The Swim: The Smallest Part of the Race, but a Bigger Factor Than You Think

In triathlon, we often hear the same argument: “The swim is such a small part of the race. Why should I spend so much time training for it?” I believe this way of thinking is one of the biggest mistakes a triathlete can make.

In triathlon, we often hear the same argument: “The swim is such a small part of the race. Why should I spend so much time training for it?”

I believe this way of thinking is one of the biggest mistakes a triathlete can make.

After more than 30 years in triathlon, both as an athlete and through my experience working with other athletes, I have learned that the importance of swimming goes far beyond the time you spend in the water. It can influence your entire race, from the moment you exit the water to the final meters of the run.

And sometimes, the best swim improvement is not necessarily a faster swim split. It is a better bike and run.

It’s Not Just About Swimming Faster

Let’s be clear: you don’t need to be the fastest swimmer in your age group to have a great triathlon. But you do need sufficient swim fitness to complete the distance efficiently, without unnecessarily exhausting yourself before the race has really begun.

Swimming requires more than technique. It demands aerobic fitness, muscular endurance, breathing control, and the ability to maintain an efficient stroke under fatigue.

When an athlete lacks swim-specific fitness, even a relatively comfortable pace can become physiologically expensive. The athlete may exit the water with elevated fatigue, breathing under control only with difficulty, and muscles that have already done more work than they should have.

That fatigue doesn’t magically disappear in transition.

It follows you onto the bike and, potentially, into the run.

I often explain that improving swim fitness can help an athlete save a meaningful amount of energy for the rest of the race. A figure like 20% is sometimes used to illustrate the potential difference, but the actual benefit varies considerably by athlete, swim ability, and race conditions. The important point is that a more efficient, better-conditioned swimmer can complete the same swim with less relative effort.

The goal isn’t simply to get out of the water faster. It’s to get out of the water ready to race.

Great Runners Don’t Always Run to Their Potential

One thing I have repeatedly observed is that athletes with excellent running ability sometimes struggle to reproduce that performance in triathlon.

They may have impressive standalone run times. They may be strong cyclists, too. Yet when it comes to the final leg of a triathlon, they cannot run anywhere near their potential.

Why?

Swimming fitness may be one of the missing pieces.

A strong runner who neglects swim training might be able to complete the swim distance, but completing it and completing it efficiently are two different things. If the swim places too much stress on the athlete, the bike becomes an exercise in managing fatigue rather than maximizing performance. By the time the run begins, the athlete may already be paying the price.

Of course, swim fitness isn’t the only factor affecting the run. Pacing, cycling fitness, nutrition, hydration, and overall race strategy all matter. But the swim is an important part of that equation, and it shouldn’t be overlooked.

If you want to run well off the bike, you need to consider what happens before you even get on the bike.

The Swim Is Shorter, but It Is Not Less Important

The swim generally represents a smaller portion of total race time than either the bike or the run, particularly in longer triathlons. It is understandable that athletes want to dedicate more training time to the disciplines where they believe they can gain the most time.

But training decisions shouldn’t be based on race duration alone.

Swimming is a technically demanding discipline, and efficiency depends on consistent practice. It is difficult to compensate for poor technique and inadequate conditioning simply by swimming harder on race day.

More importantly, the swim takes place in an environment that is fundamentally different from the bike and run. Open-water swimming can involve waves, cold water, limited visibility, contact with other athletes, and the anxiety that comes with being surrounded by people in deep water.

You cannot simply stop and stand on the side of the road if you become overwhelmed.

That makes swimming fitness, confidence, and preparation about much more than performance. They are also essential elements of race readiness.

Respect the Water

This is where I believe the triathlon community needs to have an honest conversation.

I worry that the attitude of “The swim is such a small part of the race, so I don’t need to train much for it” can contribute to athletes entering open-water events without adequate preparation.

I have seen how participation in triathlon has evolved over the years. When I look back at the races I competed in 20 years ago, I don’t remember being as conscious of swim-related incidents as I am today. I remember an environment in which we placed considerable importance on preparing for the swim and respecting the demands of the water.

That is my personal recollection, not proof that incidents were less common back then. Reporting practices, participation numbers, and race conditions have changed. Still, the question deserves attention: are athletes giving the swim the preparation and respect it deserves?

Race organizers have a responsibility to provide appropriate safety measures. Athletes also have a responsibility to understand their abilities, train for the conditions, and be honest about whether they are ready to participate.

That means developing open-water confidence, practicing sighting and controlled breathing, becoming comfortable swimming around other athletes, and building the endurance to complete the race distance safely. It also means knowing when conditions exceed your abilities.

Pool fitness alone does not guarantee open-water readiness, but consistent, appropriate swim training is an essential starting point.

Respecting the swim means respecting the sport—and respecting your own safety.

Train for the Entire Triathlon

As triathletes, we don’t train simply to complete three separate disciplines. We train to combine them into one performance.

A good swim sets the stage for a good bike. A well-managed bike helps set up a strong run. And the ability to execute each discipline depends partly on the work we have done in the others.

So, the next time you consider skipping a swim session to spend more time on the bike or run, think about the bigger picture.

Are you training to swim faster? Or are you training to become a better triathlete?

Those are not necessarily the same thing.

You may never win your age group in the swim. You may never be the first athlete out of the water. But if you develop the fitness and efficiency to swim comfortably, confidently, and economically, you may discover that your bike and run become stronger as well.

And that is the real value of swim training.

Don’t train for the swim as if it were a small part of the race. Train for the swim because it is the beginning of your entire race.