Beginner’s 8-Week Sprint Triathlon Training Plan
If you plan to be a triathlete in two months, then our 8-week sprint triathlon training plan is for you!
Sprint triathlon is not only for experienced triathletes who want to test their limits in a short period. Its short distance makes it perfect for beginners in triathlon to get into this world of an exciting sport.
What’s in our 8-week sprint triathlon training program?
This 8-week training plan for sprint triathlon is designed to build your endurance in each discipline. The first half involves a rotation of swimming, biking, and running for six days. The bike-run brick workout will replace the bike session on weekends starting Week 5.
This sprint triathlon training plan for beginners shows daily warm-up, main, and cool-down sets. It also includes the corresponding intensity or perceived effort for each activity. If you have a fitness watch with a heart rate (HR) monitor, you could use the target HR zone guide.
Are you ready to get started? Here we go! A downloadable format of this training plan is available at the bottom of the page. If you are someone returning to triathlon racing, our 4-week sprint triathlon training plan might be more helpful to you.
Week 1
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 1 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 30 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 25 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 2 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 2 x 200 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 35 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 25 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 2
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 1 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 40 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 30 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 2 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 2 x 200 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 45 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 30 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 5 min of easy walk |
Week 3
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 2 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 20 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3, 4 | 10 min of easy cycling | 35 min of cycling at a moderate pace, incorporating 3-4 short bursts of higher intensity (such as sprinting for 20 seconds every 5 min) | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 30 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 2 x 200 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike | 3, 4 | 10 min of easy cycling | 45 min of cycling at a moderate pace, incorporating some hill climbs or intervals (such as cycling at a higher intensity for 2 min every 10 min) | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 30 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 4
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 1 | 5 min of easy swimming | 6 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 2 | 10 min of easy cycling | 35 min of cycling at a moderate pace with some rolling hills if available | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 35 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 2 x 300 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike | 3, 4 | 10 min of easy cycling | 45 min of cycling at a moderate pace with 1-minute sprints scattered throughout the ride | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 35 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 5
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 1 | 5 min of easy swimming | 8 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 30 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 40 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 40 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2, 3 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 4 x 100 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest, continuous 400 m at a steady pace | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike-Run Brick | 3, 2 | 10 min of easy cycling | Ride for 30 min at a moderate pace, followed by a 10-min run at a comfortable pace | 10 min of static stretching |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 40 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 6
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Swim | 1 | 5 min of easy swimming | 10 x 100 m at a comfortable pace with 20 s rest | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 45 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 45 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2, 3 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 4 x 100 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest, continuous 600 m at a steady pace | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike-Run Brick | 3, 2 | 10 min of easy cycling | Ride for 45 min at a moderate pace, followed by a 15-min run at a comfortable pace | 10 min of static stretching |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 45 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 7
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Open Water Swim Practice | 1 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Swim for 30 minutes | 10 min of static stretching |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 50 min of cycling at a moderate pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 50 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 3 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Swim | 2, 3 | 5 min of easy swimming | 4 x 50 m drills, 4 x 100 m at a moderate effort with 30 s rest, continuous 800 m at a steady pace | 5 min of easy swimming |
| Saturday: Bike-Run Brick | 3, 2 | 10 min of easy cycling | Ride for 60 min at a moderate pace, followed by a 15-min run at a comfortable pace | 10 min of static stretching |
| Sunday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 50 min at a comfortable pace, alternating between 4 min of running and 1 min of walking | 10 min of static stretching |
Week 8
| Daily Activity | Target HR Zone | Warm up | Main set | Cool down |
| Monday: Open Water Swim Practice | 1 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Swim for 30 minutes | 10 min of static stretching |
| Tuesday: Bike | 3 | 10 min of easy cycling | 20 min of cycling at a comfortable pace | 5 min of easy cycling |
| Wednesday: Run | 2 | 10 min of dynamic stretching | Run for 20 min at a comfortable pace | 10 min of static stretching |
| Thursday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Friday: Rest | – | – | – | – |
| Saturday: Race day! |
Good luck from Your Multisport Buddy!
We hope this 8-Week Sprint Triathlon Training Plan helps you with your first triathlon experience. Remember that no training plan fits all. When it comes to training, the key is always to listen to your body! Apply adjustments to training as needed. Good luck!
If you have any questions for us about sprint triathlon training, feel free to contact us!
FAQs
750m is equivalent to 15 laps in an Olympic pool. For a 25m pool, you need to complete 30 laps.
If you are physically active and familiar with swimming, biking, and running, you can train for a sprint triathlon in 8 weeks. Otherwise, you should allot at least 12 weeks of training.
