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Triathlon Pace Calculator
Use this free triathlon pace calculator to plan your race time. Pick a race distance — Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman, or Full Ironman — or set your own custom distances, then enter your swim pace, bike speed, and run pace. The calculator works out each split and your total time, including transitions, so you know what time to aim for and where the minutes are going.
Paces are entered as minutes:seconds, for example 2:00 or 5:30. Bike speed can be entered in mph or km/h, and the calculator converts distances automatically.
| Split | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Swim | 1.5 km | 30:00 |
| T1 transition | — | 2:00 |
| Bike | 40 km | 59:39 |
| T2 transition | — | 1:30 |
| Run | 10 km | 50:00 |
How the triathlon pace calculation works
A triathlon time is the sum of five parts: the swim, transition 1, the bike, transition 2, and the run. Each split is a simple distance-and-pace calculation, and the calculator does all five and adds them up. The only subtlety is the units: swims are timed per 100 m or per 100 yd, bikes in mph or km/h, and runs per km or per mile.
The swim is pace times distance. A pace of 2:00 per 100 m means 120 seconds for every 100 meters, so a 1.5 km Olympic swim is 15 units of 100 m, which is 15 × 120 = 1,800 seconds, or 30:00. If your pace is per 100 yards, the calculator converts it first: 100 yards is 91.44 meters, so a per-100-yd pace is multiplied by 100 ÷ 91.44 to get the per-100-m pace.
Bike time = bike distance ÷ bike speed
Run time = run distance × pace per km
Total = swim + T1 + bike + T2 + run
The bike is distance divided by speed. A 40 km bike at 25 mph needs a unit conversion first: 40 km is 24.85 miles, and 24.85 ÷ 25 = 0.994 hours, which is 59 minutes 36 seconds. If you enter speed in km/h, no conversion is needed: 40 km at 40 km/h is exactly 1 hour.
The run is pace times distance. A pace of 5:00 per km over 10 km is 50:00. If your pace is per mile, the calculator converts it: 1 mile is 1.609 km, so a per-mile pace divided by 1.609 gives the per-km pace. Plan with your off-the-bike pace, not your best open 10 km pace.
Transitions count, and beginners lose more time there than they expect. T1 covers getting out of the water, removing the wetsuit, and getting on the bike; T2 covers racking the bike and starting the run. Typical age-group times are 2 to 4 minutes for T1 and 1 to 2 minutes for T2. The calculator includes both, with defaults of 2:00 and 1:30, and shows your moving time separately from your total so you can see what the transitions cost.
The four standard distances are built in. Sprint is a 750 m swim, 20 km bike, and 5 km run. Olympic is 1.5 km, 40 km, and 10 km. Half Ironman, also called 70.3 for its total miles, is a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, and 21.1 km half-marathon run. Full Ironman is a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, and a 42.2 km marathon run.
Worked example
Olympic triathlon: 1.5 km swim at 2:00 per 100 m, 40 km bike at 25 mph, 10 km run at 5:00 per km, transitions of 2:00 and 1:30.
Step 1: Swim — 1,500 m ÷ 100 × 2:00 = 15 × 2:00 = 30:00.
Step 2: Bike — 40 km is 24.85 miles; 24.85 ÷ 25 mph = 0.994 hours = 59:39.
Step 3: Run — 10 km × 5:00 per km = 50:00.
Step 4: Moving time — 30:00 + 59:39 + 50:00 = 2:19:39.
Step 5: Transitions — 2:00 + 1:30 = 3:30, so total = 2:19:39 + 3:30 = 2:23:09.
Your total race time is 2:23:09, with a moving time of 2:19:39. The bike is the biggest split at 59:39, followed by the run at 50:00 and the swim at 30:00. Enter your own paces above to plan your race.
FAQ
How long does an Olympic triathlon take?
For an average age-group athlete, an Olympic triathlon (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. Faster athletes finish near 2 hours, and elite athletes finish in about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. A steady example: a 2:00 per 100 m swim is 30 minutes, a 40 km bike at 25 mph is about 59 minutes 39 seconds, and a 10 km run at 5:00 per km is 50 minutes, for a moving time of about 2 hours 20 minutes plus transitions.
What is a good swim pace for a triathlon?
A good age-group swim pace is about 1:45 to 2:15 per 100 meters in open water. Beginners often swim 2:30 to 3:00 per 100 m, strong swimmers go 1:30 to 1:45, and elite triathletes swim under 1:20. Open water is slower than the pool for most people because of sighting, waves, and the lack of walls to push off, so add roughly 10 to 15 seconds per 100 m to your pool pace when planning.
How do transitions (T1 and T2) work in a triathlon?
T1 is the change from swim to bike, and T2 is the change from bike to run. Both count toward your total race time. A typical age-group athlete takes 2 to 4 minutes in T1 and 1 to 2 minutes in T2; well-practiced athletes do each in about a minute. Practicing your transitions, laying out your gear in order, and using elastic laces can save several minutes over a race.
What is the difference between a Sprint and an Olympic triathlon?
A Sprint triathlon is about half an Olympic distance: a 750 m swim, a 20 km bike, and a 5 km run, versus the Olympic 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run. A Sprint takes most athletes 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, while an Olympic takes 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours. Sprint is the usual first race; Olympic is the standard distance used at the Olympics.
How do I convert swim pace between per 100 m and per 100 yards?
One hundred yards is 91.44 meters, so a pace per 100 yards is about 9 percent faster than the same effort per 100 meters. To convert, multiply a per-100 m pace by 0.9144 to get the per-100 yd pace, or divide a per-100 yd pace by 0.9144 to get the per-100 m pace. For example, 2:00 per 100 m is about 1:50 per 100 yd. This calculator lets you enter either unit and converts automatically.