REF-837 · Wu et al., 2014 · Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 5, pp. 223-234 · Paper · PubMed · Free full text

Factors Influencing Pacing in Triathlon

C+thin evidenceMeasured on a mixed groupWritten before October 2026, being re-checked

Triathlon is a multisport event of sequential swim, cycle and run over a range of distances, in which athletes must distribute speed or energy expenditure (pacing) within each discipline and over the whole event. Pacing may be influenced by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Most research focuses on the Olympic distance, with much less on sprint, half-Ironman and Ironman distances, and little is understood about the physiological, environmental and interdisciplinary effects on pacing. The review discusses pacing strategies observed across distances and the possible factors influencing pacing within each discipline.

Participants

Not applicable — narrative review. Number of studies not given in the abstract.

Protocol

Narrative review of pacing strategies observed in triathlon across distances and of factors influencing pacing within the swim, cycle and run.
No systematic search method or pooled analysis is described in the abstract.

Key Results

The majority of current research focuses on the Olympic distance; much less is available on sprint, half-Ironman and Ironman distances.
Little is understood about the specific physiological, environmental and interdisciplinary effects on pacing.
The abstract states the topics discussed but reports no findings, strategies or numbers.

Practical Application

Is there a proven pacing plan for my triathlon distance? This review's own summary is that pacing research is mostly on the Olympic distance, with much less on sprint, half-Ironman and Ironman, and that the physiological, environmental and between-discipline effects on pacing are poorly understood. For a half-Ironman or an Ironman, a pacing plan is built by transfer from shorter-course and single-sport evidence; say so rather than presenting it as tested.
Do not cite this entry for a specific strategy (even, negative or positive): the abstract names the topics but not the conclusions.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: pace the bike for the run, avoid early surges, and treat the half-Ironman as an interpolation between the short-course and Ironman evidence (SYNTH-52, SYNTH-57).
Inference, not tested here: the base's direct triathlon pacing data — a surging bike costing the run (REF-831), Ironman bike fade (REF-786), swim intensity (REF-834, REF-836) — fill in parts of the picture this review describes as thin.

Limitations

Narrative review; the abstract gives the scope only, with no conclusions or numbers.
Evidence base weighted toward the Olympic distance, by the authors' own statement.
Written from the abstract and record metadata only (full text not read; the full text is open access in PubMed Central).
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level

narrative review; the abstract gives no findings or numbers