Triathlon de Lausanne.
The Olympic distance at the Triathlon de Lausanne distributes its difficulty unevenly: of the day's good 650 metres of climbing, nearly all sit on the bike, which rises four times from the shore of Lake Geneva into the city's slopes. The closing 10K, by contrast, stays flat at the water. To be at the front here you have to be able to meter out the bike split.
No date has been announced for the next edition yet. The course, elevation and route profile are from the most recent edition.
Triathlon de Lausanne: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The swim covers 1.5 kilometres in Lake Geneva off the Ouchy waterfront, home of this city triathlon for more than three decades. Straight out of transition the course's defining feature begins: Lausanne rises away from its lake, and the bike course takes that rise on each of its four laps.
The 40 bike kilometres are four identical laps of a good 10 kilometres, and every one contains two ascents to the same high point above the Avenue de l'Élysée: one of roughly 800 metres averaging 5.6 percent with ramps close to 9 percent, and one of about a kilometre at 4.6 percent. Eight times over, those climbs come to close to 585 metres, by far the largest share of the day's total.
The closing run inverts the picture. Its three laps of 3.45 kilometres stay on the lakeside promenade and accumulate around 70 metres over ten kilometres; the profile classifies as flat. For an Olympic distance that makes for an unusually clean division of labour: a climbing and handling contest on the bike, a fast loop with a view of the Alps on foot.
+584 m
+69 m
Bike course
40 km · +584 m| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 0.5 | 0.8 km | 5.6 % | 9.4 % | +45 m | — |
| km 3.6 | 1 km | 4.6 % | 7.8 % | +46 m | — |
| km 10.6 | 0.8 km | 5.7 % | 9.4 % | +44 m | — |
| km 13.7 | 1 km | 4.6 % | 7.9 % | +45 m | — |
| km 20.7 | 0.8 km | 5.6 % | 9.5 % | +45 m | — |
| km 23.8 | 1 km | 4.6 % | 7.9 % | +46 m | — |
| km 30.8 | 0.8 km | 5.7 % | 9.4 % | +44 m | — |
| km 33.9 | 1 km | 4.6 % | 7.7 % | +45 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
Run course
10 km · +69 m| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Triathlon de Lausanne.
Settle into the race
Because the elevation sits almost entirely on the bike, that is where the race is decided. The course sets you the same exam eight times: a short, spiteful climb of around 45 metres, then a descent and a flat stretch. Ride the first ramp only as hard as you intend to ride the eighth: controlled above your base race intensity, never into the red. The descents are not a gift but working time: ride them technically clean and you recover while staying fast.
Spread the effort
The classic trap is the first bike lap after the swim: full reserves, race adrenaline and a climb after just 500 metres invite you to sprint every ramp. The bill comes on the last two laps, and then on the run.
Finish strong
Because the flat 10K forgives nothing: there is no gradient behind which a tired leg may quietly slow down, and no descent to hand lost seconds back. What decides the race is therefore how much substance you carry into the run, and whether you can hold its three laps even.
Training plan for Triathlon de Lausanne: 12-week build
Build all three disciplines
For the Olympic distance on this profile, total effort sits around 2:15 to 3:30 hours depending on your level: short enough to be intense, and on the bike rolling enough that it is never even there.
Brick sessions
The demand splits into two very different halves. On the bike, eight climbs of two to three minutes force power spikes above threshold with incomplete recovery between them; the run, by contrast, is a steady, near-threshold sustained effort without terrain changes. It is precisely the tolerance for load changes on the bike, not raw threshold power, that separates the placings here.
Practise transitions
Decisive are the series of eight short bike climbs and the state of your legs over the first run kilometres afterwards. Train specifically for that: two-to-three-minute hill intervals on the bike near race intensity with short recoveries, over-under sessions for the constant shifting around threshold, and brick runs that go straight from the bike into a flat, brisk race pace.
Arrive fresh
Add confident descending and cornering technique, worth real time in a city race, and open-water sessions with sighting practice. The opening swim in Lake Geneva rewards those who swim straight.
Courses
Download each leg of Triathlon de Lausanne as its own GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Triathlon de Lausanne dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about Triathlon de Lausanne.
How long is Triathlon de Lausanne?
Triathlon de Lausanne is 51.5 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Triathlon de Lausanne have?
Triathlon de Lausanne has around 653 m of elevation gain over 51.5 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the profile of the bike course at Triathlon de Lausanne?
The bike course at Triathlon de Lausanne is classified as Rolling, averaging 14.5 vertical metres per kilometre. 28% of the route is flat, 35% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 1% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does the bike course at Triathlon de Lausanne have?
The hardest climb on the bike course at Triathlon de Lausanne starts at kilometre 3.6, runs for 1 km at an average of 4.6% and gains 46 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is there a GPX file for the Triathlon de Lausanne course?
Yes. Each leg of Triathlon de Lausanne is on this page as its own free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Triathlon de Lausanne?
Preparation for Triathlon de Lausanne should account for 51.5 km, 653 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Triathlon de Lausanne?
The pacing strategy for Triathlon de Lausanne should reflect 51.5 km, 653 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Triathlon de Lausanne next take place?
No date has been announced for the next edition yet. The most recent one was held on August 30, 2026.
Where does Triathlon de Lausanne take place?
Triathlon de Lausanne takes place in Lausanne, Switzerland.
How do I register for Triathlon de Lausanne?
Registration runs through the organiser: trilausanne.ch. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
