There are also longer races, most notably an Ironman, that feature a 3.9-kilometer swim, 180-kilometer bike ride and 42.2-kilometer run. That's in contrast to a full triathlon, sometimes called an Olympic standard triathlon of 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run. This event usually consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run, although some race events may tweak these distances - for example, a longer cycling session and shorter run.

If you’re contemplating your triathlon debut or you want to focus on improving speed rather than endurance, a sprint triathlon may serve as a springboard to do so.