XTERRA Sleeping Giant

REGISTER HERE to enter the event.

Direct qualifiers will have the choice to take a slot for either 2026 or 2027.

For this year, we are excited to be listed as a GOLD level event for qualification (for the full distance triathlon event), meaning we will have doubled our normal allocation to 56 slots available. Please check the age group breakdown in the PRIZE section of the full distance triathlon. This makes us a premier destination in Canada for qualification!

Note: Rolldown slots may be asked to race in 2027 only depending on space availability closer to the event.

More info can be found at the following location:

https://www.xterraplanet.com/race-rules/xterra-world-championship-qualification

All purchases are final. We are not able to offer any refunds, transfers, or rollovers for any reason.

2025 Photos

2024 Photos (1)

2024 Photos (2)

2023 Photos

YES! There are two transition areas! For the Triathlon and Duathlon events, the swim start and transition #1 is at Boulevard Lake. Transition #2 is located in Kinsmen Park.

Run events start from Kinsmen Park.

See Event Schedule for more details.

This year, our half marathon event will start at Boulevard Lake and finish at Kinsmen Park. This will allow us to condense the event and ensure all participants (triathlon and trail run) finish around the same time.

This change will increase the variety of the half marathon event and allow everyone to celebrate their accomplishments together, leaving ample time for the trail runners to enjoy the post-race festivities and amenities!

5K and 10K trail runs events will start from Kinsmen Park as in past years.

See event schedule for more details.

The City of Thunder Bay is located in northwest Ontario at the lakehead of Lake Superior: 

• Travel by car is via Highway 11/17 of the Trans Canada Highway or Highway 61 from Minnesota

  • Winnipeg ~700 km

  • Sudbury ~1000 km

  • Duluth, MN ~300km or 185 miles

• Flights are available through the Thunder Bay Airport with many flights daily from Toronto

Accommodations:

• There are approximately 40 hotels in the city

  • Host hotel TBD

• Thunder Bay offers a number of camping options as well, including the Trowbridge Campground, immediately adjacent to the race course!

The XTERRA Sleeping Giant takes 50-75 volunteers to run. If you would like to be a part of the event but don’t want to participate please sign up to volunteer at: https://forms.gle/uVyxoKsdPRSdmLxL8

We are on Facebook and Instagram.

https://www.facebook.com/XterraSleepingGiant

https://www.instagram.com/xterrasleepinggiant/

No, this event is mountain bike only. The trails used for this event are designed for mountain bikes.

The event is sanctioned by Triathlon Ontario and follows standard protocols for ITU racing. On-site officials, along with the Race Director, will determine if weather may adversely impact the safety of the event and make appropriate changes if necessary. The event is in northwest Ontario, while mid August weather is generally quite nice, racers should be prepared for inclement weather such as cold weather and precipitation. Water quality will be continuously monitored leading into the event. Lake temperatures will be measured on race day. Should water quality or temperature be unsafe the swim may be shortened (or canceled, though that is unlikely). If the swim is canceled, we will do a duathlon format.

Yes! XTERRA Sleeping Giant Full Distance Triathlon is now a qualifier for the 2025 XTERRA World Championships in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

https://www.xterraplanet.com/story/xterra-world-championship-returns-to-u-s-soil-for-30th-anniversary-in-2026

The full distance triathlon and duathlon also have qualifying spots for the World Cross Triathlon Championships and World Duathlon Championships.

All of the spots are by 5-year age group, making our event one of the best chances in North America to earn a spot at these events.

The swim will be started by event type. The Full Triathlon and relay will go out together, then the Short Triathlon together. 

Final decision regarding swim start will be made closer to the event depending on participation.

The bike course is a mix of bike path, double and singletrack trail. The trails in the Shuniah Mines/Trowbridge Forest are all purpose-built mountain biking trails with a fun mix of old-style singletrack and newer flow trails.

The trails we use for our race loop are all rated green or blue which are in the easy to moderate category. The race route is designed to accommodate riders of all abilities - true beginners may find the trails challenging and have to walk some sections, but as long as you are comfortable riding a mountain bike in general the course should not be too technically challenging. Advanced and expert mountain bikers will be able to take advantage of the more technical sections to make up time on their competitors and may even catch some air just for the fun of it!

Mountain biking enthusiasts may want to plan to stay a few extra days in the area and ride the rest of our trail system, which has benefitted from over $2M of investments over the last few years and is an excellent venue now. In fact, the trail system has been the home of the Canadian XC Marathon National Championships the last two years.

 Yes. There will be sections of double track trail where a faster rider can overtake. If a faster rider approaches you from behind and signals intent to pass, the rider in front should find a safe place to pull aside and let the faster rider go by.

The run course is a mix of gravel path, double and singletrack trail. There are no huge hills, but lots of punchy and rolling hills throughout the trail. The run course does contain some technical features but won't be intimidating for beginners, making for a fun and challenging run for all.

Past results can be found at https://elementracing.ca/results/.

The City of Thunder Bay offers amazing outdoor opportunities including mountain biking and trail running of course, but also flatwater kayaking, road & gravel cycling!

And the food! Thunder Bay really punches above its weight in dining. If you are a foodie, have a penchant for local breweries or are a coffee lover, you will find that right here in the city.

Check out the XTERRA Sleeping Giant promo video HERE.

Early Bird Registration expires at 11:59pm EST on March 2nd.

Final price increase is on July 12th.

Online registration ends on August 2nd.