Triathlon Season Planning: How to Schedule A/B/C Races

Not Every Race Needs to Be All-Out

A common mistake among amateur athletes is going all-out in every race all season, only to end up without a single true peak. Even the Pro Series only counts the best few races—amateurs should learn to “categorize” and “align their training cycles” even more.

Race Categorization Definitions

Align A Races with the Peak of Your Training Cycle

The peak of your entire annual cycle, full taper, and mental preparation should all be aligned with your A races. At most 1–2 per year, with enough time between them to build another peak (about 8–12 weeks for a 70.3, 16–20 weeks for an IM).

The Role of B Races

B races are the “midterm exams” to test your training, practice pacing, and refine nutrition. A 3–5 day light taper is all that’s needed—don’t sacrifice your overall training rhythm.

Treat C Races as Training

C races require no taper. Fit them into your training as high-quality workouts or mental desensitization, helping you overcome race anxiety and test equipment. Results don’t matter.

Common Scheduling Mistakes

• Two A races only 3 weeks apart: you can’t build a second peak for the second race
• Tapering for every race: training gets fragmented and volume can’t accumulate
• Racing C races as if they were A races: accumulated fatigue derails your true A race

Time Needed to “Rebuild a Peak” Between A Races

The most common amateur mistake is going all-out in every race all season, ending up without a single true peak. The core of categorization is “aligning with the cycle’s peak”: only 1–2 A races per year, and you must leave enough time between them to “rebuild a peak”—about 8–12 weeks for a 70.3, 16–20 weeks for an IM. If you schedule a second A race without enough of an interval, that second race is guaranteed to fall short of peak form.

Race Categorization and Tapering Reference

Common Mistake: Racing C Races as if They Were A Races

Going all-out in training races as if they were goal races will directly drain you and derail your true A race; tapering for every race fragments your training and prevents volume accumulation. The first question in season planning is always “Which race this year are you truly going to go all-out for?”—everything else is practice in service of that one. Only by strategically letting some races go can you stand at the peak of your ability in that one truly important race.

The first thing I always say when planning an athlete’s season is: Which race this year are you truly going to go all-out for? Everything else is practice in service of that one. Only by letting some races go can you stand at the peak of your ability in that one truly important race.

Related Reading

• Complete Season Planning Guide: Training Arrangements for A/B/C Goal Races
• Season Planning for Multiple Marathons: Allocating A, B, and C Races
• Annual Race Planning: A/B/C Race Categorization and Season Scheduling—A Coach Walks You Through Arranging Your Entire Year’s Race Calendar
• Annual Race Planning: How to Choose A/B/C Races, Schedule Season Peaks, and Avoid the Fatigue Trap of Racing Year-Round