Sport & running
What is your triathlon finish time from swim, bike and run paces?
Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 or Ironman — enter swim pace, bike speed, run pace and transitions for total time and splits.
Quick answer
Triathlon time is not three separate workouts — it is one chain: swim + T1 + bike + T2 + run. Olympic 1500 m at 2:00/100 m = 30 min; 40 km at 32 km/h = 75 min; 10 km at 5:00/km = 50 min; transitions 3 + 2 min → total 2 h 40 min. The counter-intuitive bit: 5 min of transitions is still ~3% of the finish — sloppy T1/T2 often costs more than a "bad" 1 km on the run.
Estimated finish time
2h 40′ 00″
- Swim
- 30′ 00″
- T1
- 3′ 00″
- Bike
- 1h 15′ 00″
- T2
- 2′ 00″
- Run
- 50′ 00″
- Transitions (T1 + T2)
- 5′ 00″ (3.1%)
Total = swim + T1 + bike + T2 + run. Transitions look small on paper but cost 3–5% of amateur finish times — often the gap to the next age group.
How it works
Pick Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 or Ironman distances, enter realistic paces and transition budgets. A multisport GPS watch logs actual splits on race day so you can tune next season's targets.
The swim split is the one most plans get wrong, because the number people enter is a pool number. Open water removes the wall you push off every twenty-five metres, adds sighting every few strokes and takes away the black line that keeps you straight — between them, a swim in a lake typically comes out five to ten per cent slower than the same distance in a pool, before any current. A wetsuit gives part of it back through buoyancy. Enter the pace you have actually swum in open water; if you never have, add a minute per 1,500 m to your pool time and plan a session in a lake before race day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert swim pace per 100 m to total swim time?+
Divide pool distance by 100, multiply by your pace per 100 m. Olympic 1500 m at 2:05/100 m → 15 × 125 s = 1,875 s = 31 min 15 s. Open-water adds sighting — budget 5–15 s/100 m vs pool.
How much do transitions really matter?+
Amateur Olympic races: T1+T2 often 4–8 min total (~3–5% of finish). Two minutes saved in transitions equals ~400 m at 5:00/km on the run — practice shoeless mounts and a minimal transition mat.
What bike speed should I use for pacing?+
Use average speed including hills and aid stations, not flat trainer watts converted blindly. A hilly 40 km Olympic course at 30 km/h average is realistic for many age-groupers; flat courses may allow 32–34 km/h.
Sprint vs Olympic — which format to plan first?+
Olympic and 70.3 have the most search volume for pacing tools. Sprint is shorter but transitions weigh more as a % of total time. Use the format selector — distances update automatically.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — the price does not change for you.