Helios
Sign inJoin the waitlist

Event programsSwimmingCyclingRunningStrength

IRONMAN: 22 weeks, peaks at ~19 h.

3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run in 9–17 h: an IF-capped bike, 60–90 g/h of carbohydrate, and a marathon that decides the day. That's the intermediate plan; beginner runs 24, advanced runs 20 weeks.

Try the planJoin the waitlist

Try the plan

Your race day, your level, your hours.

This is the real plan on a real calendar: the same engine Helios runs when you start a program, working on your date right here in your browser.

Pick a level and a race day to see the plan laid onto a calendar.

Written for where you are.

Beginner
24 weeks on 7–12 h a week: the long ride 2:00 → 5:00, a run-walk long run 60 → 135 min, a long-course brick every two weeks and a race simulation in week 21.Shortest runway 19 weeks · research minimum 20 · 11 sources
24 wk
6-14 h a week
Intermediate
22 weeks on 11–16 h a week: Red Mist every two weeks, a long-course brick every week from week 6, Friel's Big Day in week 17 and a full-swim simulation in week 19.Shortest runway 15 weeks · research minimum 16 · 11 sources
22 wk
9-19 h a week
Advanced
20 weeks on 15–21 h a week: four swims, two quality rides plus a daily easy spin, the long Big Day in week 14, a race simulation in week 15 and a 6:30 brick in week 17.Shortest runway 13 weeks · research minimum 14 · 11 sources
20 wk
13-24 h a week

The checklist comes with it.

T-7Course recon: the bike turns and the swim exit.
T-3Bike check: tyres, gears, brakes. Race belt and number, elastic laces.
T-2Wetsuit decision from the water temperature: USAT makes it mandatory below 16 °C, allowed up to 78 °F, and 78.1–83.9 °F without award eligibility.
T-1Photograph your transition layout. Gels are optional.
race morningArrive 90 min early; a 10-min swim warm-up, then a seeded or rolling start.
T-3Bike fuelling plan, bottles pre-mixed; a pacing card with your watts and run pace.
T-3A sighting-landmark list for the swim course.
T-1Chafe protection for a longer wetsuit swim.
T-7No new products from here on. Check the cut-offs.
T-3Bike nutrition laid out by the hour; an IF / TSS pacing card; a sunscreen and heat plan; the special-needs bag if offered.
T-2Carbohydrate-focused eating for the last 24–36 h.
T-3Special-needs bags (bike and run); bike nutrition for 6+ h with spares; a night-run light or reflective gear if required.
T-3Pacing card: watts, IF cap (0.72 or lower unless you ride under 5:30), TSS cap (about 280), and your run-walk ratio. A cut-off time plan.
T-1Body-weight check (weigh before and after; don't gain weight during the race). Choose your swim-start seeding.

Every plan cites its homework.

The marathon decline is the decisive limiter, yet no study has quantified the drop from an athlete's standalone marathon to their IRONMAN marathon; the 10–12% allowance is coaching consensus. IF and TSS caps are practitioner-derived, not trial-validated, and the no-carbohydrate collapse is a single case report.

  1. 1Helios research dossier — triathlon, duathlon and aquabike events
  2. 2Wikipedia — Ironman Triathlon
  3. 3IRONMAN age-group split analysis, 2002–2022 (PMC11953511)
  4. 4Marathon Handbook — average Ironman time
  5. 5USA Triathlon — power analysis for IRONMAN training
  6. 6Alan Couzens — power and the IRONMAN bike
  7. 7Tsutsumi et al. 2026 — IRONMAN run decline scoping review (PMC13517492)
  8. 8Jeukendrup 2014 — carbohydrate intake during exercise (PMC4008807)
  9. 9Plank 2026 — an IRONMAN without carbohydrate, case report (PMC13399978)
  10. 10Hew-Butler et al. 2006 — sodium supplementation RCT at Ironman (PMC2492002)
  11. 11Speedy et al. 2000 — hyponatraemia at NZ Ironman (PubMed 10695851)
  12. 12Wharam et al. 2006 — NSAIDs and hyponatraemia at Ironman (PubMed 16679974)
  13. 13Armstrong 2025 — exercise-associated hyponatraemia in women (PMC12630018)
  14. 14Knechtle et al. 2026 — swimming-induced pulmonary oedema review (PMC13424964)
  15. 15TrainingPeaks — 80/20 IRONMAN Level 1 plan requirements

Invite-only · waitlist

Got a race on the calendar?

Helios opens up slowly: every new athlete is set up by hand. Tell us the race and the date and you'll hear from us as spots open.

No newsletter. One message, when your invite is ready.

Something else on the calendar?