The Citadel of Namur brought XTERRA Belgium back to one of the most distinctive venues on the XTERRA World Tour on June 6, with cool temperatures and muddy conditions adding another layer to a 10-year anniversary edition built around river racing, wooded climbs, fortress trails, youth development, first-time triathletes, and a full evening celebration.
Set above the Meuse and Sambre rivers, the historic venue kept athletes, families, supporters, and volunteers close to the action throughout the day. The Full Distance Triathlon sent athletes through a 1.5K swim in the Meuse, a 43K mountain bike course moving through city streets, cobbled sections, Citadel climbs, and forest trails, before finishing with a 10K trail run through the fortress terrain.
France’s Nicolas Duré won the elite men’s race in 2:56:19, while Great Britain’s Kerri-Ann Upham won the elite women’s race in 3:31:23. The day also included the Full Distance Duathlon, Sprint Distance Triathlon, Discovery Triathlon, Discovery Duathlon, Rookie Triathlon, My First Triathlon, Duathlon Kids, and Duathlon Mini Kids races, with youth athletes also racing across XTERRA Youth Tour categories.
Results | XTERRA Belgium Event Page
Elite Wins at a Proper Tough Race
Nicolas Duré of France took the elite men’s victory on a wet and demanding course that pushed athletes across every surface Namur could offer.
In the elite women’s race, Great Britain's Kerri-Ann Upham delivered one of the strongest stories of the weekend. Her win came eight years after XTERRA Belgium first introduced her to the format as an age grouper.
“XTERRA Belgium is more than a race for me because the atmosphere here is crazy. The fans are wild, and they really get behind you and push you on when you’re out there suffering on the course. It’s one of those traditional XTERRA races. Proper tough.”
The conditions added another layer to the race, with mud and rain making the Citadel climbs, wooded trails, and technical sections even more demanding.
“I had a really good day today. It was one of those days where I was in a flow state. I knew it was going to be tough, and the conditions were hard with the wet and muddy course, so I broke the race into small sections and focused on getting through one section at a time as best I could. I’m so pleased to come away with the win.”
Her return to Namur also gave the result a deeper connection to the event’s history.
“Back in 2018, XTERRA Belgium was my very first XTERRA race. I came here as an age grouper, and I remember sitting on the bank before the start, looking at the swim and thinking, am I even going to make it around the course today?”
“To come back as an elite and win the race is a dream come true.”
Youth Racing Builds the Next Step
Saturday’s youth races brought another key part of the anniversary edition, with Youth B, Junior, and Youth A athletes racing through the same Citadel setting.
Apolline Ramboux of Belgium won the Youth B Female race in 1:46:07, carrying a strong local connection into the day. “I live here in Namur, so XTERRA is really the triathlon race of the year for me. My whole club was also here today, which made it an incredible race, and the course was really great. It was so much fun.” Ramboux said the swim remains the harder part for her, but once it was done, “it was full gas from start to finish.” She added, “I loved the mountain bike course. It was really demanding, which is exactly what I like.”
France’s Fathi Hennouni won the Junior Male race in 1:29:33. “XTERRA is a huge event for cross triathlon, and you can see that it always respects its values, with a really strong course and a great race experience.” Speaking about his own race, he said, “I had a lot of fun on a very committed course, especially on the bike, which really suited me. I enjoyed it a lot.” Switzerland’s Bastien Lambercier won the Youth B Male race in 1:35:14, and the difficulty of the course was exactly what he wanted. “XTERRA Belgium is a very difficult race because the climbs on the bike and run are really, really hard. But I’m happy because I like hard races.”
A First Finish at the Citadel
Alongside age groupers and youth qualifying for the XTERRA World Championship and Youth World Championship respectively, XTERRA Belgium also kept space open for athletes taking their first step into the sport. Cécile Heyvaert of Belgium completed the My First Triathlon, which included a 250m swim, 5.3K bike, and 5.2K run.
“For me, this gave us such a good atmosphere, with people helping each other and encouraging each other. It also gives you the chance to push beyond yourself, and everything was really well organized.”
Her first triathlon started with some doubt, but the course and race setting gave her a positive way in.
“At the beginning, I was a little skeptical because I was afraid I wouldn’t be at the right level, but honestly, it was very well adapted. It was great. The distances and the course were ideal for a first triathlon. Everything was well suited to the experience, and it was really enjoyable.”
“I do a lot of sport, and I saw an XTERRA post on social media. I thought, why not? It was a chance to try it, with a good atmosphere and everyone in good spirits, so I decided to go for it.”
XTERRA Belgium closed its 10-year anniversary with awards, live music, and an after-party at the Belvédère, bringing the Citadel back into full celebration mode.
Full results are available through the XTERRA Belgium event page. Follow upcoming highlights and weekend coverage through XTERRA Europe on Instagram.