Beginners First Triathlon

The triathlon is a great sport, combining three of the most popular sports in the world - swimming, cycling, and running. Whether you have a background in any of the three sports or are just getting off the couch, you can compete in and enjoy triathlons. This training plan is aimed at the total novice with only minimal fitness levels.

Firstly, can you swim? If the answer is no, then you will need to learn at least breast stroke, but preferably freestyle. This is vital for you to be safe in your first Triathlon. If you are confident you can swim a few hundred meters and if you own a bicycle or are willing to purchase or borrow one then you are ready to go.

If you are coming from a non fitness background you will need to pick a triathlon event of suitable distance. A Sprint Triathlon is the perfect way to start, and many athletes never feel the need to go beyond this distance. You would be looking at a 300 – 400 meter swim, followed by a 5-15 kilometre ride and finishing with a 3 -7 kilometre run. These are well within the range of even a beginner, bearing in mind that you don’t have to go fast in your very first race - it is a great achievement to finish. Below we have an eight week program to get you to the finish line in your first Triathlon.

With a rest day on Saturday you should be nice and fresh for your Monday run. Keep in mind that if you're a slower runner, or need periods of walking, you may need to increase the overall time spent on running sessions to ensure you are spending the equivalent time training on your longest run (week 7). The longest run should be the same length as the run you expect to participate in during the triathlon. Most people find cycling the easiest once they get the hang of it, so you may want to increase the individual session times on the bike as well. Cycling is a great low impact exercise and any extra time you fit in here will certainly help on race day. Depending on your swimming abilities, you may need to spend more time practicing this skill but essentially you need to get to the point where you can swim breast stroke or freestyle over the race distance with reasonable comfort. As this is your first triathlon and you're only a beginner, don't concern yourself about lap times and speed, just focus on your goal .... to finish a Triathlon!

The 8 Week Beginner's Program


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Week 1 Run 10 min REST Cycle 15 min + Abs 5 min REST Swim 6 laps Cycle 15 min + Abs 5 min REST
Week 2 Run 10 min REST Cycle 15 min + Abs 5 min REST Swim 6 laps Cycle 15 min + Abs 5 min REST
Week 3 Run 15 min REST Cycle 20 min + Abs 5 min REST Swim 8 laps Cycle 20 min + Abs 5 min REST
Week 4 Run 15 min REST Cycle 15 min + Abs 8 min REST Swim 8 laps Cycle 15 min + Abs 8 min REST
Week 5 Run 20 min REST Cycle 20 min + Abs 8 min REST Swim 10 laps Cycle 20 min + Abs 8 min REST
Week 6 Run 25 min REST Cycle 20 min + Abs 10 min REST Swim 12 laps Cycle 20 min + Abs 10 min REST
Week 7 Run 25 min REST Cycle 25 min + Abs 10 min REST Swim 12 laps Cycle 25 min + Abs 10 min REST
Week 8 Run 15 min REST Cycle 15 min + Abs 5 min REST REST RACE RACE


The plan includes one run, two cycles, and one swim a week. If you really lack confidence in either the run or the swim you can swap the second cycle for another session of either, but essentially you will be spending the most amount of time on the bike during the race, so it's good to spend an equivalent proportion of time and effort training for the ride. The longest training time required by this plan is 1 hour and 40 minutes in one week, so even the busiest of people should be able to fit this into their schedule. If something stops you from doing one particular training session, try to fit it in later in the week or swap your rest day. Rest is very important though, as your fitness and strength increase while recovering from exercise, not during exercise. With all the training sessions indicated above, you should go at your own pace. If you need a break in between laps at the pool or you need to walk for 1 minute in 5 during your run, then you should do it. Sticking to a program that is too intense will only make you avoid training, or worse, give you an injury so you can’t train. Keep in mind that the plan above is designed to get you to the finish line in one piece, and to help you confidently complete the distance and have an enjoyable race. If you’re looking for something with a few more hours of training per week you can try one of the intermediate plans.

Good luck!


By Mike Holland


Return to Training page