The short answer
A Sprint triathlon takes most people about 1.5 hours, an Olympic about 3 hours, a Half about 6 hours and a Full about 12.5 hours. Those are the averages across everyone who finishes; the fastest age groupers are well under, and the cutoffs give you up to 8.5 hours for a Half and 17 hours for a Full.
Average finish times by distance
| Distance | Swim, bike, run | Average finish |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 750 m, 20 km, 5 km | about 1:35 to 1:45 |
| Olympic | 1.5 km, 40 km, 10 km | about 2:55 to 3:05 |
| Half | 1.9 km, 90 km, 21.1 km | about 6:00 |
| Full | 3.8 km, 180 km, 42.2 km | about 12.5 to 13 hours |
The Half and Full figures are averages across tens of thousands of finishes; the Sprint and Olympic ones come from smaller published samples, and local races vary more. Women's averages run roughly 10 to 15 minutes slower over a Sprint and up to an hour over a Full. Use the race time calculator to get a number from your own paces instead of an average.
Where the time goes
The bike is the longest leg at every distance, about half of the total. The run is around a third, and the swim is the shortest, usually 10 to 15 percent. Transitions are small but real: a few minutes in a Sprint, often 10 minutes or more across T1 and T2 in a Full with change tents and long runs through transition.
That split is why the bike is where most time is won or lost, and why the run is where a bad bike shows up. It is also why the transition time calculator is worth two minutes: changes are the only part of the race you can get faster at without getting fitter.
The cutoffs
Long races close. A Full usually gives you 2 hours 20 minutes for the swim, 10 hours 30 minutes to finish the bike, and 17 hours to finish, usually counted from your own start. A Half usually gives 1 hour 10 minutes, 5 hours 30 minutes and 8 hours 30 minutes. Sprint and Olympic races have cutoffs too, but they are set by each organiser.
Check yours with the cutoff calculator, and read your race's athlete guide, because some courses add extra checkpoints on the bike.
Sources
- Marathon Handbook, Good Triathlon Time (citing TriGearLab, Triathlete, RunTri and MyTriWorld data)
- RunTri, average IRONMAN and Half finish times from race results
- IRONMAN competition rules and athlete guides (cutoff times)
Published 2026-10-20. Your race's athlete guide always has the final word on its rules and times.
Questions
How long does a Sprint triathlon take?
Most people finish a Sprint triathlon (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run) in about 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Fast age groupers finish in just over an hour.
How long does an Olympic triathlon take?
An Olympic triathlon (1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, 10 km run) takes most finishers about 3 hours. The average is a little under 3 hours for men and a little over for women.
How long does a Half distance triathlon take?
The average Half distance finish is about 6 hours. The cutoff is usually 8 hours 30 minutes from your own start.
How long does a Full distance triathlon take?
The average Full distance finish is about 12 and a half hours. The cutoff is usually 17 hours, with the swim closing at 2 hours 20 minutes and the bike at 10 hours 30 minutes.
Which part of a triathlon takes the longest?
The bike, at every distance. It is roughly half of the total time, the run about a third and the swim 10 to 15 percent.