24 weeks
Beginner Ironman Program - 24 Weeks
Beginner Ironman triathlon training plan: 24 weeks, 12 to 16 hours a week, building up to a 5h30 ride and a 2h45 run. 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run.
Beginner Ironman plan at a glance
24 weeks · 12-16 h/week · 7-8 sessions
Consistent volume over several months, very long sessions and full rehearsal of the fuelling plan. The plan starts from a 1.9 km swim, a 2h30 ride and a 1h15 run, and builds to 3.8 km, 5h30 and 2h45.
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 2h30 to 5h30 and the longest run from 1h15 to 2h45, step by step.
Lighter weeks
One week in 3, volume drops by about a third to absorb the previous weeks of work.
Bricks
From week 10, one bike-run brick a week, up to 4h + 45 min.
Intensity
1 quality session a week in the build phase; everything else is endurance (Z1-Z2).
Prerequisites and Required Level
To follow this beginner Ironman plan from week one:
Swim 1.9 km without stopping
Ride 2h30 at endurance pace
Run 1h15 continuously
Have 12 to 16 hours a week available
Can swim freestyle (50m minimum)
Own or have access to a bike
Detailed Training Phases
24 weeks in four phases. Durations are those of the longest sessions at the start and end of each phase.
Base Phase
Weeks 1-9
Settle into consistent volume and a solid aerobic base
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 1.9 km → 2.5 km
- Long ride: 2h30 → 3h35
- Longest run: 1h15 → 1h45
Key workouts:
- •One technique or pace session(s) a week, the rest in Z2
- •Swim: 2 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
Build Phase
Weeks 10-17
Extend long sessions and train the gut to eat on the bike
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 2.5 km → 3.3 km
- Long ride: 3h35 → 4h40
- Longest run: 1h45 → 2h20
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 4 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
- •Bike : 2 x 30 min in Z3, 10 min easy
- •Run : 2 x 15 min at marathon pace, 3 min jog
- •Brick : 2h50 + 30 min
Race-Specific Phase
Weeks 18-22
Rehearse race day: very long sessions and the full fuelling plan
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 3.3 km → 3.8 km
- Long ride: 4h40 → 5h30
- Longest run: 2h20 → 2h45
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 2 x 1000 m at race pace, 1 min rest
- •Bike : long ride with 2 h at race pace and full fuelling
- •Run : long run with 1 x 20 min at marathon pace
- •Brick : 4h + 45 min
Taper Phase
Weeks 23-24
A long taper to clear months of fatigue
Objectives:
- Long ride cut to 2h45
- Longest run: 1h25
- Last hard session early in week 24
Key workouts:
- •Short reminders: long ride with 2 h at race pace and full fuelling at half volume
- •Open water swim if possible
Detailed Sample Week
Week 14 of 24, in the middle of the build phase: 7 to 8 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 beginner version for an Ironman.
Swimming
Threshold (build)
1x/week4 x 400 m steady, 30 s rest
Builds the continuous swim towards 3.8 km
Race pace (specific)
1x/week2 x 1000 m at race pace, 1 min rest
Locks in race pace
Cycling
Long ride
1x/weekUp to 5h30 in Z2
Endurance and fuelling practice
Intensity
1x/week2 x 30 min in Z3, 10 min easy → long ride with 2 h at race pace and full fuelling
Hold race pace on the bike
Running
Long run
1x/weekUp to 2h45 in Z2
Running endurance
Quality
1x/week2 x 15 min at marathon pace, 3 min jog → long run with 1 x 20 min at marathon pace
Race pace on tired legs
Brick
Bike then run
1x/week from week 104h + 45 min at peak
Gets the legs used to running off the bike
Races at this distance
To be ready on race day, start this 24-week plan on the date shown under each race.
IRONMAN Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay, Afrique du Sud — 18 April 2027
Plan start: 1 November 2026
IRONMAN Texas
The Woodlands, États-Unis — 24 April 2027
Plan start: 7 November 2026
IRONMAN Lanzarote
Puerto del Carmen, Espagne — 15 May 2027
Plan start: 28 November 2026
IRONMAN Hamburg
Hambourg, Allemagne — 6 June 2027
Plan start: 20 December 2026
IRONMAN Austria
Klagenfurt, Autriche — 13 June 2027
Plan start: 27 December 2026
IRONMAN Brazil
Florianópolis, Brésil — 13 June 2027
Plan start: 27 December 2026
IRONMAN Cairns
Cairns, Australie — 13 June 2027
Plan start: 27 December 2026
IRONMAN European Championship Frankfurt
Francfort, Allemagne — 27 June 2027
Plan start: 10 January 2027
Technique in pictures
Nutrition for an Ironman
An Ironman takes 13h-17h 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 beginner 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.
Trying to make up a missed session
Solution: A missed session is gone: just pick the plan up where you are.
Neglecting swim technique
Solution: For a first triathlon, swimming better gains more than swimming more.
Frequently Asked Questions
This plan lasts 24 weeks: base in weeks 1-9, build in 10-17, race-specific work in 18-22 and taper in 23-24. It takes 12 to 16 hours a week over 7 to 8 sessions.
At the peak of the race-specific phase: a 3.8 km continuous swim, a 5h30 ride, a 2h45 run and a brick of 4h on the bike followed by 45 min of running.
In an average 14-hour week: about 2 h of swimming, 7.5 h of cycling and 4 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).
Swim 1.9 km without stopping, even slowly, ride for 2h30 and run for 1h15 continuously. If you cannot yet, build those basics before starting the 24 weeks.
Pick the plan up at the current week without making up lost sessions. The plan has a lighter week every 3 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.
Set up a fixed spot: helmet on the bars with straps open, shoes open on the towel, elastic laces for the run. Always move in the same order and buckle the helmet before touching the bike. Rehearsed in training, T1 goes under 2 minutes and T2 under 1 — free time that costs zero watts.
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