70.3 training plan NZ: built to your race date and your hours

My 70.3 training plan is built for NZ half-distance races, from your race date, your level and the hours you've got, and runs 12 to 20 weeks. It costs NZ$59 plus NZ$10 a week, so NZ$179 to NZ$259. Email me your answers to 11 short questions and it's delivered as structured workouts in TrainingPeaks.

Email me your answers to order your 70.3 plan

What happens after you email

Within 2 days of your email, I reply with your plan, shared to your TrainingPeaks account, and an invoice for the price.

I share your plan from my TrainingPeaks plan library to the email on your account. You accept it and the sessions land on your calendar. Your account isn't connected to mine, so I can't see your training. On a free account each session shows on its day. Premium, which you pay TrainingPeaks for, shows workouts ahead of the day and syncs them to Garmin, Wahoo and Zwift.

After that, if you miss a session, skip it and never stack two into one day.

What's in the plan

A half ironman training plan of 12 to 20 weeks. You pick the length, and the last week holds your race day.
It's set from your answers: race date, plan length, level, the hours you train now, the most you can build to, and how many runs and swims a week.
Week 1 tests set your zones. Each week has a long ride, a long run, a bike quality session, a run quality session and a main swim, and the peak weeks have race-pace bricks.
A 1-week race week with openers, rest days and a short pre-race brick.

Everything that goes into every plan is listed on the triathlon training plans page. Once it's delivered, the plan stays as written. There are no refunds, but if you're unhappy with how it's built, tell me once and I'll make a change. If you want someone reading your sessions and changing the plan as you go, that's coaching. The plan is the plan. Coaching is the coach.

70.3 plan price by weeks

The price is NZ$59 plus NZ$10 for each week, paid once, in NZ dollars.

Plan length	Price
12 weeks	NZ$179
13 weeks	NZ$189
14 weeks	NZ$199
15 weeks	NZ$209
16 weeks	NZ$219
17 weeks	NZ$229
18 weeks	NZ$239
19 weeks	NZ$249
20 weeks	NZ$259

When to start for NZ 70.3 races

Week 1 always starts on a Monday, and the last week holds race day. Here's when each length starts for the 2026-27 NZ half distance races.

Race	Race date	20-week plan starts	12-week plan starts
Tauranga Half	Sat 23 Jan 2027	Mon 07 Sep 2026	Mon 02 Nov 2026
Challenge Wānaka Half	Sat 20 Feb 2027	Mon 05 Oct 2026	Mon 30 Nov 2026
IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand, Taupō	Sat 06 Mar 2027	Mon 19 Oct 2026	Mon 14 Dec 2026

The 20-week start for Tauranga has passed. If the longest start has passed, your longest plan is the weeks left to race day. The calculator shows it for today.

IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand now runs in Taupō on the IRONMAN New Zealand weekend in March. I'm using 6 March 2027, so check the date with IRONMAN before you order. It had 1,064 competitors in 2026. Challenge Wānaka Half had 376 individuals. I finished 3rd at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong in 2015, so I know what a half distance peak week feels like.

Racing somewhere else? The calculator below works out your start Monday and price for any race date. The full list of races is on my 2027 New Zealand triathlon season calendar.

Work out your plan start date and price

The prices and start dates are in the tables on this page. To order, email me your answers.

A real week from a 70.3 plan

This is week 13 of a 16-week plan my generator built for an intermediate athlete racing IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand on 6 March 2027. They started at 7 hours a week, building to 12, with 3 runs and 2 swims a week. It's a peak week, planned at 11.2 hours, and Monday is the rest day. That 16-week plan costs NZ$219.

Day	Sport	Session	Time	Details
Tue	Bike	Bike quality	1.25h	2 x 20min race-pace+
Wed	Swim	Main swim	1.0h	continuous race-distance swim
Wed	Run	Easy run	0.75h	Z1-Z2 aerobic
Thu	Run	Run quality	1.0h	tempo 20-30min
Thu	Bike	Easy bike	1.25h	Z1-Z2 aerobic
Fri	Swim	Easy swim	1.0h	Z1-Z2 aerobic
Sat	Bike	Long ride	3.25h	race-pace blocks, brick run 15-30min after
Sun	Run	Long run	1.75h	race-pace segments

Every week of the sample 70.3 plan

Here's the whole 16-week plan, week by week, so you can see how the hours and long sessions build.

Week	Phase	Planned hours	Long ride	Long run
1	Base (testing week)	7.2h	1.5h	1.0h
2	Base	7.5h	1.75h	1.0h
3	Base	8.0h	1.75h	1.0h
4	Base (easier week)	6.0h	1.25h	0.75h
5	Base	8.8h	2.0h	1.25h
6	Base	9.0h	2.25h	1.25h
7	Build	9.2h	2.5h	1.25h
8	Build (easier week)	6.2h	1.5h	0.75h
9	Build	10.5h	2.75h	1.5h
10	Build	10.5h	2.75h	1.5h
11	Build	11.2h	3.0h	1.75h
12	Build (easier week)	7.5h	1.75h	1.0h
13	Peak	11.2h	3.25h	1.75h
14	Peak	11.5h	3.25h	2.0h
15	Peak	12.0h	3.5h	2.0h
16	Race week	2.2h	Race	Race

Which level am I?

Your level sets the long ride, the long run and the quality sessions. The last column is what those 5 key sessions add up to in your biggest week. If the most hours you can build to is under it, pick the lower level. Your easy runs and swims come on top. If you're between two levels, pick the lower.

Level	Pick it if	Longest ride	Longest run	Key sessions at the peak
Beginner	It's your first 70.3	3h	1h45	7h15
Intermediate	You've finished a 70.3 before	3h30	2h	8h45
Advanced	You've finished several and you're racing for time	4h	2h15	9h45

If you're unsure what hours to put down, I've written up how many training hours a 70.3 needs.

A bought plan, an app or this plan?

Most plans you can buy are a fixed 12, 16, 20 or 24 weeks, written once for everyone. With mine you pick any length from 12 to 20 weeks, so it ends on race day in Taupō, Tauranga or Wānaka, and it builds from the hours you train now. Your week 1 tests set your own zones.

A training app is a monthly subscription, from about US$15 a month. This plan is a one-off NZ$179 to NZ$259, written from my own template with race-pace bricks in the peak weeks and a fixed race week, and there's nothing more to pay after race day.

It can't react to you. If your hours swing from week to week or you're working around an injury, 1-on-1 coaching is the better buy, at $250 to $350 a month.

Questions about the 70.3 plan

Questions last updated September 2026.

How much does a 70.3 training plan cost?

It costs NZ$59 plus NZ$10 a week, so NZ$179 for 12 weeks up to NZ$259 for 20 weeks. It's a one-off price in NZ dollars with no subscription. You order by email, and I send your plan with an invoice within 2 days.

Is a 70.3 plan the same as a half ironman training plan?

Yes, 70.3 and half ironman are the same race distance, with half the swim, bike and run of a full Ironman. This plan covers IRONMAN 70.3 races and other half distance races, like the Tauranga Half and Challenge Wānaka Half.

When do I start for Taupō, Tauranga or Wānaka?

For IRONMAN 70.3 New Zealand in Taupō, a 20-week plan starts Monday 19 October 2026. For Challenge Wānaka Half it starts Monday 5 October 2026. The 20-week start for the Tauranga Half has passed, so pick a shorter plan. The latest start for Tauranga is Monday 2 November 2026, for 12 weeks.

How many weeks should I pick?

Pick the longest plan that fits before your race. Your hours build from what you train now to the most you can build to, so a longer plan spreads that rise over more weeks. For Taupō, a 20-week plan starts Monday 19 October 2026, so keep training as you are until then.

I work full time. Will the weekday sessions fit?

Yes, if your hours cover your level. The easy sessions are sized to your hours. The long ride, long run and quality sessions are set by your level, so if your hours are low for your level, pick a lower level. The sample peak week's busiest weekday was Thursday: a 1-hour run quality session plus a 1h15 easy ride.

About Mark Bowstead

I raced professionally for 10 years. I was the 2009 ITU Long Distance World Champion in the 20-24 age group, finished 3rd at IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong in 2015, 16th at the 70.3 World Championship in 2016 and 5th at IRONMAN New Zealand in 2017. I have a First Class Honours engineering degree from the University of Auckland. From Auckland, I coach time-pressured professionals 1-on-1 through TrainingPeaks.

Order your 70.3 plan

Pick your race and plan length from the tables above, then email me your answers. The email opens with the questions already listed, so you only fill in the blanks.