How do I record a triathlon on iPhone and Apple Watch?

In short: Kiito, a private triathlon and running app for iPhone and Apple Watch, records a triathlon two ways. Its race mode (Kiito Pro) takes you through swim, T1, bike, T2 and run on your iPhone, times both transitions, saves every leg and adds a race summary with your splits, while your Apple Watch mirrors each leg with your heart rate. Or turn on Triathlon in Settings and record the race for free in Go as one activity, then enter your swim, bike and run times. There’s no account, and the race stays on your iPhone.

Race mode: leg by leg, with T1 and T2 timed

Race mode is in Plan › Multisport, and it is what Kiito’s triathlon plans use for rehearsals and race day.

1. Choose the distance: sprint, Olympic, half (70.3), full or a custom race.
2. Start the swim. Kiito records it as an open-water swim, with the route from your iPhone’s GPS.
3. Tap ”→ T1” as you leave the water. The swim is saved and the T1 clock starts.
4. Tap “Start bike” when you roll out. T1 is saved and the ride begins.
5. Do the same for T2 and the run, and tap Finish at the line.

Each leg is saved as its own activity, with its route and heart rate. Finish adds a combined race record: swim, T1, bike, T2 and run times, the distance of each leg, total climb and calories, and your average and maximum heart rate. Each leg goes to Apple Health as its own workout, if you allow it.

Your Apple Watch mirrors each leg as it happens, with time, distance, heart rate and its zone.

Free: the whole race in one recording

Go, Kiito’s free recording tab, can record a triathlon too, with no subscription:

1. Turn on Triathlon in Settings › Activities.
2. Choose Triathlon in Go, pick the race distance, and start.
3. Stop at the finish and enter your swim, bike and run times. Kiito works out your pace and speed for each from the race distances.

The race is saved to Apple Health as one multisport workout, with its route, heart rate, calories and elevation.

Training for it: bricks and rehearsals

Kiito Pro has six triathlon plans, from a first sprint to a full Ironman, with 9 to 19 brick sessions each. A brick starts Kiito’s brick mode: bike, T2, run, with the transition timed, so the change from bike to run gets practised, not only the legs. Rehearsals and race day in the plans start race mode at the plan’s distance. See Is there a triathlon training app without an account? for what each plan contains.

Before race day

• Rehearse with race mode. Run through every tap once in training, so race day holds no surprises.
• Keep your iPhone with you. Race mode runs on the iPhone: it records each leg’s route, and you switch legs on it.
• Charge both devices, and start with a full battery.
• Practise your transitions. Lay out your kit in the order you’ll use it, put your helmet on before touching the bike, and use elastic laces and a race belt to make T2 quick. Our sprint triathlon guide has more.
• Nothing new on race day: no new shoes, food or kit.

Where your race goes

Your race is stored on your iPhone, in Kiito’s own database. There is no account and no cloud sync, and Stationify never receives your workouts or routes. With your permission, Kiito saves your workouts to Apple Health.

Common questions