39 weeks
Advanced Ironman Program - 39 Weeks
Advanced Ironman triathlon training plan: 39 weeks, 16 to 26 hours a week, building up to a 6h30 ride and a 3h run. 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run.
Advanced Ironman plan at a glance
39 weeks · 16-26 h/week · 10-12 sessions
Consistent volume over several months, very long sessions and full rehearsal of the fuelling plan. The plan starts from a 3 km swim, a 3h30 ride and a 1h45 run, and builds to 4.5 km, 6h30 and 3h.
How this Ironman plan is built
More than ten hours of effort: fuelling, steady pacing and mindset count as much as fitness.
Long session progression
The long ride grows from 3h30 to 6h30 and the longest run from 1h45 to 3h, step by step.
Lighter weeks
One week in 4, volume drops by about a third to absorb the previous weeks of work.
Bricks
From week 15, one bike-run brick a week, up to 5h + 1h15.
Intensity
3 quality sessions a week in the build phase; everything else is endurance (Z1-Z2).
Prerequisites and Required Level
To follow this advanced Ironman plan from week one:
Swim 3 km without stopping
Ride 3h30 at endurance pace
Run 1h45 continuously
Have 16 to 26 hours a week available
Multiple triathlons completed
Recent physiological tests (FTP, vVO2max)
Detailed Training Phases
39 weeks in four phases. Durations are those of the longest sessions at the start and end of each phase.
Base Phase
Weeks 1-14
Settle into consistent volume and a solid aerobic base
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 3 km → 3 km
- Long ride: 3h30 → 4h15
- Longest run: 1h45 → 1h55
Key workouts:
- •2 technique or pace session(s) a week, the rest in Z2
- •Swim: 3 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
Build Phase
Weeks 15-27
Extend long sessions and train the gut to eat on the bike
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 3 km → 3.9 km
- Long ride: 4h15 → 5h30
- Longest run: 1h55 → 2h35
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 6 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
- •Bike : 4 x 30 min in Z3, 10 min easy
- •Run : 4 x 15 min at marathon pace, 3 min jog
- •Brick : 3h30 + 55 min
Race-Specific Phase
Weeks 28-36
Rehearse race day: very long sessions and the full fuelling plan
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 3.9 km → 4.5 km
- Long ride: 5h30 → 6h30
- Longest run: 2h35 → 3h
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 4 x 1000 m at race pace, 1 min rest
- •Bike : long ride with 4 h at race pace and full fuelling
- •Run : long run with 3 x 20 min at marathon pace
- •Brick : 5h + 1h15
Taper Phase
Weeks 37-39
A long taper to clear months of fatigue
Objectives:
- Long ride cut to 3h30
- Longest run: 1h45
- Last hard session early in week 39
Key workouts:
- •Short reminders: long ride with 4 h at race pace and full fuelling at half volume
- •Open water swim if possible
Detailed Sample Week
Week 21 of 39, in the middle of the build phase: 10 to 12 sessions. Sessions can move to another day, but keep an easy day after the hardest one.
Training zones:
Key Program Workouts
The sessions not to miss, in their advanced version for an Ironman.
Swimming
Threshold (build)
1x/week6 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
Builds the continuous swim towards 4.5 km
Race pace (specific)
1x/week4 x 1000 m at race pace, 1 min rest
Locks in race pace
Cycling
Long ride
1x/weekUp to 6h30 in Z2
Endurance and fuelling practice
Intensity
1x/week4 x 30 min in Z3, 10 min easy → long ride with 4 h at race pace and full fuelling
Hold race pace on the bike
Running
Long run
1x/weekUp to 3h in Z2
Running endurance
Quality
1x/week4 x 15 min at marathon pace, 3 min jog → long run with 3 x 20 min at marathon pace
Race pace on tired legs
Brick
Bike then run
1x/week from week 155h + 1h15 at peak
Gets the legs used to running off the bike
Races at this distance
To be ready on race day, start this 39-week plan on the date shown under each race.
Ironman World Championship
Kona, Hawaii, USA — 10 October 2026
Plan start: 10 January 2026
Ironman France Nice
Nice, France — 28 June 2026
Plan start: 28 September 2025
Challenge Roth
Roth, Allemagne — 5 July 2026
Plan start: 5 October 2025
IRONMAN European Championship Frankfurt
Francfort, Allemagne — 28 June 2026
Plan start: 28 September 2025
Embrunman
Embrun, France — 15 August 2026
Plan start: 15 November 2025
IRONMAN Barcelona
Calella, Espagne — 4 October 2026
Plan start: 4 January 2026
IRONMAN Lanzarote
Puerto del Carmen, Espagne — 23 May 2026
Plan start: 23 August 2025
IRONMAN Hamburg
Hambourg, Allemagne — 7 June 2026
Plan start: 7 September 2025
Technique in pictures
Nutrition for an Ironman
An Ironman takes under 10h at this level: needs change with the length of the effort.
Rides over 4 hours
Train the gut to take 60 to 90 g of carbohydrate per hour for several hours. It is trained just like the legs.
Race day
Write an hour-by-hour plan: carbohydrate, water and salt. Follow it from the first hour on the bike, before you feel hungry or thirsty.
Marathon
Plan to eat and drink at every aid station. Any product offered on course should have been tested in training.
Equipment for an Ironman
Essentials first; the rest can wait for a second race.
Swim
Essential
- Wetsuit that does not chafe over 3.8 km
Optional
- ○Anti-chafe cream
Bike
Essential
- Position validated on 5-hour rides
- Repair kit
Optional
- ○Tri bike
- ○Power meter to hold your pace
Run
Essential
- Shoes tested on your longest runs
Optional
- ○Gel belt
- ○Special needs bags prepared in advance
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent mistakes on an Ironman at advanced level.
Eating too late
Solution: A deficit built on the bike cannot be recovered in the marathon: eat from the first hour.
Stacking heavy weeks without recovery
Solution: Over several months, lighter weeks prevent burnout and injury.
Adding intensity when fitness is good
Solution: Progress comes from consistency: keep the planned number of quality sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
This plan lasts 39 weeks: base in weeks 1-14, build in 15-27, race-specific work in 28-36 and taper in 37-39. It takes 16 to 26 hours a week over 10 to 12 sessions.
At the peak of the race-specific phase: a 4.5 km continuous swim, a 6h30 ride, a 3h run and a brick of 5h on the bike followed by 1h15 of running.
In an average 21-hour week: about 3 h of swimming, 11.5 h of cycling and 6.5 h of running. For an Ironman, cycling takes the biggest share because it is the longest leg of the race (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run).
3 quality sessions a week, never on consecutive days, and a lighter week every 4 weeks. In the race-specific phase, the key sessions become: long ride with 4 h at race pace and full fuelling and long run with 3 x 20 min at marathon pace.
Pick the plan up at the current week without making up lost sessions. The plan has a lighter week every 4 weeks: if you missed more than 10 days, repeat the last completed week before moving on.
As a guide: 13h-17h for a first Ironman, 10h-13h at intermediate level, under 10h for the fastest. More than ten hours of effort: fuelling, steady pacing and mindset count as much as fitness.
Get the Advanced Ironman plan as a PDF
Free, sent by email: the 39 weeks of the advanced Ironman plan.
Get my plan