Can I finish a 70.3?
If you can swim 1.9 km, ride 90 km and then run a half-marathon — even slowly — you can almost certainly finish a 70.3 inside the cutoff. The real question is not “can I finish?” but “can I finish before each gate closes, on this course, on a bad-weather day?” Here is how to answer that concretely.
Check your exact cutoffs →Start from the cutoffs, not your hopes
A typical 70.3 gives you about 8 hours 30 minutes overall, measured from your own rolling start — plus an intermediate swim cutoff near 1:10 and a bike cutoff near 5:30. Those numbers vary by race and change yearly, so the binding version is whatever your event’s official Athlete Guide says.
The useful exercise is to add up an honest estimate of each segment — including transitions — and compare it to each gate, not just the finish. Most people who “miss the cutoff” actually miss an intermediate bike cutoff, not the finish line.
A rough self-test
If most of these are true, the cutoff is very unlikely to be your problem:
- You can swim 1.9 km continuously (in any time under ~50 minutes).
- You can ride 90 km and still walk afterwards — even at 25 km/h that is under 3:40.
- You can cover a half-marathon distance, run/walk included, in under ~3 hours.
- You have done at least one brick (a run straight off the bike).
Where it actually goes wrong
The classic failure is not lack of fitness — it is pacing. Riders who push the bike too hard arrive at the run unable to move, and a 2:00 planned half-marathon becomes a 3:30 walk that blows the cutoff.
The second failure is the swim cutoff for nervous or slow swimmers, especially in open water. If your swim is your weak link, that gate deserves the most respect.
FAQ
What happens if I miss a cutoff?
Officials pull you from the course at the gate you miss. It is not personal — it is logistics and safety. Knowing the gates in advance is how you avoid it.
How slow can I swim and still finish a 70.3?
Many races set a swim cutoff around 1:10 for 1.9 km, which is roughly 3:40/100m — comfortably slow. But the binding number is in your race’s Athlete Guide, and you still need to clear the later bike and overall cutoffs.
This is general guidance for healthy adults, not medical or coaching advice. Confirm cutoffs in your race’s official Athlete Guide and consult a professional before starting any program.