Ironman 70.3: the plan for your level
A 1.9 km swim, 90 km on the bike, a 21.1 km run: the 70.3 is the queen distance for ambitious age-groupers — long enough to change your athletic life, reasonable enough to fit around a real job. On one condition: sizing the preparation honestly.
How many weeks (and hours)? The honest answer
| Your current level | Preparation time | Weekly volume | Realistic goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Never done a triathlon | Start with an Olympic this season | — | The 70.3 is next season's goal |
| One Olympic finished, consistent base | 20 to 24 weeks | 6-8 h (5-6 sessions) | Finish in control |
| Several triathlons, solid endurance | 16 to 20 weeks | 8-10 h (6-8 sessions) | Finish strong (± 6 h depending on course) |
| Experienced, big history | 12 to 16 weeks | 10-12 h | Target time (validated on your data) |
Greg is blunt on this: jumping straight to a 70.3 without ever racing all three sports together is the best way to end up hating triathlon. Olympic first isn't a detour — it's a shortcut.
💬 The plan is the foundation. Chatting with Greg is the secret weapon.
A 70.3 plan lives for 4 to 6 months — and life doesn't pause for 6 months. UpGreg's edge is having your coach available at any hour: Greg knows your data, answers accordingly, and recalibrates the plan on the spot.
Excerpt of a typical conversation with Greg in the app
The 3 phases of the plan
- Base (8-12 weeks): aerobic volume in all three sports, swim technique, strength work. The bike gradually takes the biggest share — it structures the race.
- Specific (6-10 weeks depending on total plan length): long rides (up to 3:00–3:30), bike→run bricks that lengthen, race nutrition rehearsed until automatic. The 70.3 is also a fueling event.
- Taper (2-3 weeks): touches of intensity remain, volume drops, you arrive fresh.
Sample week (20-week build, mid-plan)
- Monday — technique swim 45 min
- Tuesday — run 50 min with target-pace blocks
- Wednesday — bike 1 h (trainer, intervals)
- Thursday — swim 45 min (sets)
- Saturday — long ride 2 h 30 + 20-min brick run
- Sunday — long run 1 h 15 easy
Classic first-70.3 mistakes
- Training pro hours: 15 h/week with a full-time job lasts 3 weeks. A plan you can KEEP beats an impressive plan.
- Neglecting nutrition: past 4 hours of effort, the race is won or lost at the aid station.
- Always riding solo and flat out: the long ride is endurance, not a weekly time trial.
- Skipping bricks: running off 90 km of cycling is a skill — learn it before race day.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Ironman 70.3 distances?
A 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike leg and a 21.1 km run (a half marathon), back to back with no break — hence the name "70.3", the total in miles. That's exactly half the distances of a full Ironman (140.6).
What's the minimum weekly volume for a 70.3?
6 to 7 well-distributed hours are enough to finish if your base is decent. Below that, the race becomes survival — a shame for such an expensive goal.
Can you go straight to a 70.3 with no triathlon before?
Technically yes, sensibly no. An Olympic teaches you transitions, open water in a crowd, and pacing — things you learn in races, not in plans.
What's the single most important session?
The long ride with a brick run after it. It simulates the real challenge of the 70.3: running a half-marathon on legs that already have 90 km.
Do I need a triathlon bike?
No. A well-fitted road bike (bike fit > equipment) is perfectly fine for a first 70.3. Aero bars are a comfort bonus, not a prerequisite.
How do you train for an Ironman 70.3?
Build 12 to 24 weeks depending on your level (see the table above), training 6 to 12 hours a week across the three sports, in three phases: base, specific (long rides plus bricks), and a 2-3 week taper. Full-distance Ironman (140.6) follows the same structure with more volume (14-16 h/week) over 24-36 weeks — tell Greg your distance in chat and he adjusts the plan.
« The 70.3 is where my work pays off most: six months of preparation means six months of real life — trips, colds, black weeks. A PDF can't handle that. I recalibrate your plan at every curveball, and you can ask me the 10:47pm question at 10:47pm. That's exactly why my athletes reach the start line trained AND intact. »
Understanding AI sports coaching →
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