We go into detail on overall triathlon distances here, and in this article will focus solely on the swim leg associated with each distance.
Summary of swim distances per event category
How much do you swim in a triathlon?
- Super sprint triathlon (mini triathlon) – varies, but typically 400 meters or 400 yards
- Sprint triathlon – varies, but typically 750m (820 yards)
- Olympic (standard distance) triathlon – always 1500m (1640 yards)
- Half Ironman® (Ironman® 70.3, half distance) – always 1.9km (1.2 miles)
- Ironman® Triathlon (full distance) – always 3.8km (2.4 miles)
Swim overviews by event category
Super Sprint Triathlon
Of the various triathlon distances, the super sprint distance can vary quite a lot. This is driven by the pool size relative to number of athletes entered, which impacts how many laps the organizers can safely coordinate.
You can expect almost all races to sit within the 300-500 meter or 300-500 yard range, however. Swims longer than 500 meters or yards are unlikely at the super sprint distance.
Yes, the YMCA is a good warm-up routine
This equates to 12 – 20 laps of a 25yd/25m pool, with a very high percentage of these shorter distances likely to be swimming pool based. For new athletes, this gives you an easy reference point around which to base your training plan.
Races typically start at one end of the pool, with athletes swimming a lap, moving under the lane line, swimming another lap, moving under the lane line, and so on, until they have crossed the required number of lanes. Each race is different though so pay close attention to the event-specific guidelines at this shorter distance.
Unlike with Ironman® events, most triathlons of this distance don’t post cut off times – a maximum time allowed for completion of each leg. Organizers want to give as many athletes as possible the chance to complete the swim leg effectively, recognizing that it may be the most intimidating of the three sports for some age groupers.
Sprint Triathlon Distance
The sprint distance race is one of the most common entry points in an athlete’s triathlon journey.
The swim distance can still vary, but is most likely to be 750m (820 yards). Due to the longer swim, organizers are more likely to host these swims in open water, as it is difficult to track the progress of multiple athletes swimming 30 laps each at different paces.
Sprint triathlons are often one of a series of race distances catered for at an event, and so there will probably be cut off times posted for these events if for no other reason than to clear the water before the next race starts.
You have plenty of time though, with cut off times often in the region of 30 minutes. In your triathlon training, that means building up to a pace of just under a minute per lap of a 25-meter pool, or under 55 seconds per lap in a 25-yard pool.
Olympic Distance Triathlon (Standard Distance Triathlon)
Olympic triathlons are the shortest of the different triathlon distances to be standardized. The swim is therefore always 1500 meters (1640 yards) in this form of triathlon racing.
The vast majority of Olympic distance races will have open water swims, so you should prepare for an open water swim if you are considering this distance.
We compare pool swimming to open water swimming here.
For training purposes, the race distance is the equivalent of 60 laps in a 25-meter pool, or 66 laps of a 25-yard pool, and you can get a feel for your race pace versus the cut off time by aiming to swim each lap in less than 60 (or 55) seconds.
A common triathlon mistake is to jump in and attempt this distance from your first workout, but this isn’t advised or necessary. Build up slowly!
Cut off times will be posted for these races, and these are at the discretion of the race organizer. You can expect the swim cut off to be in the region of 60 minutes for this type of event, before heading out on the bike and run.
For most triathletes, completing this distance on the swim (with enough gas in the tank for the bike and run!) requires a more focused approach to training, with time dedicated to specific swim fitness and improved technique as part of a build up of endurance across the three disciplines. Swimming two or more times per week is advised.
Half Ironman® Triathlon Distance
The Half Ironman® (Ironman® 70.3 or Half Distance) is accessible to many athletes with limited time to train. Loosely translated, that refers to all of us who aren’t living full time off a trust fund and aren’t shamelessly ignoring all our family commitments.
The swim distance is standardized at 1900 meters (1.2 miles or 2078 yards), a distance that is at least a little intimidating for most athletes, particularly as these swims are always in open water. At least some of them are downstream, though!
Given the distance, you should therefore aim to have at least three to four months to prepare for a swim this long if you don’t come from a swimming background. This distance equates to 76 laps in a 25-meter pool, or 83 laps in a 25-yard pool.
Cut off times are standardized by Ironman® at 1 hour 10 minutes, with average times in a race around half of that.
You therefore have 70 minutes to swim the equivalent of 76 laps in meters (or 83 laps in yards) to reach half iron distance, and so should aim for a pace at or around 50 seconds per lap in either pool distance by race day, and work your training plan back from that target speed.
Specific swim fitness is a must at this distance, and you can expect to train three times per week or more if you can, with the aim of getting onto the bike feeling as fresh as possible.
Ironman® Distance Triathlons
Full Ironman® distance events include a swim standardized at 3.8km (2.4 miles). This is a significant distance (at the start of a very, very long triathlon!), and can be intimidating even to a professional triathlete.
We don’t recommend the iron distance to be your first triathlon, and the swim distance plays a large role in that recommendation. A sprint distance triathlon, or even the Olympic distance, is a much more enjoyable entry point to the sport.
Wait, that’s only halfway?
How many laps is that? Long course races equate to 152 laps if you’re training in meters, or 166 laps in a 25-yard pool. Which is, unless you’re coming into triathlon directly from a competitive swimming background, quite a lot!
For full Ironman®, cut off times are again standardized at 2 hours 20 minutes, so the races do not give any concessions to athletes for how long the course is, requiring the same minimum pace as for the Half Ironman®. You need a level of fitness that supports this speed or faster for close to four kilometers.
Iconic iron distance races such as Challenge Roth in Germany have a similar cut off time (2 hours 10 minutes) in this case, so if you’re planning on racing a full-distance triathlon that isn’t organized by Ironman®, check the event materials if you’re worried about completing the swim in time.
Kids triathlon swim distances
Kids races don’t come with standardized distances for the swim leg, but there are a few common features:
- The swims are almost always pool based.
- Distances are very conservative, starting at 25 meters or yards for the youngest age categories. Kids up to age 10 are likely to swim 100m or 100 yards at a maximum.
- Parents can swim with their children in some of these younger categories, which can be a huge confidence boost for your child’s first triathlon.
As with the super sprint triathlon distances, kids races are designed to encourage maximum participation, and so the swim leg of these races will be as accessible as possible, allowing kids to get out on the bike with zero stress.