Sprint triathlon
About this challenge
The sprint triathlon is a multi-discipline event consisting of a 750m swim, a 20km cycle and a 5km run. This sprint triathlon challenge will safely progress your fitness across these three disciplines so that you will be able to comfortably complete the challenge.

intermediate Training Plan
This training guide is specifically designed to safely progress your fitness to the appropriate levels so that you will not just be able to complete the challenge but you’ll be able to complete it comfortably. Throughout the challenge you’ll receive supporting articles and advice to compliment your training.
Entry requirements: intermediate
This challenge is for you if you are completely new to triathlon (but have a good grounding in one or more of the triathlon disciplines) or you have possibly completed one sprint distance triathlon event.
1. 16 x 25 metres with 10 seconds rest (consisting of 3 x freestyle and 1 x different stroke)
2. 8 x 50 metres with 15 seconds rest (consisting of 8 strokes fast and rest of 50 metres easy)
3. 100 metres kick
4. 100 metres swim
Swim total 1,000 metres
30 minutes very easy run and stretching afterwards
45 minutes easy ride
10 x 100 metres all with 30 seconds rest (consisting of:
1. 2 x swim
2. 2 x pull
3. 2 x 50 metres kick, 50 metres swim
4. 2 x build to a sprint
5. 2 x 75 metres free, 25 metres backstroke
Swim total 1,000 metres
Recovery and stretching
75 minutes easy ride
30 minutes easy run
20 x 25 metres rotate (consisting of:
1. 1 x swim easy pace
2. 2 x kick on side left and right
3. 3 x 25 metres backstroke
4. 4 x swim with strong leg kick
5. 5 x 10 metres underwater kick streamlined position 15 metre sprint
Also 3 x 200 metres (consisting of:
1. 2 x swim
2. 1 x pull
Ending with 150 metres recovery
In afternoon complete a 30 minute jog
Swim total 1,250 metres plus afternoon jog of 30 minutes
40 minutes easy run
60 minutes easy ride
1. 400 metres easy swim
2. 300 metres as 75 metres freestyle and 25 metres backstroke
3. 200 metres build your effort
4. 100 metres fast
5. 4 x 25 metres kick
6. 4 x 25 metres (15 metres fast with 10 metres recovery)
7. 50 metres easy
Swim total 1,250 metres
Recovery and stretching
90 minutes easy ride
40 minutes run
1. 8 x 50 metres (alternating 25 metres freestyle, 25 metres backstroke and last 10 metres fast)
2. 100 metres kick
3. 8 x 25 metres with 5 seconds rest and build up pace the whole set
4. 300 metres (10 strokes fast every 100 metres)
5. 300 metres (pull second half faster than the first half)
6. 4 x 50 metres recovery
Swim total 1,500 metres
45 minutes run with 2 x ( 4x 30 seconds fast 1 minute easy) and 5 minutes jog between
60 minutes easy ride with 4 x (3 minutes over gear race intensity, 3 minutes normal gear)
1. 400 metres choice strokes
2. 3 x 200 metres easy swimming
3. 3 x 100 metres race pace
4. 3 x 50 metres sprint
5. 150 metres easy warm down
Jog 30 minutes directly from your swim session
Swim total 1,600 metres followed immediately by 30 minutes jog
Rest
Recovery day
90 minutes ride easy
50 minutes easy run
1. 6 x 125 metres as 75 metres easy, 25 metres backstroke, 25 metres kick with board
2. 8 x 25 metres with full recovery as 15 metres sprint and 10 metres recovery
3. 3 x 250m (with 1st 250 metres easy, 2nd as Pull and 3rd as 6 strokes fast as the start of each 50 metres)
4. 50 metres easy choice stroke
Swim total 1,750 metres
45 minutes run with 2 x (4 x 30 seconds sprint, 1 minutes recovery) 5 minutes jogging between
75 minutes cycle with 5 x (3 minutes over gear and 3 minutes easy high gear)
1. 8 x 50 metres as 25 metres drill 25 metres easy
2. 8 x 25 metres kick
3. 8 x 100 metres with 15 seconds rest easy
4. 6 x 50 metres mixed swimming (kick, drills, backstroke, freestyle)
In the afternoon 40 minutes jog
Swim total 1,750 metres followed by 40 minute afternoon jog
Recovery and stretching
90 minutes ride
50 minutes easy run
10 x 200 metres with full recovery (consisting of:
1. 75 metres freestyle, 25 metres backstroke
2. pull
3. kick
4. 25 metres fast, 75 metres recovery x 2
5. Swim
6. Dead turn every 50 metres
7. pull
8. 2nd 200 metres faster then the first 200 metres
Swim total 2,000 metres
50 minutes run with 8 x 200 metres sprint with 1 minute jog recovery
75 minutes cycle (with 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute over gear, ride easy for the same duration)
1. 3 x 200m with full recovery (consisting of:
- 1st swim 75 metres free, 25 metres back
- 2nd pull
- 3rd as dead turn every 50 metres (don’t touch the wall)
2. 8 x 25 metres build from easy to fast by the 8th
3. 400 metres straight swim
4. 300 metres pull
5. 200 metres (75 metres freestyle, 25 metres double arm backstroke)
6. 100 metres kick
7. 200 metres choice easy
40 minutes run straight from your swim (or in the afternoon)
Swim total 2,000 metres followed by a 40 minute run
Recovery and stretching
1 hour 45 minutes easy ride
50 minutes run (as 15 minutes easy, 15 minute moderate, 15 minutes fast and 5 minutes jogging)
1. 4 x 125 metres as 75 metres easy, 25 metres backstroke, 25 metres kick with board
2. 20 x 25 metres (as
-10 strokes fast rest easy
-Backstroke
-Build easy to fast
-Easy
3. 5 x 100 metres with legs 1,3 and 5 Pull and 2 and 4 swim
Swim total 1,500 metres
30 minutes easy run
60 minutes easy bike
1. 3 x 300m each set as swim, pull, kick with board (full recovery)
2. 2 x (5 x 50 metres, reduce stroke count by 1 stroke each 50 metres) plus 200 metres easy swim between choice strokes
3. 4 x 50 metres winding down from steady to easy
Swim total 2,000 metres
Recovery
90 minutes easy ride plus 30 mins run
Ride and then run
30 minutes run
1. 300 metres easy
2. 200 metres pull
3.100 metres kick
4. 4 x 25 metres as 15 metres fast 10 metre recovery
5. 3 x broken 200’s with 100m easy between
- 1st as 100 metres, 100 metres
- 2nd as 50 metres, 50 metres, 100 metres
- 3rd as 50 metres, 50 metres, 50 metres, 50 metres
6. 200 metres (75 metres freestyle 25 metres backstroke)
7. 2 x 50 metres kick
8. 100 metres easy
Followed by 30 minutes very easy jog in the afternoon
Swim total 2,000 metres plus 30 minutes run
N.B. This is your highest volume training week
50 minutes run with with 2 x (3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minutes fast) 90 seconds jog / walk between
75 minutes ride with 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minutes over gear, ride easy for the same duration
1. 400 metres straight swim as 75 metres freestyle, 25 metres different stroke
2. 20 x 25 metres as full recovery consisting of:
- 10 strokes fast rest easy
- backstroke
- exaggerated long stroke
- recovery
3. 800 metres easy (just make the distance)
4. 6 x 50 metres (1,3,5 kick and 2,4,6 recovery)
Swim 2,200 metres
Recovery and stretching
2 hour easy ride
40 minutes easy run
(Wetsuit swim)
1. 6 x 100 metres warm up as
- swim
- pull
- swim dead turns every 50 metres
2. 4 x 25 metres fast and 15 seconds rest
3. 100 metres easy
2 minutes standing recovery (like a race) and then...
4. 800m timed swim in your wetsuit if you have one
5. 4 x 25 metres fast and 15 seconds rest
6. 100 metres recovery
7. 4 x 25 metres recovery
Followed by 30 minutes jog in the afternoon
Swim total 1,800 metres and 30 minute afternoon jog
50 minutes run with 10 x 60 seconds fast with 60 seconds recovery jog / walk
75 minutes ride with 10 x (1 minute over gear, 1 minute fast normal gear) and 2 minutes recovery
5 x 400 metres and 1 minutes rest. Consisting of:
- 1st Swim as 150 metres swim, 50 metres choice
- 2nd Pull
- 3rd 2nd half slightly faster then 1st half (negative split)
- 4th pull
- 5th swim recovery with 10 seconds rest each 100 metres
Followed by 30 minutes jog in the afternoon
Swim total 2,000 metres
Recovery and stretching
2 hour easy ride
60 minutes easy run negative split (2nd half faster slightly faster than the first half)
1. 4 x 125 metres (75 metres easy, 25 metres backstroke, 25 metres kick with board)
2. 20 x 25 metres as
-10 strokes fast rest easy
-backstroke
-build easy to fast
-easy
3. 5 x 100 metres 1,3,5 pull and 2,4 swim
Swim total 1,500 metres
30 minutes easy run
45 minutes easy bike
1. 3 x 300 metres each set as swim, pull, kick with board (full recovery)
2. 1,000 metres nice and easy as 500 metres swim and 500 metres pull
3. 4 x 25 metres easy mixed
Swim total 2,000 metres
Recovery
60 minutes easy ride and 30 minutes run directly off the bike
30 minutes run
1. 2 x 400 metres Swim easy as 175 metre freestyle, 25 metre different stroke, and 1 minute rest
2. 2 x 300 metres pull steady pace and 40 seconds rest
3. 2 x 200 metres 2nd (200m is 5 sec faster then first 200m ) and then 30 seconds rest
4. 2 x 100 metres 50 metre kick 50 metres swim and full rest
Swim total 2,000 metres
Run session (all at just above race pace)
1. 4 minutes and 2 minutes recovery
2. 3 minutes and 90 seconds recovery
3. 2 minutes and 60 seconds recovery
4. 1 minute and 30 sec recovery
Repeat all of the above (1-4)
60 minutes easy ride
1. 100 metres easy
2. 20 x 25 metres as Easy, Sprint, Longstroke and backstroke
3. 4 x broken 200’s with 100 metres easy between. Consisting of:
- 1st as 100 metres, 100 metres
- 2nd as 100 metres, 50 metres, 50 metres
- 3rd as 50 metres, 100 metres, 50 metres
- 4th as 50 metres, 50 metres, 50 metres, 50 metres
4. 20 metres recovery
Follow up with a 40 minutes evening jog
Swimming total 2,000 metres.
(This is a good opportunity to swim in your wetsuit if your race is likely to be wetsuit legal)
Recovery and stretching
90 minutes ride with 2 x (5 x 1 minute fast and 1 minute easy) - straight into 5 minutes at race pace
1. 30 minutes easy jog
2. 90 minutes easy ride
3. 30 minutes - negative split run easy - hard.
1. 5 x 200 metres SKIPS with full recovery
- Swim
- Kick
-IM (Fly, Back, Breast, Freestyle in 25 metres)
- Pull
- Swim
2. 8 x 100 metres mixed with 30 seconds rest between
- 2 x swim
- 2 x pull
- 2 x dead Turns every 100 metres
- 2 x negative split
3. 200 metres recovery
Swimming total 2,000 metres
Run session 10 mins warm up jog with 10 x (60 seconds fast, 60 seconds recovery jogging)
60 minutes easy ride
1. 4 x 125 metres (100 metres freestyle, 25 metres backstroke)
2. 4 x 25 metres (15 metres sprint, 10 metres recovery)
3. 100 metres easy
4. 4 x 25 metres sprint
5. 100m easy
6. 2 x (4 x 100 metres) and 20 seconds rest between each interval all swim at your best pace and 100 metres easy swimming between sets
7. 100 metres recovery
Follow up with 35 minutes afternoon run
Swim total 2,000 metres and 35 minutes afternoon run
Recovery and stretching
90mins ride with intervals
- 5 x 30 seconds seated sprints and 90 seconds recovery
Straight into :
- 5 minutes Race pace and 2 minutes recovery
- 4 minutes Race pace and 2 minutes recovery
- 3 minutes Race pace and 2 minutes recovery
- 2 minutes Race pace and 2 minutes recovery
- 1 minute Max
Warm down
60 minutes easy run
1. 600 metres very easy warm up
2. 4 x 50 metres at your target race pace
3. 200 metres pull
4. 4 x 25 metres kick
5. 8 x 25 metres Just above target race pace
6. 200 metres recovery
Swim total 1,500 metres
30 minutes easy run with 2 x 3 minutes at race pace and 3 x 30 seconds above race pace
45 minutes easy ride with 2 x 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute at race pace
Run 30 minutes easy
1. 400 metres easy
2. 100 metres target start pace
3. 50 metres recovery
4. 2 x 50 metres target start pace
5. 50 metres recovery
6. 4 x 25 metres target start pace
7. 200 metres choice recovery
Swim total 1,000 metres
1. 30 minutes easy bike with 3 x 1 minutes at race pace
2. 10 minutes easy jog
Race day