Free triathlon training plans for beginners
Choose from a selection of beginner-friendly triathlon training plans to prep for racing and build fitness in the off-season.
If you’re getting into triathlon and have entered your first race, we’re on hand with four free triathlon training plans to help you prepare yourself. There’s a choice of three-month and six-month plan to use in the run-up to an event, a winter base training plan and a shorter, specialised swim plan.
Triathlon coach Dermott Hayes has drawn up these training plans for triathletes who are quite new to the sport. More experienced athletes can use our free Olympic-distance triathlon training plans or training plans for Half Ironman and full Ironman.
Free 3-month Olympic-distance training plan for beginners
Duration: 18 weeks
Hours per week: 6-8
This Olympic-distance training plan is designed for triathletes who are three months out from one of their first triathlons.
It’s broken down into three blocks, with each getting progressively harder to keep challenging you as your fitness improves.
Volume wise, you’ll train between six and eight hours per week and take one weekly rest day.
Free 6-month Olympic-distance training plan for beginners
Duration: 24 weeks
Hours per week: 7-8
This training follows a similar structure to the three-month Olympic-distance training plan but ups the volume and incorporates more days with multiple training sessions.
Again, the plan is designed for beginners, so the intensity is generally kept low. This helps you adapt to the workload and is appropriate for the slower triathlon times you’ll be targeting.
Free 2-week swim interval training plan for beginners
Duration: two weeks
Hours per week: 1.5 (swim only)
This two-week training plan introduces you to swimming interval sessions with three sessions a week.
The first session focuses on form, the second targets endurance and the third works on both capabilities at once.
After completing the fortnight-long plan, you can add the five additional swim sessions we’ve included into your regular training.
Free adaptable 8-week off-season training plan
Duration: 8 weeks
Hours per week: 5-6 hours
This eight-week off-season training plan provides loads of variety to keep things interesting when races are a long way off.
Running and cycling is mainly off-road on trails and there’s one pool weekly workout to maintain some swim-specific shape.
As a beginner, we suggest keeping the sessions at the shorter end of the recommended range.
Dermott Hayes
With contributions from
