Program Half Ironman
The half Ironman distance. A serious endurance challenge.
Preparing for a Half Ironman
1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, 21.1 km run. A half-marathon after a 90 km ride: pacing and fuelling decide how the race ends.
Long sessions with fuelling, race pace worked late in long sessions and long bricks.
Compare the three plans
| Level | Weeks | Hours / week | Sessions / week | Starting point (swim / bike / run) | Longest sessions | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 14 | 6-11 h | 6-7 | 1 km / 1h30 / 45 min | 2.5 km / 3h30 / 1h45 | 6h-7h |
| Intermediate | 20 | 8-15 h | 7-8 | 1.9 km / 2h / 1h | 3 km / 4h / 2h | 5h-6h |
| Advanced | 26 | 10-20 h | 9-11 | 2.5 km / 2h30 / 1h15 | 3.5 km / 4h30 / 2h | under 5h |
Training Phases
Phases of the intermediate plan (20 weeks). The beginner and advanced plans follow the same structure over 14 and 26 weeks.
| Phase | Weeks | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Phase | 1-7 | Gradually extend endurance rides and runs | 8-12 hours / week |
| Build Phase | 8-13 | Add tempo blocks inside the long sessions | 12-15 hours / week |
| Race-Specific Phase | 14-18 | Race simulation: long session at race pace with the planned fuelling | 14-15 hours / week |
| Taper Phase | 19-20 | Recover from peak volume without losing race pace | 7-9 hours / week |
Spreading the intensity
Races at this distance
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Marbella
Marbella, Espagne — 14 November 2026
Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, France — 5 July 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Cannes
Cannes, France — 26 April 2026
Ironman 70.3 Vichy
Vichy, France — 29 August 2026
Triathlon de Gérardmer
Gérardmer, France — 14 June 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside
Oceanside, États-Unis — 4 April 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Les Sables d'Olonne
Les Sables-d'Olonne, France — 13 September 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 Mallorca
Alcúdia, Espagne — 9 May 2026
Frequently asked questions
The beginner plan starts from 1 km / 1h30 / 45 min (swim / bike / run). If you can already do 1.9 km / 2h / 1h, the intermediate plan fits; the advanced plan expects 2.5 km / 2h30 / 1h15 from week one.
14 weeks at beginner level, 20 at intermediate and 26 at advanced. The advanced plan is longer because it builds to a higher volume.
6-11 h a week at beginner level, 8-15 h at intermediate, 10-20 h at advanced, depending on the phase of the plan.
As a guide: 6h-7h for a first Half Ironman, 5h-6h at intermediate level, under 5h for the fastest. A half-marathon after a 90 km ride: pacing and fuelling decide how the race ends.
About 80% of your volume in zones 1–2 (conversational) and 20% in zones 3–5 — the polarised split supported by research (Seiler, 2010). Zones are computed as % of heart-rate reserve (Karvonen): target HR = resting HR + % × (max HR − resting HR). The classic mistake: doing everything moderately hard in zone 3.