In Molveno, the current home of the XTERRA World Championship, you’ll discover breathtaking scenery, a beautiful mountain lake with pure, clear water, a huge grassy area for the Athlete Village, a wealth of tracks for trail running and mountain biking, "Bike Hotels" that have rooms for your bike, and even bike shops attached. It's as if the whole village was built just for the XTERRA Family!
“Our territory has been confirmed as one of the best locations for large sports events, and this is proven yet again by the XTERRA World Championship,” said Roberto Failoni, Councillor for Crafts, Trade, Promotion, Sport, and Tourism of the Autonomous Province of Trentino.
“Molveno Lake and its mountain range will be the extraordinary backdrop to a truly breathtaking and challenging competition. Like on other occasions, we aim for top quality in the accommodation and catering offered to athletes, teams, and spectators, with the commitment Trentino is famous for, and we are certain that this event will be unforgettable.”
WHAT IS XTERRA WORLDS:
The world’s premier off-road triathlon, combining a 1.5K (1 mi) swim in Lake Molveno with a 32K (20 mi) mountain bike that climbs high into the Dolomites, and a 10K (6.2 mi) trail run. Top elites finish in roughly two and a half hours.
WHO RACES IN TRENTINO:
The top tier professional (elite) and amateur off-road (age-grouper) triathletes in the world.WHEN:The XTERRA World Championship elite race starts at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 23. The age group race starts at 11:15 a.m.
WHERE:
Lake Molveno - Trentino, Italy.
WHY:
The XTERRA World Championship race is the last in a series of off-road triathlon races held across the globe. The concept is to provide a bona-fide world championship for amateur and elite off-road triathletes. For professionals, there is €100.000 in total prize money at stake, and the coveted XTERRA World Championship title.
HOW TO WATCH:
Both the Elite Short Track race (Thursday, September 21 14:00) and the Full Distance Triathlon (Saturday, September 23 10:00) will be live-streamed for free, and can be watched directly from XTERRAplanet.com.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED:
1. Earned a slot by qualifying as one of the top finishers in their age group at an XTERRA World Tour Qualifying Event.
2. XTERRA World Champions from the previous year are awarded a slot to defend their crown.
XTERRA BACKGROUND:
This is the 27th year for the XTERRA World Championship. The first 25 World Championship races took place on the Hawaiian Island of Maui, the birthplace of XTERRA. The first-ever event was held on November 3, 1996 and televised on Fox Sports Net. The demand for the sport exploded thereafter and there are currently more than 50,000 competitors in over 50 countries.
Molveno, Italy is the host venue for a second straight year as the ideal location for the XTERRA World Championship. It is well-equipped for trail sports, boasting a network of pristine and challenging trails surrounding the Dolomite Mountains. These trails offer the perfect terrain for the rigorous demands of XTERRA competition, ensuring an exhilarating and memorable experience for participants and spectators alike.
The crystal-clear waters of Lake Molveno is recognized as the ‘Most Beautiful Lake in Italy’ seven times by Legambiente and the Italian Touring Club. Furthermore, the region's dedication to sustainability aligns seamlessly with XTERRA's values, as Molveno places a strong emphasis on promoting eco-friendly practices.
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Credentials
- To secure credentials, please contact Ari Altun or Barbara Mazzocco by email or phone numbers listed below.
- Credentials will be available for pick-up at registration.
- Credentials are required for entry into the press area. Only select media and officials will be allowed inside the finish area.
Course Access
- There are numerous easy-to-access locations to secure the best possible photos and videos within the XTERRA Village, and all are in walking distance of the race start and finish line. You’ll have a myriad of angles and opportunities to capture action shots of your desired athletes without leaving the village (at least two opportunities for the swim, bike, and run sections).
- You are also permitted to walk along all open access points that parallel the course, however, please stay off the course itself and obey course marshall instructions at crossing points.
- For athlete safety, no outside vehicles are allowed on the course.
- We have a dedicated, elevated section for press members for the best view of the finish line area.
- Only SELECT media and officials will be allowed inside the finish area.
- If you need any help creating your unique coverage plan, we are happy to assist.
Results and Images
- Complete results and professional, high-resolution images will be available to the media after the race.
Media Inquiries
Please direct information requests to:
Ari Altun, XTERRA Communications Manager
ari.altun@xterraplanet.com
-or-
Barbara Mazzocco, Fluida Comunicazione Press Officer
barbara.mazzocco@fluidacomunicazione.it // +39 347 950 7832
This is an abbreviated version of the schedule. Athletes are advised to consult the complete schedule on the event webpage or in the athlete's guide. All events are at the Lake Molveno complex, unless otherwise noted.
Start and Swim: Located at the shores of Lake Molveno, there are plenty of great vantage points to watch the swim from the beach. Pros start at 9am and are easy to spot with their identifying swim caps - men in blue and women in pink. Age groupers start at 10am. A short beach shuffle mid-race between two 750-meter laps (aka the Australian exit) gives spectators a chance to pick out their friends and family from the field.
T1 and T2 - Bike and Run Transitions: Located a few yards from the swim start, the transition area is for competitors only, however, spectators may view the change-over from any position around the boundary.
Bike: The bike course comes through the main expo and spectator village at the halfway point, providing great action all day long, and there are lots of viewing spots by simply following the course up the hill, and the live coverage on the big screen!
Run: Most of the run course is open to the public (follow the red arrows backwards) but the best spot to watch is the leg-burning section of sand right at the start and then of course, the finish line.
Finish: Lake Molveno is where all the action takes place, from the swim to transition to the spontaneous, ecstatic, and sometimes tear-jerking displays of emotion at the finish line.
Live Coverage: We’ll have a BIG SCREEN TV in the middle of the XTERRA Village showing all the action, and those not lucky enough to be in Italy with us for the full or short track races can catch both races live online right here on XTERRAplanet.com.
On Social Media: Facebook.com/XTERRAplanet and Instagram.com/XTERRAplanet
Notes on Parking
Race weekend, Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24:
Please park in the XTERRA Event lot. Follow the XTERRA parking signs that you will find on the main road to Molveno Lake (Via Nazionale) and on Via Lungo Lago.The main parking area is on Via Lungo Lago 26 just 200m from the race venue area.
View on Google maps
Parking for Opening and Awards Ceremony in Andalo:
The Opening Ceremony dinner & Awards Ceremony dinner will take place in Andalo at the Palaghiaccio - Stadio del Ghiaccio -Andalo Life. Address: Viale Del Parco, 1, 38010 Andalo TN, Italy
Please follow the parking signs for the Opening & Awards Ceremony on the Viale Trento road.
View on Google maps
Surrounded by the Brenta Dolomite mountains, and sitting alongside it's crystal lake, Molveno is the perfect destination for an off-road triathlon. The challenge athletes face combines a 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) swim with a two-lap 32-kilometer (20-miles) mountain bike that climbs high into the Dolomites, followed by a fun and flowy 10-kilometer (6.2-miles) trail run.
The swim course takes place in the enchanting Lake Molveno with its crystal-clear waters, before heading out to ride the stunning but challenging trails which connect Molveno and Andalo. The run course follows the stunning shores of Lake Molveno and through beautiful forest tracks before an unforgettable finish in front of the most beautiful lake in Italy.
These are the starting lists for the elite contestants ofthe XTERRA World Championship race, along with current XTERRA World rankings and nationality. The complete start list for both elites and age-groupers, along with bib numbers, WPI scores and divisions may be found here.
With the introduction of the XTERRA World Cup, 2023 has seen the best of the best go to battle more times than any other season in XTERRA’s 26 year history. The series has taken the sport to a new level, with multiple pros rising to the occasion and making the 2023 XTERRA World Championship easily one of the hardest to predict in years.
Arthur Serrières enters as the defending champion and has earned the right to be called the favourite. The Frenchman was unstoppable in 2022, and after a shaky start to the season, he seems almost unstoppable once again. But there is one man who does know how to stop Arthur Serrières and that is Felix Forissier. There has long been a feeling that this year would belong to a Forissier, and with Arthur Forissier out with a broken collarbone, we no longer have to guess which one. Felix Forissier has already claimed the World Triathlon Cross Triathlon World Champion title and is more than capable of adding the XTERRA Worlds title to his collection. This has been the battle to watch in recent World Cup races, and it will no doubt continue on the trails of Trentino.
But both Frenchman will still need to hold off the charge that will undoubtedly come from bike specialists Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Ruben Ruzafa, as well as one very notable wild card that has thrown his hat into the off-road ring. Eric Lagerstom has raced twice this season but has never raced for the XTERRA World Champion title. At Stop #2 of the World Cup he pushed Serrières to the very end before finishing in 2nd, and could deny the reigning Champ a win in the biggest race of them all.
Solenne Billouin enters as the defending female Champion and, like Serrières, has every bit what it takes to make it a double. But the top end of the female division has become ferociously fierce in 2023. Alizée Paties has led the World Cup series since the opening race, racking up multiple wins in dominant fashion that would point to her as the favourite. These two French athletes have gone shoulder to shoulder across three continents this season to set up what will be an immense battle in Trentino.
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But despite Paties and Billouin going shoulder to shoulder in just about every race, there is still one athlete that separates them in the World Cup rankings heading into Italy, and that is the ever-powerful Loanne Duvoisin. The Swiss athlete has been consistently strong this year, stepping onto the podium 6 times so far in the World Cup series to put herself in a position where a win at the XTERRA World Championship could see her become XTERRA’s first double champion. Duvoisin showed that she has what it takes to be the best when it matters most when she claimed the XTERRA European title in Belgium, and not a single person who has seen her progression throughout the last 2 years would say she can’t do it again.
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Yet at the same time, there is still the feeling that we are yet to see the best of Sandra Mairhofer. The multi-sport queen has accumulated an impressive amount of titles this season and to end off with an XTERRA World Championship title in her home country would be the ultimate finish. She finished 2nd here in Molveno last year and seems to only have gotten stronger in the year that has passed since then.
So many of these battles have been fought in multiple countries and terrains as the World Cup has moved through the APAC, EMEA, and Americas regions. But this is where scores are settled for good. This is off-road triathlon's greatest day, with only those able to rise to the top in the moment awarded the right to become the next reigning XTERRA World Champion.
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A comprehensive 7-stop global circuit designed to showcase the prowess of XTERRA's top off-road triathletes. These professional athletes, regarded as the XTERRA’s elite, compete head-to-head in 12 races, both full-distance and short track, all in pursuit of their lion's share from a prize pool exceeding $340,000.
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