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Chargement…
Chargement…
The Sprint triathlon is the ideal entry format: ~1h30 of effort, accessible to any already-active athlete, and trainable in 3 months. Here's how to do it.
The Sprint triathlon is the shortest format of the international federation. It chains 750 m of swimming, 20 km of cycling and 5 km of running. Most triathletes finish between 1h-1h30 depending on level. It's the recommended format for a first triathlon.
Strengths: reasonable effort duration, accessible swim distance (about 15 lengths of a 50 m pool), supportable training volume even with a full-time job. The Sprint is also a specialisation format for athletes who like intensity — it's raced at a very high effort level, without the energy management of a long-distance format.
Distances
750 m / 20 km / 5 km
Effort duration
1h-1h30
Weekly load
4-7h/week
An example for 5-6h of training per week. Adapt to your personal calendar.
A 12-week prep split into 3 coherent blocks.
Weeks 1-5
Goal: build fundamental endurance across all 3 disciplines. Easy sessions, swim technique focus, first long bike rides. No high intensity this phase, we install habits. Includes 1 short brick per week to get the body used to the transition.
Weeks 6-10
Goal: develop power and specific Sprint pace. Short intervals in running (30/30, 400 m), threshold intervals on bike (4×4 min), tri pace in swim (100 m). 1 harder weekly brick (45 min bike + 15 min run at target pace).
Weeks 11-12
Goal: recover to arrive fresh on race day. Reduced volume (-30 to -50%), intensity maintained but on short volumes. Test the kit in race conditions. 2-3 full rest days before the start.
Pick your 1st Sprint in a pool (not open water). Less anxiety-inducing and you focus on your time rather than navigation.
Scout the bike course 1 week before. T1 and T2 transitions are concrete plans to memorise, not something to improvise.
Eat a real breakfast 3h before the start. No new food on race day — only what you've tested on your bricks.
Start the swim at 80%. Many blow up by the 200 m mark because they go too hard. The swim is the moment to save energy, not build gaps.
On the run, accept being slow at km 1. The first 2-3 km off the bike are mechanically difficult. You'll naturally speed up after.
Triathlon training — Overview
The 5 formats explained (Sprint, Olympic, Half, Ironman) on 1 page.
Bike-run brick training
The key session to nail the T2 moment.
Find a triathlon partner
The French triathlon community.
The TriMates concept
How the platform works.
Pick your race and train for it
The race calendar: training partners, nearby routes and carpooling for every event
Create your free TriMates account, set Sprint as target format and find your training partners.