2025 XTERRA World Cup

Oak Mountain

May

17

08:30

Full Distance

1.5K

33K

10K

May

18

09:00

Short Track

Live

0.4K

7.5K

3K

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Stop 4 of the World Cup headed into the forests of Alabama, USA, where a Full Distance race and a fast-paced, livestreamed Short Track showdown unfolded on the tight singletrack trails of one of North America’s most iconic venues.

As the first stop of the pro series in North America, Oak Mountain welcomed a number of regional favourites bringing local knowledge into the mix against a deep international field. Veteran athletes Suzie Snyder, Branden Rakita, and reigning North American Champion Sullivan Middaugh were among those on the line, facing off against a wave of global contenders, including breakout Aussie Ben Forbes and the unbeaten French duo Felix Forissier and Alizée Paties. Slick, rain-soaked conditions on race day added another layer of challenge to an already demanding course.

Full Distance Start List

FRA

302

ITA

262

DEU

244

USA

0

AUS

228

ITA

200

FRA

200

NZL

185

DEU

123

BEL

112

USA

0

SVK

78

NLD

37

FRA

19

USA

19

USA

0

USA

0

USA

0

USA

0

USA

0

USA

0

USA

0

FRA

375

ITA

228

CZE

216

AUS

198

DEU

164

USA

0

FRA

106

NLD

69

CAN

0

AUT

0

USA

0

Short Track Start List

FRA

365

ITA

331

DEU

326

FRA

300

AUS

273

NZL

260

ITA

225

BEL

170

DEU

146

SVK

106

USA

90

NLD

71

FRA

68

USA

53

USA

41

USA

37

USA

32

USA

0

USA

0

USA

19

USA

0

USA

15

FRA

475

CZE

216

ITA

303

AUS

261

DEU

213

FRA

181

NLD

151

USA

69

CAN

58

AUT

53

USA

45

Full Distance Results

Times, splits and points from the first American race of the series.

Felix Forissier and Alizée Paties Take Full Distance Honours in Oak Mountain

‍

A massive downpour in Oak Mountain led to a delayed start and an added layer of challenge on the trails in Alabama. But when the skies cleared and the racing began, it was the French duo of Felix Forissier and Alizée Paties who took round one. Forissier just managed to hold off a charging Sullivan Middaugh to finish in 2:29:13, while Paties needed just 2:48:49 to keep her 2025 unbeaten streak intact.

Men's Full Distance Results (Top 10)

1

2:29:13

Swim:

20:25

Bike:

1:30:01

Run:

37:05:00

$3,000

Points:

100

Total:

300

Rank:

4

2

2:29:43

Swim:

20:31

Bike:

1:29:57

Run:

37:40:00

$2,300

Points:

90

Total:

90

Rank:

14

3

2:31:34

Swim:

20:50

Bike:

1:29:45

Run:

39:26:00

$1,700

Points:

82

Total:

326

Rank:

3

4

2:32:06

Swim:

20:50

Bike:

1:29:42

Run:

39:58:00

$1,400

Points:

75

Total:

260

Rank:

7

5

2:32:53

Swim:

20:22

Bike:

1:30:10

Run:

40:49:00

$1,100

Points:

69

Total:

331

Rank:

2

6

2:33:29

Swim:

22:08

Bike:

1:30:27

Run:

39:20:00

$900

Points:

63

Total:

365

Rank:

1

7

2:35:16

Swim:

26:36

Bike:

1:28:09

Run:

38:40:00

$750

Points:

58

Total:

170

Rank:

9

8

2:37:58

Swim:

20:35

Bike:

1:36:33

Run:

39:06:00

$600

Points:

53

Total:

53

Rank:

22

9

2:41:16

Swim:

26:37

Bike:

1:34:26

Run:

38:39:00

$450

Points:

49

Total:

68

Rank:

19

10

2:42:38

Swim:

22:36

Bike:

1:30:12

Run:

47:39:00

$300

Points:

45

Total:

273

Rank:

5

Women's Full Distance Results (Top 10)

1

2:48:49

Swim:

22:50

Bike:

1:39:06

Run:

44:54:00

$3,000

Points:

100

Total:

475

Rank:

1

2

2:53:06

Swim:

21:29

Bike:

1:43:13

Run:

46:47:00

$2,300

Points:

90

Total:

306

Rank:

2

3

2:53:24

Swim:

22:20

Bike:

1:43:39

Run:

45:33:00

$1,700

Points:

82

Total:

151

Rank:

7

4

2:56:45

Swim:

22:22

Bike:

1:43:24

Run:

49:09:00

$1,400

Points:

75

Total:

181

Rank:

6

5

3:00:11

Swim:

23:36

Bike:

1:45:05

Run:

49:15:00

$1,100

Points:

69

Total:

69

Rank:

17

6

3:08:16

Swim:

26:13

Bike:

1:53:30

Run:

46:32:00

$900

Points:

63

Total:

261

Rank:

4

7

3:14:17

Swim:

24:17

Bike:

1:52:12

Run:

55:15:00

$750

Points:

58

Total:

58

Rank:

19

8

3:24:41

Swim:

24:08

Bike:

2:01:34

Run:

56:57:00

$600

Points:

53

Total:

53

Rank:

22

9

3:26:56

Swim:

26:05

Bike:

2:02:42

Run:

55:50:00

$450

Points:

49

Total:

213

Rank:

5

10

3:29:28

Swim:

24:38

Bike:

2:08:35

Run:

52:55:00

$300

Points:

45

Total:

45

Rank:

24

Full Distance - Story of the Race

A passing storm left Oak Mountain soaked and slick, setting the stage for a gritty race with a strong field of local and international pros.
Knowing there was plenty of work ahead on the muddy trails, the swim specialists wasted no time. Aneta Grabmüller clocked the fastest split in 21:29 to earn an early lead.
Michele Bonacina led the men out of the water with a 20:22 swim, but only three seconds ahead of the man to beat this season—Félix Forissier.
Onto the bike, the true test began. Slick trails and red clay turned technical sections into a challenge few could ride clean, giving the bike specialists a chance to gain ground.
An early crash forced Félix Forissier to fight from behind, while North American Champion Sullivan Middaugh began reeling in the leaders on familiar terrain.
Alizée Paties was untouchable on the bike, ripping through the soaked single track to post the fastest split of the day at 1:39:06.
Having led for long stretches on the bike, the men’s race came down to a two-man battle: World Cup Champion Félix Forissier versus North American Champion Sullivan Middaugh.
Behind the front pair, Sebastian Neef, Michele Bonacina, and a charging Kieran McPherson went to war for the final step on the podium.
With the second-fastest run of the day, Dutch athlete Romy Spoelder powered her way to a career-best World Cup finish and a spot on the podium.
A strong run from Aneta Grabmüller sealed a steady performance from start to finish, earning her the silver medal in Oak Mountain.
Félix Forissier proved unstoppable once again, outpacing Middaugh in the final stretch to notch his third Full Distance victory of the season.
Crossing the line second overall but first from the region, Sullivan Middaugh extended his reign as North American Champion for a second straight year.
The first woman across the line from the region, Suzie Snyder added her first North American title to her six USA Championship wins.
Yet no streak shines brighter than that of Alizée Paties—five wins from five races in 2025, a perfect score, and an iron grip on the series lead.
Mud, sweat, and elation marked the end of round one in Oak Mountain—with one race down and the fast-format Short Track still to come.

Short Track Results

Times, splits and points from the second Short Track race of the series.

Middaugh and Paties Win Oak Mountain Short Track

‍

More slick conditions for the pros to contend with in the fast format, and another screamer of a battle between Middaugh and Forissier to back up their iconic Short Track clash in Molveno. Middaugh is quickly becoming the name to beat on the condensed course, seemingly getting faster through every section of the race. He leaves Oak Mountain having extended his reign as the North American Champion—and now with a Short Track win to match. Meanwhile, Paties extends her unbeaten streak to six—the longest in the short history of the pro series. Catch the full replay of the Oak Mountain Short Track livestream here.

Men's Short Track Results (Top 5)

1

35:20

Swim:

05:34

Bike:

18:31

Run:

09:48

$900

Points:

75

Total:

165

Rank:

11

2

35:37

Swim:

05:26

Bike:

18:46

Run:

10:09

$700

Points:

67

Total:

367

Rank:

4

3

35:47

Swim:

05:36

Bike:

18:27

Run:

10:12

$500

Points:

61

Total:

286

Rank:

7

4

35:54

Swim:

05:42

Bike:

18:29

Run:

10:20

$250

Points:

56

Total:

316

Rank:

5

5

36:07

Swim:

05:54

Bike:

18:50

Run:

10:03

$150

Points:

51

Total:

416

Rank:

1

Women's Short Track Results (Top 5)

1

40:33

Swim:

06:06

Bike:

21:34

Run:

11:25

$900

Points:

75

Total:

550

Rank:

1

2

41:42

Swim:

06:27

Bike:

21:40

Run:

12:01

$700

Points:

67

Total:

370

Rank:

2

3

42:50

Swim:

06:05

Bike:

22:51

Run:

12:20

$500

Points:

61

Total:

212

Rank:

7

4

43:39

Swim:

06:03

Bike:

22:50

Run:

13:07

$250

Points:

56

Total:

237

Rank:

6

5

45:08

Swim:

06:29

Bike:

24:11

Run:

12:48

$150

Points:

51

Total:

264

Rank:

5

Short Track - Story of the Race

Wildcard entry Lucas Wright wasted no time proving he belonged, leading the men out of the water with the fastest swim of the day to open the Short Track race.
In the women’s race, it was Emma Ducreux setting the early pace—completing the 400m swim in just 6:03 to lead the field into transition.
With Lucas Wright up front, the chase was on—a train of contenders forming to challenge for the lead.
In the women’s race, the team in orange took control on the bike once again—Marta Menditto logging the second-fastest split behind teammate Alizée Paties’s 21:34.
In the men’s field, no one rode the slick course faster than Federico Spinazzè—needing just 18:27 on the bike on his way to a third-place finish.
Onto the run, Alizée Paties locked in and never looked back—stretching her lead with every step as she hunted down a second win for the weekend.
A hard-earned second-place finish for Marta Menditto put her back on the second rung of the series leaderboard heading into the mid-season break.
Another Middaugh–Forissier showdown, another epic finish. This time, Middaugh took it—solidifying his reputation as the man to beat in Short Track.
But the name to beat across all formats in the women’s division remains Alizée Paties—six races, six wins, and a perfect record heading into the second half of the season.

Leaderboard after Stop 4

Men

Points

WORLD CUP Series Info

The XTERRA World Cup is the world's premier off-road triathlon pro series, where the sport’s top elites go head-to-head in a condensed circuit of Full Distance and Short Track races. A points-based battle where every turn, climb, and descent matters, each race is a fight for a share of the series prize purse and the pursuit of becoming the next XTERRA World Cup Champion.

The 2026 World Cup features seven stops and eleven races across Oceania, Europe, North America, and Asia. The Joker Rule returns, giving each athlete one Full Distance joker and one Short Track joker to help manage the demands of global travel and reduce the impact of mechanicals. Each race awards points to the top 30 finishers, with a standard Full Distance win earning 100 points and Short Track awarding 75. Stakes rise at the biggest events, with Regional Championships offering 1.2x more points and the series finale offering 1.5x.

In 2026, the series finishes on fresh terrain in Suzhou, China, where Pan Men Square becomes a city-centre stage for the final Short Track showdown before the Full Distance battle around Lake Taihu closes out the season and crowns the next XTERRA World Cup Champions.