Sport & running
What swim, bike and run paces do you need for your triathlon goal time?
Set a goal finish time and get the swim, bike and run paces you need — with transition time built in.
Quick answer
Goal-time planning works backwards: **target finish − T1 − T2 = athletic time**, then split that across swim, bike and run. For a **3:00 Olympic**, with **5 min transitions**, **175 min** remain — a typical age-group split (~11% / 52% / 37%) needs **~1:17/100 m swim**, **~31 km/h bike**, **~5:25/km run**. Change the split strategy if you are bike- or run-strong.
Required swim pace
1:17 /100 m
- Required bike speed
- 26.4 km/h
- Required run pace
- 6:29 /km
- Athletic time (excl. transitions)
- 2h 55′ 00″
Splits allocate the athletic time between swim, bike and run. Adjust the strategy if you are stronger on the bike or run — then check paces against your training data.
How it works
This is a planning model, not a coach — validate paces against recent bricks and a power meter on the bike leg. Nutrition stays simple: practice race-day fueling in training; do not experiment new gels on the start line.
Frequently asked questions
How does the split strategy work?+
Typical uses format-specific age-group percentages (e.g. Olympic ~11/52/37 swim/bike/run of athletic time). Bike-strong shifts ~8% from run/swim to bike; run-strong does the opposite. Equal splits are educational but rarely match real races.
Can I hit a sub-3 h Olympic with these paces?+
Sub-3 h Olympic needs ~1:10/100 m or faster swim, ~33+ km/h bike and ~4:50/km run after transitions — elite territory. A 3:00 goal with typical splits lands near 1:17 swim, 31 km/h bike, 5:25 run — solid age-group.
70.3 vs Ironman pacing — what changes?+
Longer races use slightly lower bike/run intensities for the same % split — the calculator adjusts distances and default goal times. Ironman run pace is almost always slower per km than 70.3 even for the same athlete.
Should I include nutrition stops in transition time?+
Count only T1/T2 boxes — aid stations on course belong in bike/run pace averages (slower effective speed). Practice eating on the bike so you do not lose minutes standing at the tent.
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