Editing Triathlon (section)

==Race formats==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
|-
! Name
! Swim
! Bicycle
! Run
! Notes
|-
| Kids of Steel || {{nowrap|{{convert|100|-|750|m|yd|abbr=on|disp=br()}}}} || {{nowrap|{{convert|5|-|15|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}}} || {{convert|1|-|5|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Distances vary with age of athlete. See: [[Ironkids]]
|-
| Novice (Australia) || {{convert|300|m|yd|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|8|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|2|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Standard novice distance course in Australia (often called ''enticer'' triathlons).
|-
| 3–9–3 (New Zealand) || {{convert|300|m|yd|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|9|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|3|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Standard novice distance course in New Zealand.
|-
| Super Sprint || {{convert|400|m|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|10|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|2.5|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Standard Super Sprint course, also used for individual legs of the Olympic and World Mixed Relay events. It is shorter compared to the sprint race and is often based around swimming pools.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book |title=The Complete Triathlete's Training Manual |publisher=Axis Publishing Limited |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7641-4384-7 |pages=12}}</ref>
|-
| Novice (Europe) || {{convert|400|m|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|20|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| {{convert|5|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Standard novice/fitness distance course in Europe.
|-
| Sprint || {{convert|750|m|mi|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|20|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}
| {{convert|5|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Half the Olympic distance. For pool-based races, a {{convert|400|or|500|m|abbr=on}} swim is common.
|-
| Olympic (normal) || {{convert|1.5|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|40|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|10|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || Also known as "international distance", "standard course", "intermediate" (USAT designation), or "short course".
|-
| Triathlon 70.3|| {{convert|1.9|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|90|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || [[Half marathon|{{convert|21.1|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}]] || Also known as "middle distance", "70.3" (total miles traveled), "long" (USAT designation), or "half-ironman", this race has become more popular around the world since 2005.<ref name=":6" />
|-
| Long Distance (O2) || {{convert|3.0|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|80|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|20|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || Double Olympic Distance<ref name="ITUCR"/> distance of the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]].
|-
| Triathlon 140.6|| {{convert|3.9|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || {{convert|181|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}} || [[Marathon|{{convert|42.2|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}]] || Also known as "long distance", "full distance", "140.6" (total miles traveled), or "[[Ironman Triathlon]]".<ref>Because "Ironman Triathlon" is a registered trademark of the [http://www.ironmanlive.com/ World Triathlon Corporation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305204317/http://ironmanlive.com/ |date=2011-03-05 }} (WTC), only races licensed by the WTC may be called "Ironman" or "Iron". As a result, other races of the same distances are called "full" or "long" distance.</ref>
|-
| Long Distance (O3) || {{convert|4.0|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || {{convert|120|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || {{convert|30|km|abbr=on|disp=br()}}  || So-called triple Olympic Distance,<ref name="ITUCR">{{cite web|url=http://www.triathlon.org/docs/competition-rules-20080601-vf.pdf?ts=1226328705 |title=ITU Competition Rules 2008| page=52 |access-date=2 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927123656/http://www.triathlon.org/docs/competition-rules-20080601-vf.pdf?ts=1226328705 |archive-date=27 September 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> distance of the [[World Triathlon Long Distance Championships]] most years including 2016.
|-
|colspan="5" align="left"|<small>Source:</small><ref>{{Cite web|title = Appendix A {{!}} Category Rules {{!}} Downloads {{!}} Triathlon.org|url = http://www.triathlon.org/about/downloads/category/competition_rules/|website = www.triathlon.org|access-date=7 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Race Distances Defined|url = https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/USAT-for-Me/Race-Directors/FAQs/Race-Distances-Defined|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151222145307/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/USAT-for-Me/Race-Directors/FAQs/Race-Distances-Defined|url-status = dead|archive-date = 22 December 2015|website = Team USA|access-date =7 February 2016}}</ref>
|}

Triathlons longer than full distance are classed as [[ultra-triathlon]]s.

Triathlons are not necessarily restricted to these prescribed distances. Distances can be any combination of distance set by race organizers to meet various distance constraints or to attract a certain type of athlete.

The standard Olympic distance of 1.5/40/10{{sp}}km (0.93/24.8/6.2{{sp}}miles) was created by longtime triathlon race director Jim Curl in the mid-1980s, after he and partner Carl Thomas produced the U.S. Triathlon Series (USTS) between 1982 and 1997.<ref name="USA HoF">{{cite web|url=http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/2010/01/14/usa-triathlon-hall-of-fame-banquet-caps-memorable-weekend/30568|title=USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Banquet Caps Memorable Weekend|date=14 January 2010|publisher=USA Triathlon|access-date=4 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107134304/http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/2010/01/14/usa-triathlon-hall-of-fame-banquet-caps-memorable-weekend/30568|archive-date=7 January 2011}}</ref>

Sprint triathlons are the most common triathlon distance in the United States. In 2022, for example, there were 839 USAT sanctioned sprint triathlons, more than all other distances combined.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://member.usatriathlon.org/events| title=USA Triathlon Events Calendar}}</ref>

In addition to the above distances, two new long-distance events have appeared, the 111 and 222 events. The 111 distance is {{convert|1|km|abbr=on}} swimming, {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} bicycling and {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} running, totalling {{convert|111|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The 222 distance is double that.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://star-events.cc/site/index.php/en/star-events/tristar/general-info|title=TriStar Triathlon Events|publisher=Star Production SARL|access-date=22 February 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314100517/http://star-events.cc/site/index.php/en/star-events/tristar/general-info|archive-date=14 March 2012}}</ref>

Most triathlons are individual events. Another format is relay triathlons, where a team of competitors take turns to compete at a race; each competitor must do a segment of swimming, cycling and running. The [[World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships]] began with two separate classifications for men and women. In 2009, it adopted a 4×4 mixed relay format, where each team has two men and two women. The [[triathlon at the Youth Olympic Games]] also has a 4× mixed relay since 2010, and the event was introduced at the [[Triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics|2020 Summer Olympics]].

The World Triathlon accepts a 5% margin of error in the cycle and run course distances.<ref>{{cite web| author=International Triathlon Union| year=2003| url=http://www2.triathlon.org/rules/rules-2003/general-competition-rules-revised-2003PDF.PDF| title=ITU Competition Rules| access-date=13 December 2005| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614113838/http://www2.triathlon.org/rules/rules-2003/general-competition-rules-revised-2003PDF.PDF| archive-date=14 June 2006}}</ref> Though there can be some variation in race distances, particularly among short triathlons, most triathlons conform to one of those above standards.