Advanced Olympic Program - 18 Weeks
Advanced Olympic triathlon training plan: 18 weeks, 8 to 16 hours a week, building up to a 3h ride and a 1h35 run. 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run.
Advanced Olympic plan at a glance
18 weeks · 8-16 h/week · 8-10 sessions
Balance between endurance volume and threshold work, with a brick every week. The plan starts from a 2 km swim, a 2h ride and a 1h run, and builds to 3 km, 3h and 1h35.
How this Olympic plan is built
A format that needs both endurance and the ability to hold a near-threshold pace for more than two hours.
Long session progression
The long ride grows from 2h to 3h and the longest run from 1h to 1h35, 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 7, one bike-run brick a week, up to 1h30 + 30 min.
Intensity
3 quality sessions a week in the build phase; everything else is endurance (Z1-Z2).
Prerequisites and Required Level
To follow this advanced Olympic plan from week one:
Swim 2 km without stopping
Ride 2h at endurance pace
Run 1h continuously
Have 8 to 16 hours a week available
Multiple triathlons completed
Recent physiological tests (FTP, vVO2max)
Detailed Training Phases
18 weeks in four phases. Durations are those of the longest sessions at the start and end of each phase.
Base Phase
Weeks 1-6
Build the endurance to swim 1.5 km and ride 40 km comfortably
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 2 km → 2 km
- Long ride: 2h → 2h
- Longest run: 1h → 1h
Key workouts:
- •2 technique or pace session(s) a week, the rest in Z2
- •Swim: 4 x 200 m at CSS pace, 20 s rest
Build Phase
Weeks 7-12
Work on threshold, the pace held over the 40 km ride
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 2 km → 2.5 km
- Long ride: 2h → 2h35
- Longest run: 1h → 1h20
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 8 x 200 m at CSS pace, 20 s rest
- •Bike : 4 x 8 min in Z4, 3 min easy
- •Run : 6 x 1 km at 10K pace, 90 s jog
- •Brick : 1h05 + 20 min
Race-Specific Phase
Weeks 13-16
Hold 10K pace off the bike
Objectives:
- Continuous swim: 2.5 km → 3 km
- Long ride: 2h35 → 3h
- Longest run: 1h20 → 1h35
Key workouts:
- •Swim : 4 x 400 m at race pace, 30 s rest
- •Bike : 3 x 15 min at race pace (Z3-Z4)
- •Run : 4 x 2 km at race pace, 2 min jog
- •Brick : 1h30 + 30 min
Taper Phase
Weeks 17-18
Cut volume while keeping race-pace reminders
Objectives:
- Long ride cut to 2h
- Longest run: 1h
- Last hard session early in week 18
Key workouts:
- •Short reminders: 3 x 15 min at race pace (Z3-Z4) at half volume
- •Open water swim if possible
Detailed Sample Week
Week 10 of 18, in the middle of the build phase: 8 to 10 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 Olympic.
Swimming
Threshold (build)
1x/week8 x 200 m at CSS pace, 20 s rest
Builds the continuous swim towards 3 km
Race pace (specific)
1x/week4 x 400 m at race pace, 30 s rest
Locks in race pace
Cycling
Long ride
1x/weekUp to 3h in Z2
Endurance and fuelling practice
Intensity
1x/week4 x 8 min in Z4, 3 min easy → 3 x 15 min at race pace (Z3-Z4)
Hold race pace on the bike
Running
Long run
1x/weekUp to 1h35 in Z2
Running endurance
Quality
1x/week6 x 1 km at 10K pace, 90 s jog → 4 x 2 km at race pace, 2 min jog
Race pace on tired legs
Brick
Bike then run
1x/week from week 71h30 + 30 min at peak
Gets the legs used to running off the bike
Races at this distance
To be ready on race day, start this 18-week plan on the date shown under each race.
Triathlon Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez, France — 30 July 2026
Plan start: 26 March 2026
Triathlon de Paris
Paris, France — 12 July 2026
Plan start: 8 March 2026
Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
San Francisco, États-Unis — 7 June 2026
Plan start: 1 February 2026
Triathlon de Deauville
Deauville, France — 30 August 2026
Plan start: 26 April 2026
Alpe d'Huez Triathlon Courte Distance
Alpe d'Huez, France — 31 July 2026
Plan start: 27 March 2026
Triathlon d'Annecy
Annecy, France — 24 May 2026
Plan start: 18 January 2026
New York City Triathlon
New York, États-Unis — 19 July 2026
Plan start: 15 March 2026
AJ Bell London Triathlon
Londres, Royaume-Uni — 9 August 2026
Plan start: 5 April 2026
Technique in pictures
Nutrition for an Olympic
An Olympic takes under 2h20 at this level: needs change with the length of the effort.
Rides over 1h30
Practise drinking and taking 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour on the bike, with the products you will race with.
Race day
Breakfast 3 hours before the start. On the bike, one bottle of sports drink and one or two gels; a gel early in the run if needed.
Recovery
Weeks with two hard sessions need steady carbohydrate intake: do not cut starches in those weeks.
Equipment for an Olympic
Essentials first; the rest can wait for a second race.
Swim
Essential
- Wetsuit for open water
- Two pairs of goggles
Optional
- ○Paddles and pull buoy
Bike
Essential
- Road bike fitted to you
- Two bottle cages
Optional
- ○Aero bars
- ○Power meter
Run
Essential
- Shoes suited to 10K racing
Optional
- ○GPS watch for pacing
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The most frequent mistakes on an Olympic at advanced level.
Riding above threshold
Solution: The 40 km are ridden around threshold, not above it: save your legs for the 10K.
Never running 10K pace on tired legs
Solution: Race-pace runs off the bike teach you to hold pace on heavy legs.
Adding intensity when fitness is good
Solution: Progress comes from consistency: keep the planned number of quality sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
This plan lasts 18 weeks: base in weeks 1-6, build in 7-12, race-specific work in 13-16 and taper in 17-18. It takes 8 to 16 hours a week over 8 to 10 sessions.
At the peak of the race-specific phase: a 3 km continuous swim, a 3h ride, a 1h35 run and a brick of 1h30 on the bike followed by 30 min of running.
In an average 12-hour week: about 2.5 h of swimming, 5.5 h of cycling and 4 h of running. For an Olympic, cycling takes the biggest share because it is the longest leg of the race (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 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: 3 x 15 min at race pace (Z3-Z4) and 4 x 2 km at race pace, 2 min jog.
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: 3h-3h30 for a first Olympic, 2h20-3h at intermediate level, under 2h20 for the fastest. A format that needs both endurance and the ability to hold a near-threshold pace for more than two hours.
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