10 Triathlon Race Day Tips That Actually Make a Difference

Today we discuss how to execute your best possible race day performance. Mikael and Jack provide practical tips that you can apply from sprint distance triathlon to the Ironman. Some of these tips are probably familiar (but bear repeating), others you have likely never heard or thought of before. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS: 

• Proper pacing across swim, bike and run in a triathlon
• Why you should use RPE as the primary driver of pacing strategy
• Known and lesser-known tips for maximising speed across the swim and the bike
• Is “run for dough” still true in triathlon?
• Managing the heat in hot races
• Nutrition and hydration - more than just having a plan, it’s about understanding how to adjust the plan on the fly when needed.
• How to get the most out of yourself mentally - the brain is a central governor, so if your head is not in it, you won’t have your best race. But getting your head to be in it and stay in it is easier said than done.

DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES: 

• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode.
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts701/

LINKS AND RESOURCES: 

• The effect of additional skin wetting on physiological strain and exercise performance: systematic review and meta-analysis - Anderson et al. 2026

WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?

If you enjoyed this episode, I think you'll love the following episodes, related to sports science and (the third episode listed) fat adaptation and performance. 

• Pacing science and training talk with Andy Renfree, PhD | EP#349
• Sports psychology and applied neuroscience with Simon Marshall, PhD and Lesley Paterson | EP#282
• Q&A on racing and testing | EP#399

You can find our full episode archives here, where you can filter for categories such as Triathlon Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.

You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specifically Q&A episodes, TTS Thursday episodes, and Beginner Tips episodes. 

SPONSORS: 

• Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at che