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By The CorrCoach Team Not reviewed by a doctor or coach

Free triathlon and duathlon training plans

Four plans you can read, print and follow without signing up. Every session has a time, an effort in plain words and a reason, and every plan has recovery weeks, bricks, a taper and a race-week checklist.

Let CorrCoach adapt a plan to you

The plans.

Each page has the full table, a printable view, and the safety notes that come first.

  1. Beginner sprint triathlon plan: 12 weeks

    A first triathlon without a crash course. Two swims, two rides and two runs a week, one rest day, and a lighter week every fourth week. It ends with a taper and a race-week checklist.

    Length
    12 weeks
    Time
    3 h to 5 h 20 min a week
    Sessions
    6 sessions, Monday off

  2. Olympic triathlon plan: 12 to 16 weeks

    For a second or third race, or a first one if you already train regularly. Two swims, two rides and two runs a week, bricks from week 7, a lighter week every fourth week and a one-week taper.

    Length
    16 weeks (12 weeks from week 5)
    Time
    3 h 55 min to 7 h 50 min a week
    Sessions
    6 sessions, Monday off

  3. Half Ironman 70.3 training plan: 16 to 20 weeks

    For a first or second middle-distance race. Two swims, two rides and two runs a week, one long ride, one long run, a lighter week every fourth week and a two-week taper. You can start at week 5 if you have 16 weeks and the fitness for it.

    Length
    20 weeks (16 weeks from week 5)
    Time
    4 h 35 min to 9 h 40 min a week
    Sessions
    6 sessions, Monday off

  4. Sprint duathlon plan: 8 to 10 weeks

    A run, a ride, then another run, with no swim to schedule. Five sessions a week, two rest days, a run-bike-run brick every Saturday and the changeovers practised before the race.

    Length
    10 weeks (8 weeks from week 3)
    Time
    2 h 45 min to 4 h 30 min a week
    Sessions
    5 sessions, Monday and Friday off

Which one do you pick?

Pick by the race you have entered and the base you have today. Be honest about the base.

You have never raced a triathlon
Start with the 12-week beginner sprint plan.
You have raced a sprint or train three or four days a week
The 16-week Olympic plan is the next step, and has a 12-week start point.
You want a middle-distance race and have a base
The 20-week half Ironman plan, or 16 weeks from week 5.

How the plans are built.

The same five rules sit under all four plans. None of them is new, and each is easy to check.

Mostly easy
Most sessions are at a pace where you can talk. A study of competitive endurance athletes found about 80 percent of their sessions at low intensity, and a beginner has even less reason to go hard.
About 10 percent more a week at most
Weekly time rises by no more than about 10 percent, the same cap CorrCoach’s planner uses by default and the rule USA Triathlon passes on for new runners. Every fourth week is about a quarter lighter.
A real taper
The last one or two weeks cut time by roughly a third while keeping short pieces at race effort. A meta-analysis of 27 studies found the best tapers lasted about two weeks and cut volume by 41 to 60 percent.
Bricks and changeovers
A bike followed straight by a run is practised from the middle of every plan, and the changeover is rehearsed until it is boring.
Stop signs come first
Every plan opens with a doctor check and a list of reasons to stop. Pain and illness mean fewer sessions, and a missed session is never added to a later week.

Let CorrCoach adapt a plan to you

A table is the same for everyone. CorrCoach Tri starts from your race date, the hours you have and what you actually did last week, then moves sessions when life moves them. Plans are free to start.

Let CorrCoach adapt a plan to you

Sources you can check.

Written by The CorrCoach Team. Not reviewed by a doctor or coach. These are general guidelines, so talk to a doctor before you start. They are built from the published sources listed on each page and the conservative build-up rules CorrCoach’s own planner uses.

Questions.

Are these plans really free?

Yes. You can read, print and follow them without an account. CorrCoach Tri builds a personal version of a plan from your race date and the hours you have, and it is free to start.

Which plan do I pick?

Pick by the race you have entered and the base you have today. Be honest about the base. If you are unsure between two, take the easier one: finishing a plan is worth more than the extra distance.

Can I mix plans?

Not week by week. Each plan builds toward its own race, and the weeks only make sense in order. If you change races, move to the plan that fits the new race and start at the week that matches your current training.