedication to the sport. Allocating time early in the season to build endurance, do the strength work, and injury-proof your body is more important when racing higher volume events that take on average 3 hours to complete.
But for competitive athletes and even those at the professional level, speedwork and efficiency play a critical role in reaching the podium.
Olympic Triathlon Essentials
If you’ve ever watched an Olympic, ITU, or SuperLeague triathlon online or on television, then you’re probably familiar with the level of intensity and efficiency that’s displayed by pro triathletes.
Not only are transition times mere seconds, but the overall pace is often extremely fast, hovering just above a 5-minute mile run pace.
Fastest Olympic Distance Triathlon Time
High-caliber professionals will often finish Olympic triathlons in less than 2 hours, with the men’s record currently at just over 1:45:01 set by Alistair Brownlee at the 2016 Rio Games. Flora Duffy set the women’s record in 1:55:36 at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
For the top age groupers, the average Olympic distance triathlon times typically range between 2 hours and 2½ hours. Most mid-pack age groupers finish between 2½ and 3 hours.
While not everyone is going for speed, the Olympic triathlon requires diligent pacing, energy management, and adequate stamina. Because distances are double that of a sprint triathlon, most athletes spend well over an hour on the bike leg, only to run a 10k (6.2 miles) directly afterward. A bike-run transition at that level of volume requires sufficient fitness that can’t be faked.
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Endurance athlete, professional off-road cyclist, and avid blogger, Tyler Tafelsky participates in long-course multisport and cycling events. Today, Tyler competes in ultra-distance cycling races at the professional level. Since starting Better Triathlete in 2014, he has been the head of content for the site's editorial team. Learn more about Tyler