Triathlon glossary
The terms you will meet on a 70.3 start line.
A half-distance triathlon: 1.9 km swim, 90 km bike, 21.1 km run — 70.3 total miles.
The full distance: 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run.
A time limit at a point on the course. Miss it and you are removed from the race. Usually measured from your own start.
A self-seeded swim start where athletes enter a few at a time; your clock starts when you cross the mat.
Transition 1 (swim→bike) and Transition 2 (bike→run). They count toward your total and your cutoffs.
A bike session followed immediately by a run, training your legs for the off-the-bike feeling.
Functional Threshold Power — roughly the highest power you can hold for about an hour. A reference for bike pacing.
Critical Swim Speed — your sustainable swim threshold pace, used to plan the swim leg.
Your ride’s power as a fraction of FTP. Lower IF on the bike protects the run.
Completing the second half of a segment faster than the first — the smart way to run a triathlon.
Whether wetsuits are allowed, decided by water temperature on race day per the rules.
The official, race- and year-specific document with the binding rules, cutoffs and course details.