Pacing is a three-discipline allocation problem
This review examines how athletes distribute speed and effort within the swim, bike and run and across a complete triathlon. It highlights that physiology, environment, race distance and the interaction between disciplines can all change an effective pacing choice.
For long-course athletes, the actionable default is controlled early effort, a bike intensity that protects fueling and the run, and rehearsed transitions between disciplines. Review training files by the complete outcome—not a fast bike split that produces an avoidable run collapse.
The review notes that much of the literature was concentrated on Olympic-distance racing, with less evidence for half- and full-distance events. Treat its principles as a framework to test in race-specific bricks, not a universal split formula. See the PubMed record.