A triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed “transitions” between the individual swim, cycle, and run components.
To accommodate all diverse skill levels, there are a number of different distances for triathlon races. Sprint distances differ from race to race; nevertheless the other distances are consistent with the lengths shown below. The Half and Full distances are normally referred to as Half Ironman and Ironman distances individually.
| Event | Swim | Bike | Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 0.5mi (750m) |
12.4mi (20km) |
3.1mi (5km) |
| Olympic | 0.93mi (1.5km) |
24.8mi (40km) |
6.2mi (10km) |
| ITU Long | 1.86mi (3km) |
49.6mi (80km) |
12.4mi (20km) |
| Half | 1.2mi (1.9km) |
56mi (90km) |
13.1mi (21.09km) |
| Full | 2.4mi (3.8km) |
112mi (180km) |
26.2mi (42.195km) |