Apple watch Triathlon Mode – Is it laughable?
A: In a word, No. Apple’s new triathlon mode is actually fairly decent. Better than I imagined.
I’ve recently upgraded my Apple Watch 7 to the public beta version of watchOS 9. Apple already announced it had a new triathlon sport profile so I was eager to try it out. My hopes and expectations were set fairly low and I’d imagined a tickbox feature that could simply handle an outdoor triathlon. It’s much better than that. Whilst it can’t and won’t ever match Garmin’s high-end Forerunner triathlon features it certainly is more than good enough for most people.
Triathlon vs Multi-Sport
A triathlon watch has one basic requirement. It must have a single sports profile which can take you through the 3 triathlon disciplines of swimming, biking and running. The Apple Watch does that and more besides.
A multi-sport watch is pretty much the same thing except the sports don’t have to be swimming, biking and running. Whilst the Apple Watch can NOT include canoeing in a multi-sport profile it can handle multiple variations of swim/bike/run.
The Scope of Apple’s Multi-Sport Offering
The Apple Workout app comes pre-loaded with the following multisport profiles:
- Outdoor Triathlon
- Duathlon: Run-Bike-Run
- Aquabike: Swim-Bike
- Bike-Run
- Aquathlon: Swim-Run
- Run-Swim-Run
Apple also allows you to create and store custom multisport profiles for triathlon races that include an indoor sport, usually a pool swim, or for brick workouts where running and cycling are repeated.
What’s Also Covered
- Full transition automation: progression from one sport to the next is automatic. There is no need to touch the watch until the finish line.
- Alerts: add alerts for heart rate, time and distance to any or all sports.
- Personalisation: screens for each sport can be personalised.
- Custom multisport profiles can be changed after they have been created.
- Goals: set distance or calorie goals.
What’s missing?
Garmin users are able to add non-run/bike/swim sports such as canoeing or specific kinds of sports profiles like trail running into their multi-sport profiles. Garmin also gives the possibility of adding metrics like bike power, muscle oxygen or interstitial glucose. These require the connectivity of specialist sensors and Apple may never do this kind of thing. This will always be Garmin’s part of the market.
The Apple workout app does support Bluetooth chest straps added to the Watch but does not support bike power meters natively.
Opinion
Apple has not produced the best ever triathlon watch for triathletes. It never will, and it never intended to. Committed multisport athletes will generally choose Garmin’s triathlon watches. Garmin simply gives the flexibility to support complex training and racing needs.
However, for the 95% of triathletes who do not have a bike power meter, the Apple Watch is more than adequate. You can chip away at that argument and find use cases where the Apple Watch isn’t quite right, but the bottom line is that Apple has taken very large portions of the market for entry and mid-level triathlon watch tech.
Quick answers
I have an iPhone and want a smartwatch but I also might do a triathlon or two. Is the Apple Watch now a good choice?
Yes. Any Apple Watch apart from Series 3 will be great. For a full cross-brand comparison of triathlon watch options at every price point, see the best triathlon watch guide.
For a full ranked comparison of triathlon watches across Garmin, Apple, Coros, Polar and Suunto, see the best triathlon watch guide. For Apple Watch coverage on this site, see the Apple Watch hub.
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Last Updated on 24 July 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
Run-swim-run is called Biathlé
! that’s a new one to me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biathle
also swimrun or otillo are similar but not Biathlon