One of the most common questions I get as a triathlon coach is: “How long is a triathlon?”
When it comes to the sport, this is also the most-googled question in Canada. So let’s take this opportunity to go over the distances of the standard racing events here in Ontario, and how long it takes to complete them.
Race Categories and Distances
| Race Category | Race Name | Swim | Bike | Run |
| Short-course triathlon | Sprint distance | 750 m | 20 km | 5 km |
| Standard distance | 1.5 km | 40 km | 10 km | |
| Long-course triathlon | Half-iron distance | 1.9 km | 90 km | 21.1 km |
| Iron distance | 3.8 km | 180 km | 42.2 km |
A Few Nuances About These Names and Numbers
- Other names for Standard distance include “international distance” or “Olympic distance.” This is the distance raced at the Olympics.
- Sometimes race distances end up slightly longer or shorter due to venue constraints. For example:
- Some races use pre-existing buoys for the swim course; currents can cause them to drift.
- Multi-lap bike courses may place turnarounds at intersections, and small discrepancies add up.
- Although these are primarily road triathlons, some races include short grass or trail sections depending on the venue.
- Ironman vs. generic terms:
“Ironman” refers to races run by the Ironman organization. They also coined “70.3” to indicate the total mileage of a half-iron race. Colloquially, people use “Ironman” and “70.3” to refer to any event at those distances, but the proper generic terms are iron-distance and half-iron distance. - Some events replace “iron” with a themed name—Eg Barrelman, Musselman, Eagleman—while still using half-iron distances.
- Races like Celtman, Swissman, Patagonman, and Canadaman belong to a separate category entirely: Extreme Triathlon (iron-distance). That deserves a full article of its own.
Levels of Racing in Ontario
Triathlon Ontario designates one race of each distance as the provincial championship. These races tend to attract slightly more experienced participants. In 2026, these races will be:
| Distance | Race |
| Sprint distance | Guelph Lake #1 |
| Standard distance | Rose City |
| Long Course (Half-Iron Distance) | Niagara Falls Barrelman |
| Iron distance | N.A. |
TO also designates certain races as national qualifiers, where a set number of slots per age group can qualify athletes to represent Canada at the World Triathlon Age Group World Championships. In 2026, these races will be:
2026 Qualifiers
| Race Venue | Slots per Age Group |
| Sprint distance | |
| Guelph Lake 1 | 1 |
| Toronto Triathlon Festival | 1 |
| Wasaga Beach | 1 |
| Standard (Olympic) Distance | |
| Rose City | 2 |
| Owen Sound | 1 |
| Toronto Triathlon | 1 |
| Owen Sound | 1 |
| Long Course | |
| K-Town | 1 |
To learn more about racing for the provincial championship, or the qualification process, check out these links:
https://www.triathlonontario.com/members/national-team-qualification
How Long Does It Take to Complete These Distances?
Sometimes when people ask “how long is a triathlon,” they’re actually asking how long (in time) it takes to finish these events. The spectrum of finish times is as diverse as the athletes themselves. Several factors influence how long a race will take, even races of the same distance. Let’s go over some of them:
1. The course itself
Some swim courses are in rivers, and courses are usually designed so the athletes swim downstream. This means faster swim times. Courses with more elevation gain (which is to say, hillier) always take longer on bike and run. Many sharp turns (or U-turns) on the bike mean shedding speed, especially on multi-lap courses. If any significant part of the run is on grass or other soft trail, the energy return from the running surface decreases, making for slower run times. All this makes it hard to compare races directly.
2. The conditions
Even on the same course, the weather conditions play a significant role.
- 24°C and clear? Ideal.
- Wind ? choppy water ? slower swims.
- Cold or rain ? more cautious biking, making for slower times.
- Very high heat ? slower run times.
3. Strength of field
Provincial championships and qualifier races tend to attract faster athletes. TO-sanctioned races tend to draw more experienced participants overall. Even with identical courses and conditions, these races typically produce faster average times than unsanctioned events.
What Published Sources Say
A quick search reveals several publications that attempt to answer this question. And before looking at Ontario-specific numbers, here’s what Google Gemini provides as general finish-time ranges:
Sprint Distance (0.75 km Swim / 20 km Bike / 5 km Run)
- Average: 1:30–2:00
- Good Time: Under 1:30
Standard Distance (1.5 km Swim / 40 km Bike / 10 km Run)
- Average: 2:45–3:30
- Good Time (Beginner): 3:00–4:00
Half-Ironman / 70.3 (1.9 km Swim / 90 km Bike / 21.1 km Run)
- Average: 5:00–7:00
- Good Time (Beginner): 6:00–8:00
Ironman / Full Distance (3.8 km Swim / 180 km Bike / 42.2 km Run)
- Average: 10:00–14:00
These ranges are quite wide because they incorporate data from many courses, countries, race conditions, and tiers of racing. So they may not help newcomers in Ontario to set realistic expectations of how long their first race might take.
A More Accurate Picture: Ontario 2025 Race Results
To get a clearer idea of how long our races take, I analyzed some 2025 results from two Ontario races for each distance—one provincial championship where available, and one other high-participation event. And broke them down by women, then men.
Races Used
| Distance | Race 1 | Race 2 |
| Sprint | Rose City | Toronto Triathlon Festival (Provincial Championship) |
| Standard | Rose City (Provincial Championship) | Toronto (largest field) |
| Half-Iron | Niagara Falls Barrelman (Provincial Championship) | Ironman 70.3 Muskoka |
| Iron | Ironman Canada – Ottawa | Ironman Lake Placid (in NY state. Next closest iron-distance race) |
Women’s Times
| Distance | Top 25th Percentile | Average | 75th Percentile |
| Sprint | 1:34:39 | 1:47:05 | 1:59:01 |
| Standard | 2:53:56 | 3:13:39 | 3:28:25 |
| Half-Iron | 5:52:36 | 6:29:10 | 7:02:00 |
| Iron | 12:28:36 | 13:48:01 | 15:07:40 |
Men’s Times
| Distance | Top 25th Percentile | Average | 75th Percentile |
| Sprint | 1:26:22 | 1:38:09 | 1:47:48 |
| Standard | 2:39:58 | 2:59:00 | 3:16:15 |
| Half-Iron | 5:39:29 | 6:18:58 | 6:55:18 |
| Iron | 11:45:14 | 13:09:17 | 14:31:59 |
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever listened to a friend talk about their triathlon and wondered how long it might take you, I hope this helps you feel encouraged to come out and participate!
If you’re still discouraged, remember:
- The “vibes” at the finish line peak between the 50th and 75th percentile.
If you think you’d finish toward the back, you’ll actually be crossing during the most fun and energetic atmosphere in the finishing area! - If these distances still seem long, or you’re wondering how long it takes to train for one:
See my related article:
https://www.gotri.ca/how-long-does-it-take-to-train-for-a-triathlon/ - If you want to start on your triathlon journey, but know you’ll need help:
GoTri.ca has great resources for finding coaches and clubs. You’ll find me in there! My website is also linked in the right-hand navigation panel. Hiring a coach is the best way to get started in triathlon without information overload!
Finally, if you want to try a multisport event, but one of the disciplines is giving you trouble, there are other formats of racing as well. Ontario playes host to duathlon, aquabike, and aquathlon events (both road and cross-country), which are all super fun formats of multisport racing. I’ll cover those formats in my next article – stay tuned!
Until then, ask yourself:
Do you want to be a provincial medalist?
Why haven’t you registered for a race yet?
Happy training, happier participating!
Benjamin Cohen
True Trail Triathlon