Olympic triathlon training plan NZ: built to your race date and your hours

My Olympic triathlon training plan is built for NZ standard-distance races like the People's Triathlon, from your race date, your level and the hours you've got, and runs 8 to 12 weeks. It costs NZ$29 plus NZ$5 a week, so NZ$69 to NZ$89. Email me your answers to 11 short questions and it's delivered as structured workouts in TrainingPeaks.

Email me your answers to order your Olympic 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. A free TrainingPeaks account is enough to follow it, with each session showing on its day. Miss one? Skip it, and never put two sessions into one day to catch up.

What's in the plan

A standard distance triathlon training plan of 8 to 12 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 a race simulation.
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.

Olympic plan price by weeks

The price is NZ$29 plus NZ$5 for each week, paid once, in NZ dollars.

Plan length	Price
8 weeks	NZ$69
9 weeks	NZ$74
10 weeks	NZ$79
11 weeks	NZ$84
12 weeks	NZ$89

When to start for the People's Triathlon Series

This plan is for the People's Triathlon Olympic course: a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run. The series also runs a sprint (500 m, 20 km, 5 km) and a try-a-tri (100 m, 10 km, 2 km). I don't sell a plan for those, so if you've entered one, this plan isn't the fit. Check the course you've entered on the People's Triathlon website.

Week 1 always starts on a Monday, and the last week holds race day. The People's Triathlon Series has 4 races in the 2026-27 season.

Race	Race date	12-week plan starts	8-week plan starts
People's Triathlon Race 2, Mission Bay	Sun 06 Dec 2026	Mon 14 Sep 2026	Mon 12 Oct 2026
People's Triathlon Race 3, Maraetai	Sun 21 Feb 2027	Mon 30 Nov 2026	Mon 28 Dec 2026
People's Triathlon Race 4, Mission Bay	Sun 16 May 2027	Mon 22 Feb 2027	Mon 22 Mar 2027

Race 1 at Maraetai on Sun 08 Nov 2026 is too close: an 8-week plan had to start by Mon 14 Sep 2026, so I'm not selling a plan for it. For Race 2, the 12-week start has passed. If the longest start has passed, your longest plan is the weeks left to race day. The calculator shows it for today.

Racing somewhere else? The calculator below works out your start Monday and price for any race date. Other NZ races are 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 an Olympic plan

This is week 8 of a 10-week plan my generator built for a beginner racing People's Triathlon Race 3 on 21 February 2027. They started at 4 hours a week, building to 6.25, with 2 runs and 2 swims a week. It's a peak week, planned at 6.2 hours, and Monday is the rest day. That 10-week plan costs NZ$79.

Day	Sport	Session	Time	Details
Tue	Bike	Bike quality	1.0h	3 x 8min OD race pace, 3min easy
Wed	Swim	Main swim	0.75h	continuous race-distance swim
Wed	Bike	Easy bike	0.75h	Z1-Z2 aerobic
Thu	Run	Run quality	0.75h	3 x 10min OD race pace, 2min jog
Fri	Swim	Easy swim	1.0h	Z1-Z2 aerobic
Sat	Bike	Long ride	1.25h	Race simulation: warm up 20min, 40min at OD race pace, 15min easy. Straight into a 15-20min run at race pace
Sun	Run	Long run	0.75h	Z2, last 10min at race pace (easy the day after the race simulation)

OD is short for Olympic distance.

Every week of the sample Olympic plan

Here's the whole 10-week beginner plan, week by week.

Week	Phase	Planned hours	Long ride	Long run
1	Base (testing week)	4.2h	0.75h	0.5h
2	Base	4.8h	0.75h	0.5h
3	Base	5.0h	0.75h	0.5h
4	Base (easier week)	3.5h	0.75h	0.5h
5	Build	5.5h	1.0h	0.5h
6	Build	5.5h	1.0h	0.5h
7	Build	5.8h	1.0h	0.75h
8	Peak	6.2h	1.25h	0.75h
9	Peak	6.2h	1.25h	0.75h
10	Race week	2.2h	Race	Race

Which level am I?

Your level sets how long the long ride and long run get at the peak. If you're between two, pick the lower.

Level	Pick it if	Longest ride	Longest run
Beginner	It's your first Olympic distance race	1h15	45 min
Intermediate	You've finished an Olympic distance race before	1h30	55 min
Advanced	You've finished several and you're racing for time	2h	65 min

Who this plan suits, and when coaching is better

A plan suits you if your weeks are fairly predictable and you're happy to follow the sessions as written. It's a good fit for a first Olympic distance race or a step up from a sprint.

It can't react to you. If your hours swing from week to week or you're working around an injury, coaching is the better buy. My triathlon coaching in Auckland and the prices on the services page cover that. The 70.3 and Ironman plans are on the training plans page.

Questions about the Olympic plan

Questions last updated September 2026.

How much does an Olympic triathlon training plan cost?

It costs NZ$29 plus NZ$5 a week, so NZ$69 for 8 weeks up to NZ$89 for 12 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.

Can I get a plan for People's Triathlon Race 1 on 8 November?

No, Race 1 is too close for the 8-week minimum, because an 8-week plan had to start by Monday 14 September 2026. For Race 2 at Mission Bay on 6 December 2026 the latest start is Monday 12 October 2026, and Race 3 at Maraetai on 21 February 2027 gives you the full 12 weeks.

Is this plan right for my first Olympic distance triathlon?

Yes, if you can already swim 400 m without stopping, ride for an hour and run for 30 minutes. Pick beginner and put down the hours you train now. A beginner plan peaks with a 1h15 long ride and a 45-minute long run. The sample beginner plan started at 4 hours a week.

I've done a sprint. Which level should I pick?

Pick beginner if it's your first Olympic distance race, even after sprints. At the People's Triathlon the Olympic course is a 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike and 10 km run, against 500 m, 20 km and 5 km for the sprint. Put down the hours you train now, and the beginner long sessions build you to it.

What do I need to start?

You need a bike, a pool and a watch or bike computer to record the week 1 tests: a 20-minute ride test, a 5 km run time trial and a 400 m then 200 m swim. A road bike outdoors works. Ride the test in free ride, never ERG.

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 Race 3 at Maraetai, a 12-week plan starts Monday 30 November 2026.

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 Olympic 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.