The Essential Guide to Sprint and Olympic Distance Triathlon Training
That Triathlon Show
Why Short‑Course Athletes Are Lighter
They argue bike pack dynamics and running demands favor lighter athletes at elite short-course levels.
This is the episode for every triathlete with ambitions in sprint and Olympic distance triathlon, from beginners looking to complete to front-of-the-pack athletes looking to compete. Triathlon training has similarities across the board from sprint to Ironman distance, but the specific training obviously differs between distances, and in this episode we break down exactly, when, why and how. Let’s get stuck in!
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS:
- How long does it take to prepare for a sprint or an Olympic distance race if you’re a beginner? What about an intermediate to advanced triathlete?
- Key sessions in swimming, cycling and running for sprint and Olympic distance triathletes
- How long should your long run and ride be as a sprint or Olympic distance triathlete?
- What role does brick workouts play in sprint and Olympic Distance triathlon training?
- Why tapering is much harder to get right for shorter than for longer races, and how to actually do it.
- Key considerations if you’re racing draft-legal rather than non-draft sprint and Olympic distance races
- Sample training week for an Olympic distance triathlon
- Listener questions!
DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES:
- We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode.
- The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts696/
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?
If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following related episodes:
- The Ironman Training Deep Dive: What Triathletes Need to Know
- How to Optimize Your Triathlon Training on a Limited Time Budget | Natasha Van Der Merwe
- Lance Watson – coach of Olympic Champion Simon Whitfield | EP#453
You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.
You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes.
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SPONSORS:
- Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.
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