Combined, Path, 47
20 km ride / 5 km run
A sprint brick. 20 km ride, 5 km run.
MONS · Challenges
Pick a challenge to train for.
A challenge is a distance you decide to go and do. It might be a 5 km run, a 500 metre swim in a lake, a marathon, or a hundred miles on a bike. Once you have one, your training is getting you ready for something real, and you can tell whether it is working.
Nobody starts with the biggest one. Most people pick something a little further than they have gone before. When they have done it, they pick the next one. There are 94 challenges in the list that follows, from a short swim to a hundred miles on foot.
Part VIII
Choose a challenge
The endurance challenges and Body Challenges you can train for, and what happens after you finish one.
The register
How big each challenge is
Every challenge in the list has a number that says how big a day it is, and the number works the same way in every sport. A marathon is 215. A 3.8 km swim is also 215, and so is a 180 km ride. We set the scale up that way on purpose, because those are the three parts of an Ironman and each of them is about as big a day as the others.
A hundred miles on foot is about 1000 on the scale. The list is sorted by the number, smallest first, and the sport is a label on each row. The number tells you how much a challenge asks of your body. It does not stop you from trying any of them.
13 challenges
Path
Under 50
Ride · , Path, 13
10 mile
A solo race against the clock.
Ride · , Path, 17
20 km
The sprint triathlon bike.
Run · , Path, 18
5 km
The starter distance for runners.
Swim · , Path, 21
500 m
The first open-water marker.
Ride · , Path, 27
30 km
A common short gravel and MTB distance.
Run · , Path, 32
Forager's day
How far a forager walks to feed a family.Read the story→
Run · , Path, 36
Mawson's last miles
The last stretch home, alone, in Antarctica.Read the story→
Ride · , Path, 38
40 km
The Olympic triathlon bike.
Run · , Path, 41
10 km
One of the most common road races.
Swim · , Path, 46
1000 m
The first open water kilometre.
Combined · , Path, 48
400 m swim / 10 km ride / 2.5 km run
The super-sprint triathlon distance.
Ride · , Path, 49
50 km
A standard first gravel or MTB race.
17 challenges
Journey
50 to 100
Ride · , Journey, 51
Kailash kora
The circuit of a sacred mountain in one day.Read the story→
Ride · , Journey, 53
Chilkoot
The gold rush trail over the pass.Read the story→
Run · , Journey, 60
Hunter's day
How far a hunter walks in a day.Read the story→
Combined · , Journey, 61
750 m swim / 20 km ride
The sprint Aquabike distance.
Run · , Journey, 71
10 mile
A traditional 10 mile road race.
Swim · , Journey, 74
1500 m
The Olympic triathlon swim.
Combined · , Journey, 75
40 km ride / 5 km run
An Olympic brick. 40 km ride, 5 km run.
Swim · , Journey, 79
Ice mile
The swim cold-water swimmers measure themselves by.Read the story→
Combined · , Journey, 82
1000 m swim / 5 km run
A short swimrun. 1000 m swim, 5 km run.
Ride · , Journey, 84
80 km
Fifty miles on the bike.
Run · , Journey, 86
Nut grove
The walk to the nut groves and back.Read the story→
Ride · , Journey, 87
Bering Strait
The land bridge the first Americans walked.Read the story→
Run · , Journey, 91
Wallace's Line
The strait most animals never crossed. People did.Read the story→
Ride · , Journey, 93
Leap to Australia
The open water between Timor and Australia.Read the story→
Run · , Journey, 97
Half Marathon
The first step into the marathon distances.
Swim · , Journey, 97
1900 m
The Ironman 70.3 swim.
Ride · , Journey, 97
90 km
The half-distance triathlon ride.
17 challenges
Crossing
100 to 200
Swim · , Crossing, 103
Swim to Antarctica
The swim in 0 °C water at Neko Harbour.Read the story→
Combined · , Crossing, 104
750 m swim / 20 km ride / 5 km run
The sprint triathlon distance.
Combined · , Crossing, 105
40 km ride / 10 km run
The full Olympic-distance brick.
Ride · , Crossing, 109
100 km
100 kilometres. A metric century.
Run · , Crossing, 118
25 km
A 25 kilometre road race. Once a championship distance.
Run · , Crossing, 128
Royal Road
A day's journey on the Persian Royal Road.Read the story→
Swim · , Crossing, 133
2500 m
A real open-water middle distance.
Ride · , Crossing, 135
120 km
A long-course ride distance.
Combined · , Crossing, 136
1500 m swim / 40 km ride
The standard Aquabike distance.
Run · , Crossing, 143
Legion's march
Twenty Roman miles in five summer hours.Read the story→
Run · , Crossing, 145
Persistence hunt
Run an antelope down in the midday heat.Read the story→
Run · , Crossing, 157
20 mile
The common peak training run before the marathon.
Run · , Crossing, 162
Dover Strait
Britain was once a walk from Europe.Read the story→
Swim · , Crossing, 163
3000 m
Three kilometres in open water.
Combined · , Crossing, 167
80 km ride / 10 km run
A long ride with a real run off it.
Ride · , Crossing, 189
Century
100 miles in one ride.
Run · , Crossing, 194
Barclay's walk
One mile every hour, for a thousand hours.Read the story→
20 challenges
Expedition
200 to 350
Run · , Expedition, 202
South Georgia
Across the island to save the crew.Read the story→
Run · , Expedition, 215
Marathon
The legendary running distance, inspired by a Greek legend.Read the study→
Swim · , Expedition, 215
3800 m
The Ironman swim.
Ride · , Expedition, 215
180 km
The full-distance triathlon ride.
Ride · , Expedition, 232
Brighton and back
Brighton to London and back, in trousers.Read the story→
Combined · , Expedition, 233
1500 m swim / 40 km ride / 10 km run
The Olympic triathlon distance.
Combined · , Expedition, 236
1900 m swim / 90 km ride
The half-iron Aquabike distance.
Ride · , Expedition, 242
200 km
The first official brevet.
Swim · , Expedition, 247
Across the Cold War
From the US to the Soviet Union, in icy water.Read the story→
Combined · , Expedition, 258
90 km ride / half marathon run
A 70.3 brick. 90 km ride, half marathon run.
Run · , Expedition, 261
50 km
Just beyond the marathon.
Swim · , Expedition, 261
Hellespont
Europe to Asia, the swim Byron made.Read the story→
Combined · , Expedition, 261
3000 m swim / 10 km run
A swimrun. 3000 m swim, 10 km run.
Run · , Expedition, 273
Kailash kora
The circuit of a sacred mountain in one day.Read the story→
Ride · , Expedition, 277
Voyage to Japan
The dugout canoe voyage to Japan's islands.Read the story→
Run · , Expedition, 279
Chilkoot
The gold rush trail over the pass.Read the story→
Combined · , Expedition, 292
3000 m swim / 15 km run
Three kilometres of water, then 15 km on foot.
Swim · , Expedition, 294
5000 m
A World Aquatics open water distance.
Ride · , Expedition, 307
Athens to Sparta
Pheidippides' run to ask Sparta for help.Read the story→
Swim · , Expedition, 335
Plum Pudding
The crew that swam to an island in 1943.Read the story→
14 challenges
Voyage
350 to 500
Swim · , Voyage, 363
Fisherman's night
Six kilometres in 5 °C water, at night.Read the story→
Combined · , Voyage, 365
3000 m swim / 120 km ride
The long-course Aquabike distance.
Combined · , Voyage, 373
120 km ride / 30 km run
A long-course brick before full distance.
Ride · , Voyage, 386
300 km
The second classic brevet distance.
Swim · , Voyage, 398
Bosphorus
Asia to Europe, through the Clashing Rocks.Read the story→
Combined · , Voyage, 408
4000 m swim / 20 km run
Four kilometres of water, then 20 km on foot.
Combined · , Voyage, 444
1900 m swim / 90 km ride / half marathon run
The Ironman 70.3 distance.
Run · , Voyage, 451
50 mile
The first real ultramarathon.
Run · , Voyage, 461
Bering Strait
The land bridge the first Americans walked.Read the story→
Swim · , Voyage, 462
Robben Island
From the island to the mainland.Read the story→
Swim · , Voyage, 469
7500 m
The uncommon step between 5000 m and 10 km.
Combined · , Voyage, 472
2500 m swim / 80 km ride / 20 km run
The middle-distance triathlon.
Combined · , Voyage, 478
Fisherman's way home
Swim to shore, then walk for help.Read the story→
Run · , Voyage, 493
Leap to Australia
The open water between Timor and Australia.Read the story→
9 challenges
Odyssey
500 to 750
Combined · , Odyssey, 501
5000 m swim / half marathon run
A long swimrun. 5000 m swim, half marathon run.
Swim · , Odyssey, 505
Thames at 14
Five miles down the Thames, at fourteen.Read the story→
Combined · , Odyssey, 526
3800 m swim / 180 km ride
The full-distance Aquabike.
Ride · , Odyssey, 537
400 km
The overnight brevet.
Combined · , Odyssey, 574
180 km ride / marathon run
An Ironman brick. 180 km ride, marathon run.
Run · , Odyssey, 579
100 km
A 100 kilometre ultramarathon.
Swim · , Odyssey, 653
10 km
The Olympic marathon swim.
Combined · , Odyssey, 682
3000 m swim / 120 km ride / 30 km run
The long-distance triathlon.
Run · , Odyssey, 714
Pony Express
One rider's leg of the Pony Express.Read the story→
4 challenges
Traverse
750 and up
Combined · , Traverse, 994
3800 m swim / 180 km ride / marathon run
The Ironman distance.
Run · , Traverse, 1000
100 mile
The longest one-day race.
Combined · , Traverse, 1116
10 km swim / marathon run
A marathon swim, then a marathon run.
Combined · , Traverse, 1183
Island to island
The bet to cross the archipelago, swim and run.Read the story→
Why it is worth doing
The distance is the occasion. The body is the point.
MONS builds endurance, strength, and movement quality together, so the next challenge is something your body can absorb, not just finish.