Triathlon Time Calculator

This calculator adds up the three legs of a triathlon plus transitions to predict your finish time. Enter each distance with the pace or speed you expect to hold on race day, and it returns the total along with the swim, bike and run splits.

Use it to set a goal before a race, to see which discipline costs you the most time, or to plan for a longer distance than you have raced before. Get your swim pace from a recent time trial in the swim pace calculator and your run pace from a standalone race, then slow both a little for race conditions.

Pace inputs are in decimal minutes: 2.1 min/100 m means 2 minutes 6 seconds, and 5.2 min/km means 5:12. Multiply the decimal part by 60 to check. Running off the bike is usually slower than a fresh run — many age-groupers lose 5–10% on the run leg, more at longer distances — so build that into the run pace you enter.

This is simple addition of the five timed segments that make up an official triathlon result, as defined by World Triathlon competition rules. It assumes constant pace within each leg; hilly bike courses, wind, heat and open-water conditions can move each split by several minutes.

Distances are set by race organizers, and sprint races in particular vary, so check the event guide. These are the common formats.

• Swim: use your pool pace for a continuous swim of similar length, then add a few seconds per 100 m for open water. A wetsuit can make up some or all of that.
• Bike: your average speed on a solo ride of similar length and terrain is a better guide than a group ride, where drafting helps. Drafting is not allowed in most age-group races.
• Run: start from a recent standalone race pace from the running pace calculator and slow it for fatigue — more for longer races.
• Transitions: beginners often take 3–5 minutes each in a sprint; experienced athletes take 1–2. Long races with changing tents take longer.

Compare each split with the total. The bike is usually around half of race time, so small speed gains there translate into large savings; on the run, holding pace in the final third matters more than starting fast. Bike speed is closely linked to sustained power, which a cycling FTP test helps you measure and train.