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Growth Paths / Triathlon & Open Water Endurance
BeginnerFREESport

Triathlon & Open Water Endurance

Three sports, one finish line — and the open water beyond.

A multi-sport endurance path from cycling and open water swim foundations through to full Ironman distance and beyond. Sprint triathlon is the one required rung — it's the event where all three disciplines come together for the first time and you learn how transitions actually work. The rest follows your ambition: Ironman progression, open water specialization, or both.

1 required outcomes156 weeksCredential on completion

Path outcomes

SportOptional

Cycle 100 Miles (Century Ride)

Elective. A century ride — the cycling benchmark that proves you have the aerobic base and saddle endurance for long triathlon bike legs.

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3 milestones

  1. 160-mile training ride
  2. 280-mile training ride
  3. 3Century complete
SportOptional

Complete First Open Water Swim (1km)

Elective. 1km in open water. Pool swimming and open water swimming are fundamentally different — sighting, temperature, and current demand specific preparation.

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3 milestones

  1. 1Build 1km pool swim base
  2. 2Complete first open water acclimatisation swims
  3. 3Finish a 1km open water event
Sport

Complete Your First Sprint Triathlon

Required. Sprint distance: ~750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run. The anchor event where T1 and T2 transitions, multi-sport pacing, and race-day logistics become real, not theoretical.

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3 milestones

  1. 1750m open water swim confident
  2. 2Brick workouts (bike → run) complete
  3. 3Sprint triathlon finished — official result
SportOptional

Complete a 70.3 Half-Ironman

Elective. 70.3 Half-Ironman: 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run. The step-up that requires dedicated multi-sport training blocks and a full nutrition strategy.

Take this Challenge →

3 milestones

  1. 1Olympic triathlon done
  2. 2Peak training week
  3. 370.3 finish
SportOptional

Complete a Full Ironman

Elective. Full Ironman: 3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run. A multi-year project for most athletes — pacing and fueling are as important as fitness.

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3 milestones

  1. 1Complete an Ironman 70.3 as prerequisite
  2. 2Complete a 24-week Ironman training block
  3. 3Cross the full Ironman finish line within 17 hours
SportOptional

Complete 5km Open Water Swim

Elective. 5km open water swim — a dedicated open water racing event where swimming is the entire sport.

Take this Challenge →

3 milestones

  1. 1Establish 5km pool endurance base
  2. 2Complete 3km+ open water practice swims
  3. 3Finish an organised 5km open water event
SportOptional

Complete an English Channel Relay

Elective. English Channel relay crossing (6-person team, each member swims one leg). The most prestigious open water relay in the world. Requires Channel Swimming Association sanction.

Take this Challenge →

3 milestones

  1. 1Build cold-water open water capacity
  2. 2Register team with CS&PF and complete logistics
  3. 3Complete the English Channel relay

Free resources for this path

Every resource listed here is free. No affiliate links. No sponsored placements.

Race calendar, training resources, and the national governing body. Your race results are registered here and serve as official verification.

The definitive periodization guide for multisport athletes. If you're targeting Half or Full Ironman, read this before building your training block.

Training plans, race reviews, gear guides, and nutrition advice from working practitioners. The most useful free resource for tactical preparation before your first triathlon.

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