Ironman (Full Distance) Training Plans

4.7out of 5TrainingPeaks rating across every level of the 80/20 Full Distance plan.

About 80 percent of your training stays easy, so you absorb the volume an Ironman takes and race strong. Four levels, coach support included.

Join Team 80/20 Buy a single plan from $99.95

Every plan and TrainingPeaks Premium, as low as $16.58/month when paid annually. 30-day money-back guarantee.

TrainingPeaks lists these plans as Full Distance, so that is the name you will see at checkout.

Coach email support
Free switch to another level
Never expires
Syncs to Garmin, Wahoo, Zwift, Apple Watch and more

Ironman athletes on 80/20

Athletes on our Wall of Fame have taken anywhere from 20 minutes to more than two hours off their Ironman best using 80/20.

“Using an 80/20 plan I not only set a PB in 70.3 but then 2 weeks later set a PB in a full Ironman and qualified for Kona!”
Colin Lewis
IRONMAN or equivalent
“This past weekend I completed Ironman Wisconsin on the Run/Bike Power version of the Level 2 80/20 plan. While the volume was drastically higher than any I had done in past years, I had no injuries and I felt confident in the specificity of the purpose for each workout. On race day I was able to hit my power and pace targets and finish strong with a smile on my face!”
Roger Hipwell
IRONMAN or equivalent
“The best year ever! After a few years of sporadic training efforts and competing in triathlons from Sprint distance to full Ironman I decided to look into a more structured approach to training. After looking into the plethora of plans available, I selected a 80/20 Endurance plans. I completed 2 Sprints, 1 Olympic, 3 halves and 1 full Ironman, and setting personal bests at all distances, slicing 2 hours 20 from the full Ironman.”
Mark White
IRONMAN or equivalent
“Thank you for the role 80/20 played in getting to the finish line of Ironman Arizona. Going top 10% for my age group feels really great. Thanks for helping me conquer this life goal!”
Dwight Robertson
IRONMAN or equivalent
“During my first 12-week base period on an 80/20 plan I cut more time off more disciplines than I did in a year of Ironman training with one-on-one coaching. I’ve also boosted my bike FTP by 20 watts. It’s unreal.”
Chris DiRienzo
IRONMAN or equivalent

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Read hundreds more athlete results

Choose your plan and level

Pick the level that matches the training you can sustain today, not the one you hope to reach. If it turns out wrong, we switch you to another level at no cost. Still not sure? Try the plan finder.

Best value

Every plan on this page, and every other 80/20 plan

Team 80/20 Gold includes TrainingPeaks Premium and Mind of Matt, as low as $16.58/month when paid annually. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Join Team 80/20

Full Distance

80/20 Triathlon

4.7TrainingPeaks rating

The plan most of our Ironman athletes choose. About 80 percent of your training stays easy, so the hard sessions count.

21 to 23 weeks · Heart rate, pace and power

Help Me Choose

Which level is right for you?

Norwegian Full Distance Triathlon Plan

Norwegian Training

The Norwegian method. Hard work concentrated into controlled threshold sessions, wrapped in easy volume. No lactate meter required.

22 weeks · Heart rate, pace and power

Choose your level

Every plan includes

Every workout on your TrainingPeaks calendar, synced to your watch
Your zones built into each session
Works with a free TrainingPeaks account, no Premium needed
Coach email support for as long as your plan runs
A free switch to another level if yours is wrong
Lifetime access, the plan never expires

Why 80/20 works for Ironman

Most age-groupers train too hard on their easy days and pay for it in the sessions that count. An 80/20 plan keeps about 80 percent of your training at low intensity, so you absorb the volume and arrive at the key workouts fresh. Every session lands on your TrainingPeaks calendar with your zones built in, a coach answers your questions by email, and Team 80/20 includes every plan on this page.

Most age-groupers race an Ironman in Zone 2, so the bulk of 80/20 training builds exactly the fitness you will use on the day. Keeping easy days easy also lets you absorb the volume without the fatigue that wrecks the next key session.

More hours are not automatically better either. In a study of 99 triathletes, those training under 14 hours a week finished slightly faster on average than those training over 20. That is why we tell you to pick the level you can repeat week after week. And on race day the athlete who paces best beats the one who starts fastest. There is more on all of this in our triathlon articles.

What a week looks like

Take a typical Level 2 week. Day 1 is your rest day and Day 7 usually carries the longest workout. Between them sit four swims, four rides, three runs and a brick, and most of that time is spent in Zones 1 and 2.

Some of your Zone 2 riding comes as Cycling Aerobic Intervals, ridden at the intensity you expect to hold on race day. Every rest week includes a test, so your zones keep up with your fitness. Each session lands on your TrainingPeaks calendar and syncs to most watches and bike computers.

Read the workout code glossary

Ironman training plan questions

How many weeks is an Ironman training plan?

Our 80/20 Full Distance plan runs 21 weeks at Level 0, 22 weeks at Level 1 and 23 weeks at Levels 2 and 3. The Norwegian Full Distance plan runs 22 weeks at every level. If your race is closer than that, email a coach before you start and we will tell you where to begin.

How many hours a week do I need to train for an Ironman?

On the 80/20 Full Distance plan your weekly training averages 7.2 hours at Level 0 and 12.6 hours at Level 3, and peak weeks run from 12 to 20 hours. Matt's reading of the research puts the sweet spot for most amateurs at about 14 hours a week, so pick the level you can sustain rather than the biggest one.

Is there an Ironman training plan for beginners?

Yes. Level 0 is built for first-timers, with two swims, two rides and two runs in a typical week and two days off. If you are torn between two levels, start with the lower one. If it turns out to be the wrong one, we switch you to another level at no cost, and a coach answers your questions by email.

Should I train by heart rate or power for an Ironman?

Either works, and you choose when you buy. The run can be guided by heart rate, pace or power and the bike by heart rate or power, in any combination. We recommend power or pace as your main measure and heart rate as a check, because heart rate lags behind changes in effort and drifts with heat, hydration and fatigue.

What if I miss a week of Ironman training?

Don't try to make it up. If you miss a workout or two and you are healthy, pick up the schedule where you are. After a longer break, especially for illness or injury, ease back in for a few days before you rejoin the plan. If the plan no longer fits, email a coach and we can switch your level.

Does it include strength training?

Not in the plan itself. Strength comes as a separate Full Distance Strength Training Plug-in, matched to your level and to the plan's weeks so the sessions fit around your key workouts. For a fuller gym program there is Full Distance Premium Strength. Team 80/20 includes both, along with every other 80/20 plan.