How to use the triathlon finish time calculator
- Choose meters or yards for the swim, and kilometers or miles for the bike and run.
- Enter the distance of each leg, or use a preset such as the sprint or Olympic distance.
- Enter your swim pace per 100, your bike speed and your run pace, plus both transitions as minutes and seconds.
- Read the finish time, the time for each leg, and the table of splits with the pace or speed.
Formula
Swim time = swim distance / 100 x swim pace per 100
Bike time = bike distance / bike speed (in hours)
Run time = run distance x run pace
Finish time = swim + first transition + bike + second transition + run
Each leg is shown to the nearest second. The finish time is rounded from the exact sum, so the displayed legs can differ from the total by a second.
A sprint distance race
A 750 m swim at 2:00 per 100 m takes 15:00. A 20 km bike at 28 km/h takes 42:51, a 5 km run at 5:30 per km takes 27:30, and two transitions of 1:30 add 3:00. The finish time is 1:28:21.
An Olympic distance race (1,500 m, 40 km, 10 km) with a 1:50 swim pace, 30 km/h, 5:15 per km and transitions of 2:00 and 1:30 comes to 2:43:30. A half distance race in yards and miles (2,112 yd, 56 mi, 13.1 mi) at 1:45 per 100 yd, 19 mi/h and 9:00 per mile with transitions of 3:00 and 2:00 gives a swim of 0:36:58, a bike of 2:56:51, a run of 1:57:54 and a total of 5:36:42.
Setting your paces
Use paces you have held in training over a similar distance, not your best short effort. Pace usually slows over a long event, so the bike and run paces for a longer race are lower than for a sprint. Open water swims are often slower than pool times, and hills, wind and heat change the bike and run.
To predict a single run or ride see the race time predictor, and to convert paces use the pace calculator. The swim CSS calculator finds a swim pace from time trials, and the race split pacing table generator builds splits for one distance.
Transitions
Transition time is the time from leaving the water to starting the bike and from racking the bike to starting the run. It depends on the size of the transition area, your gear and practice, so enter your own figures. The page treats them as fixed times and adds them to the three legs.
Assumptions and limits
- Each leg is run at a constant pace or speed that you enter.
- Swim pace is per 100 meters or yards, bike speed is distance per hour, and run pace is time per kilometer or mile.
- Transitions are fixed times that you enter. A plain number is read as minutes.
- Courses, weather, drafting rules and fatigue are not modeled.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate a triathlon finish time?
Work out the time for each leg from its distance and your pace, then add both transitions. A sprint with a 2:00 swim pace, 28 km/h bike and 5:30 run pace comes to about 1:28.
How do I enter a pace?
Write minutes and seconds, such as 2:00 or 5:30. Hours are allowed too, such as 1:05:30. A plain number is read as minutes.
Does it work in miles and yards?
Yes. Choose yards for the swim and miles for the bike and run, then enter the distances and paces in those units.
Why is my real time slower?
Real races add open water conditions, hills, wind, crowds and fatigue. Use paces you can hold for the whole distance.