XTERRA Suzhou

The nearest airports are:

• Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport 

• Shanghai Pudong International Airport

• Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport

From there high speed train can bring you to Suzhou Railway Station or Suzhou North Railway Station.

ATHLETES QUALIFICATION

1. Age

   1. Full/Relay: Age Group athletes must be 20-69 years old by December 31st of 2026. Note for under/over-age athletes: Those who wish to participate may contact XTERRA official customer service (see Article 18 for the WeChat Work QR code), and can register only after approval by the organizing committee.

   2. Sprint：

      • Age Group athletes must be 20-69 years old by December 31st of 2026. Note for under/over-age athletes: Those who wish to participate may contact XTERRA official customer service (see Article 18 for the WeChat Work QR code), and can register only after approval by the organizing committee.

      • Junior: 18-19 years old by December 31st of 2026.

      • Youth B: 16-17 years old by December 31st of 2026.

2. Finisher experience

   • Full & Sprint:

     • Athletes with triathlon racing experience must provide their triathlon finisher certificate from last two years. Duathlon or relay race finisher certificate will not be accepted.

     • First-time participants must provide two types of certificate (please upload both for registration):

       • Official finisher certificate from a full or half marathon completed within the last two years. Or a physical examination report issued by a public hospital within the last year, which must include a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, and blood pressure. Note: Physical examination reports from private medical centers will not be accepted.

       • A race finisher certificate or license for open-water swimming events. If a participant cannot provide open-water swimming proof, they must take an open-water swimming test organized by the event committee before the race (specific time and location will be announced on the XTERRA WeChat official account).

   • Relay：

   •   The participents of the swimming session need to provide their triathlon finisher certificate from last two years. Duathlon or relay race finisher certificate will not be accepted. Or provide a race finisher certificate or license for open-water swimming events. If a swimming participant cannot provide open-water swimming proof, they must take an open-water swimming test organized by the event committee before the race (specific time and location will be announced on the XTERRA WeChat official account).

   • If experienced triathlon athletes cannot provide valid race certificates, first-time participants cannot provide qualified medical examination reports, the event will reject their registration and refund the registration fee.

   • If first time participants fail the open water swimming test, the event committee will reject their participation. In such cases, the participants will not receive a refund of the registration fee or be compensated for any associated losses. However, they can still collect their race kit except for the timing chip, participant bracelet, and race number.

3. Important health notes for all athletes:

   • Health Requirements: This event involves two or three legs of swimming, cycling, and trail running, which demand a higher level of physical condition from participants. Athletes should have good physical health, a foundation of long-term exercise or training experience, and are recommended to conduct self-checks and monitoring based on the following recommended examinations (medical examination reports are not required, and participants assume responsibility for any health issues that may arise):

     • General internal and surgical examination:

       • Cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, valve diseases, coronary heart disease, and myocardial disease.

       • Central nervous system diseases, such as epilepsy and severe neurasthenia.

       • Family history of sudden death, sports stress or acute injury history.

       • Respiratory system diseases, such as allergic bronchial asthma, and acute or chronic respiratory infections.

       • Gastrointestinal diseases, such as peptic ulcers.

     • Electrocardiogram (ECG) examination. The following ECG patterns will not meet the participation criteria:

       • Sinus tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia.

       • Frequent sinus arrhythmia.

       • Sinus arrest; atrial, junctional, ventricular premature beats or escapes.

       • Sick sinus syndrome.

       • Second-degree and higher sinus-atrial, atrioventricular, left bundle branch block, etc.

       • Preexcitation syndrome.

       • Myocardial ischemia, ST segment depression (including horizontal, downsloping, upsloping, sagging, and pseudo-ischemic types), T-wave changes (including low, bidirectional, inverted), prolonged QT interval, inverted U wave, arrhythmia, etc.

       • Other abnormal ECG patterns, such as atrial fibrillation.

     • Comprehensive blood test (optional).

     • Color Doppler echocardiography (optional), to assess heart chamber, valve, myocardium and its motion (contraction ability and compliance), ejection fraction, and cardiac output, to avoid structural disorders of the heart.

• Athletes should consider their own physical condition and only register for the race if they are confident they can complete it within the time limit. Safety is the top priority, and the race marshals or physician reserves the right to disqualify participants based on their physical condition, and participants shall not object to this decision.

CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY

1. All registrations are non-refundable after the specified cancellation dates. Registration is non-transferrable.

2. Athletes may be eligible for a partial refund of their entry fee (details below)

   1. Any requests received before 17:00, Aug. 28, 2026 will be eligible for an 80% refund of the price paid.

   2. Any requests received before 17:00, Sep. 28, 2026 will be eligible for a 50% refund of the price paid. Any requests received after that will not be eligible for a refund under any circumstance.

   3. Athletes who wish to withdraw shall submit the refund by his/herself in the XTERRA WeChat Mini-Program, or ACTIVE. Meanwhile, the athletes will lose their race qualification upon receiving the refund.

3. For athletes who are unable to participate for whatever the reason after the refund deadline, if they wish to receive the race kit, they should send an email to [email protected] within 7 days after the race before Nov. 8, 2026. The race kit will be sent via cash-on-delivery (COD) & that will only be available within mainland China.

4. After the refund period has passed, before the race start, in case of the following special circumstances, athletes can send an email to [email protected], stating the situation and providing corresponding supporting documents to apply for an event deferral. The event organizing committee will reply to the athletes within 5 working days to confirm whether their deferral request is approved. Any request after the race will not be accepted.

   1. Circumstance 1: If an athlete is unable to participate due to hospitalization, he/she should explain the situation in the email and attach a scanned copy of their hospital discharge summary or admission notice.

   2. Circumstance 2: If an athlete is unable to participate due to pregnancy, they should explain the situation in the email and attach their hospital medical records, as well as urine and blood test reports for verification.

   3. The relevant regulations regarding deferral are as follows:

      • Deferral is only applicable to the same category of the same event in the following year. If the entry fee increases, the athlete needs to pay the price difference.

      • The deferral is allowed only once, and no refund requests will be accepted after the deferral.

      • This does not applicable for athletes who register with a free entry.

Mobile Communications

The most reliable places to purchase a SIM card are the official carrier stores (China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom) at major international airports . You must present your original passport for registration. Staff can assist you in choosing a suitable plan. If your smartphone supports eSIM, consider purchasing and activating an eSIM data plan online before you travel for instant connectivity upon arrival .

VPN

A VPN might be needed to access Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc. You can download some VPN apps from the App Store before arriving in China, e.g. VPN Cat, which has a free version and works well in China.

Local Payment Methods

It is advisable to carry some cash (Chinese Yuan, RMB). International credit cards are commonly accepted at airport stores and shopping malls.

The most popular mobile payment method in China is WeChat Pay.

Before coming to China, please make sure that you have downloaded the WeChat app, registered with your international phone number, and linked your credit card (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) by following these steps:

1. Tap "Me" at the bottom right.

2. Select "Services" or "Wallet".

3. Choose "Bank Cards" and then "Add a Card".

4. Enter your international credit card information.

5. To pay, tap "Scan" on the app's home screen to scan a merchant's QR code, or tap "Pay/Receive" to display your payment code for the merchant to scan.

Language & Translation

The local language is Chinese (Mandarin). Using a reliable translation app like Google Translate (offering offline translation, camera-based text translation, and voice input) is highly recommended for smooth communication . We suggest downloading the offline language pack before your arrival.

No, you don't.

A: The XTERRA Yuyang Mountain MTB Park will be open for practice to registered athletes from October 26 to October 31.

Opening hours: 

October 26–31, daily from 10:00 to 17:00

Upon arrival at the entrance to Yuyang Mountain Scenic Area, athletes will need to purchase valid sports accident insurance for that day on site, and present their XTERRA Suzhou registration confirmation (either the registration confirmation email or mini-program registration record) together with a valid personal ID.

Once staff have verified your registration and identity, you may enter the scenic area for course practice.

During the practice session, please ride within your own ability, control your speed appropriately, and remain aware of other athletes and the surrounding environment. Use the session to familiarize yourself with the course conditions, climbs, turns, and riding rhythm across different types of terrain.

According to the rules:

Water temperature above 24.5°C: wetsuits are not permitted

Water temperature below 24.5°C: wetsuits are permitted

Water temperature below 16°C: wetsuits are mandatory

Based on water temperatures in Lake Taihu during the same period in previous years, the water temperature is usually around 18°C, which falls within the range where wetsuits are permitted.

However, water temperature can vary significantly depending on weather conditions during race week, so both lower and higher temperatures are possible.

We therefore recommend bringing a wetsuit so you are prepared for different conditions.

The final wetsuit ruling will be based on the official water temperature measurement and race-day announcement.

Whether you use cycling shoes mainly depends on your riding experience and personal needs.

For athletes with solid mountain bike experience who are looking for greater pedaling efficiency, cycling shoes can offer several advantages. A stiffer sole provides more direct power transfer, clip-in systems help keep the feet secure over rough terrain, and the shoe structure can provide better support and protection over longer rides.

However, for mountain bike beginners, we do not recommend switching to clip-in cycling shoes specifically for the race if you are not already comfortable using them.

If you are unfamiliar with clipping out, this can increase the risk of falling at low or zero speed.

Beginners may prefer flat athletic shoes with grippy flat pedals, while focusing first on bike control, braking, and body position.

There is no single “correct” equipment choice. The safest option is the one that best matches your current riding ability and experience.