Info
Since 1996, XTERRA has continued to pioneer the sport of off-road triathlon, now featuring nearly 30 prize-paying events worldwide for Elite athletes competing at the forefront of the sport. The Elite category was established for those seeking to race at the highest level, offering an early starting wave at most events, a direct pathway to the XTERRA World Championship, and the opportunity to compete for prize purses.
However, to maintain fairness and ensure a high level of competition, only athletes who meet the specified criteria and are officially registered as XTERRA Elite Athletes are eligible to compete in the Elite category at XTERRA events.
Registered XTERRA Elite athletes are eligible to compete in the Elite category and race for the prize purse at all XTERRA events listed below. The Elite prize purse is distributed equally between male and female athletes, with a full breakdown of the purse allocation available on the Full Distance Triathlon race page for each event.
To become officially registered as an XTERRA Elite athlete, applicants must:
Meet the specified criteria to compete in the Elite category.
Hold a valid Triathlon Federation License.
Provide a valid ADEL International Athlete Anti-Doping Certification.
Sign and return the Elite Athlete Contract Agreement.
All applications for XTERRA Elite status, as well as any questions regarding Elite racing, must be directed to [email protected].
ELITE NATIONALITY
In line with World Triathlon, Elite Athletes may only represent one nationality when competing in XTERRA events. The nationality submitted on the athlete agreement will be used when establishing eligibility for regional championships.
Debuting in 2023, the XTERRA World Cup is the premier pro series of off-road triathlon. Designed to see XTERRA’s top talent go head-to-head in a condensed circuit of racing that spans the globe, the World Cup is exclusive to Elite athletes and showcases the very best of XTERRA racing to fans and spectators worldwide.
March 28th, 2026 - XTERRA Asia Pacific Championship (AUS) - Full Distance
April 25th 2026 - XTERRA Greece Vouliagmeni (GRC) - Full Distance
May 2nd, 2026 - XTERRA Weston Park (GBR) - Short Track
May 3rd, 2026 - XTERRA Weston Park (GBR) - Full Distance
May 15th, 2026 - XTERRA Oak Mountain (USA) - Short Track
May 17th, 2026 - XTERRA North American Championship (USA) - Full Distance
June 20th, 2026 - XTERRA European Championship (ITA) - Full Distance
June 21st, 2026 - XTERRA Trentino (ITA) - Short Track
Aug. 8th, 2026 - XTERRA Czech (CZE) - Full Distance
Aug. 9th, 2026 - XTERRA Czech (CZE) - Short Track
Oct. 30th, 2026 - XTERRA Suzhou (CNE) - Short Track
Nov. 1st, 2026 - XTERRA Suzhou (CNE) - Full Distance
To participate in the World Cup, Elite athletes must submit their provisional 2026 World Cup race schedule by February 1, 2026, and ensure they meet the registration deadlines for their chosen races.
Stop #1: Dunsborough, Australia – Registration deadline: February 15, 2026
Stop #2: Vouliagmeni, Greece – Registration deadline: April 5, 2026
Stop #3: Weston Park, UK – Registration deadline: April 5, 2026
Stop #4: Oak Mountain, USA – Registration deadline: May 5, 2026
Stop #5: Trentino, Italy – Registration deadline: May 24, 2026
Stop #6: Prachatice, Czech Republic – Registration deadline: June 28, 2026
Stop #7: Suzhou, China – Registration deadline: Sept. 1, 2026
All deadlines above are based on UTC-10 time of the indicated day
Note: Athletes who fail to register before the stated deadline will forfeit any eligible entry or accommodation benefits and will be subject to a 100€ penalty deducted from their World Cup prize purse without exception.
To help incentivise top athletes to participate in the World Cup, the following athletes will be eligible to receive free entry to the specified races:
The top 10 athletes in the 2025 XTERRA World Cup final standings will receive free entry to XTERRA Australia.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after the Australia stop will receive free entry to XTERRA Greece and XTERRA Weston Park.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after XTERRA Weston Park stop will receive free entry to XTERRA Oak Mountain. Please note that due to very short registration deadlines after the Weston Park stop, athletes are encouraged to register to XTERRA Oak Mountain in advance and will be reimbursed if eligible for free entry.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after XTERRA Oak Mountain stop will receive free entry to XTERRA Trentino.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after XTERRA Trentino stop will receive free entry to XTERRA Czech.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after XTERRA Czech stop will receive free entry to XTERRA Suzhou.
To further incentivize traveling athletes, the top 5 ranked Elite male and female athletes in the WPI ranking coming from outside the host region will be eligible for complimentary entry to XTERRA World Cup events, provided they hold a top 50 WPI ranking.
The reigning 2025 XTERRA World Champions will be eligible for complimentary entry to any XTERRA World Cup events
Note: If the maximum number of complimentary entries has not been filled by World Cup-ranked athletes, additional complimentary entries may be allocated based on WPI rankings.
Reminder: Athletes who fail to register before the stated deadline of the event will forfeit any eligible entry or accommodation benefits and will be subject to a 100€ penalty deducted from their World Cup prize purse without exception.
Incentives will be offered to top-performing athletes in the form of free accommodation at specified races.
The top 5-ranked male and female athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings are eligible for three nights of complimentary accommodation, provided by the race organiser, as follows:
The top 5 athletes in the 2025 XTERRA World Cup final standings will receive free accommodation for XTERRA Australia.
The top 5 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup after the Australia stop will receive free accommodation for XTERRA Greece and XTERRA Weston Park.
The top 5 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup after the XTERRA Weston Park stop will receive free accommodation for XTERRA Oak Mountain.
The top 5 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup after the XTERRA Oak Mountain stop will receive free accommodation for XTERRA Trentino.
The top 5 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup after XTERRA Trentino stop will receive free accommodation for XTERRA Czech.
The top 10 athletes in the XTERRA World Cup standings after XTERRA Czech stop will receive accommodation to XTERRA Suzhou.
Roll Downs: If an athlete in the top 5 is not racing at a specified event, their spot will roll down to the next highest-ranked Elite athlete (must hold a top 10 WPI World Ranking) who has confirmed their attendance. If the maximum number of complimentary accommodations is not reached through World Cup-ranked athletes, additional spots may be allocated based on WPI rankings.
Note: XTERRA World Cup race organizers may, at their discretion, offer a cash alternative equivalent to the cost of the provided accommodation on a case-by-case basis.
Reminder: Athletes who fail to register before the stated deadline of the event will forfeit any eligible entry or accommodation benefits and will be subject to a 100€ penalty deducted from their World Cup prize purse without exception.
An individual prize purse will be awarded at each World Cup Full Distance and Short Track race, with an additional €100,000 series bonus distributed to eligible top-performing athletes at the conclusion of the series.
Prize purses and series bonuses are both split evenly between the male and female categories, with all prize purses and bonuses paid in Euros, except for events in Australia and Oak Mountain, USA which are paid in US dollars.
Continental Championships & Series Finale
XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship
XTERRA European Championship
XTERRA North American Championship
XTERRA Suzhou
1 st
$3,000
2 nd
$2,300
3 rd
$1,700
4 th
$1,400
5 th
$1,100
6 th
$900
7 th
$750
8 th
$600
9 th
$450
10 th
$300
Gold Event Full-Distance Triathlon
XTERRA Greece
XTERRA Weston Park
XTERRA Czech
1 st
$2,300
2 nd
$1,700
3 rd
$1,200
4 th
$800
5 th
$650
6 th
$450
7 th
$400
XTERRA Short Track
XTERRA Australia Short Track
XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track
XTERRA Czech Short Track
XTERRA Molveno Short Track
XTERRA Suzhou Short Track
1 st
$900
2 nd
$700
3 rd
$500
4 th
$250
5 th
$150
To be eligible for the World Cup bonus prize purse, athletes must start at least two of the three continental championships. This rule ensures that the XTERRA World Cup remains truly global, rewarding athletes committed to competing outside their home region.
An exception may be granted by the XTERRA Elite Committee if an athlete has submitted their race schedule by the agreed deadlines, traveled to an event, and recorded a DNS (Did Not Start) due to an injury sustained prior to the race.
Note: This rule applies only to eligibility for the prize money bonus and does not impact scoring or ranking calculations.
XTERRA World Cup Bonus
Awarded to top 10 eligible athletes with the highest XTERRA World Cup score at the end of the season.
1 st
€15,000
2 nd
€12,000
3 rd
€8,500
4 th
€5,000
5 th
€3,100
6 th
€1,750
7 th
€1,350
8 th
€1,200
9 th
€1,100
10 th
€1,000
The XTERRA World Cup is a points-based series that awards points to the top 30 finishers in each Full Distance and Short Track race. Rankings are updated after every race, allowing athletes to move up or down the standings throughout the season. Series points are weighted based on race format, and the XTERRA World Cup Champion title is awarded to the male and female athletes with the highest total scores across all World Cup races.
Joker Rule: For 2026, athletes will be permitted 2 jokers per year: 1 Full Distance Joker & 1 Short Track Joker. An athlete's final World Cup score will be calculated using their best 6 Full Distance results and their best 4 Short Track results.
Gold Event Full Distance Races
XTERRA Greece
XTERRA Weston Park
XTERRA Czech
1 st
100
2 nd
90
3 rd
82
4 th
75
5 th
69
6 th
63
7 th
58
8 th
53
9 th
49
10 th
45
11 th
41
12 th
37
13 th
34
14 th
31
15 th
28
16 th
25
17 th
23
18 th
21
19 th
19
20 th
17
21 st
15
22 nd
13
23 rd
12
24 th
11
25 th
10
26 th
9
27 th
8
28 th
7
29 th
6
30 th
5
Championship Full Distance Races
XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship
XTERRA North American Championship
XTERRA European Championship
1 st
120
2 nd
108
3 rd
98
4 th
90
5 th
82
6 th
75
7 th
69
8 th
63
9 th
58
10 th
54
11 th
49
12 th
44
13 th
40
14 th
37
15 th
33
16 th
30
17 th
27
18 th
25
19 th
22
20 th
20
21 st
18
22 nd
15
23 rd
14
24 th
13
25 th
12
26 th
10
27 th
9
28 th
8
29 th
7
30 th
6
Series Finale Full Distance Races
XTERRA Suzhou
1 st
150
2 nd
135
3 rd
123
4 th
112
5 th
103
6 th
94
7 th
87
8 th
79
9 th
73
10 th
67
11 th
61
12 th
55
13 th
51
14 th
46
15 th
42
16 th
37
17 th
34
18 th
31
19 th
28
20 th
25
21 st
22
22 nd
19
23 rd
18
24 th
16
25 th
15
26 th
13
27 th
12
28 th
10
29 th
9
30 th
7
Gold Event Short Track Races
XTERRA Weston Park
XTERRA Czech Short Track
1 st
75
2 nd
67
3 rd
61
4 th
56
5 th
51
6 th
47
7 th
43
8 th
39
9 th
36
10 th
33
11 th
30
12 th
27
13 th
25
14 th
23
15 th
21
16 th
19
17 th
17
18 th
15
19 th
13
20 th
11
21 st
10
22 nd
9
23 rd
8
24 th
7
25 th
6
26 th
5
27 th
4
28 th
3
29 th
2
30 th
1
Championship Event Short Track Races
XTERRA Oak Mountain Short Track
XTERRA Molveno Short Track
1 st
90
2 nd
80
3 rd
73
4 th
67
5 th
61
6 th
56
7 th
52
8 th
47
9 th
43
10 th
40
11 th
36
12 th
32
13 th
30
14 th
28
15 th
25
16 th
23
17 th
20
18 th
18
19 th
16
20 th
13
21 st
12
22 nd
11
23 rd
10
24 th
8
25 th
7
26 th
6
27 th
5
28 th
4
29 th
2
30 th
1
Series Finale Short Track Races
XTERRA Suzhou
1 st
112
2 nd
100
3 rd
91
4 th
84
5 th
76
6 th
70
7 th
64
8 th
58
9 th
54
10 th
49
11 th
45
12 th
40
13 th
37
14 th
34
15 th
31
16 th
28
17 th
25
18 th
22
19 th
19
20 th
16
21 st
15
22 nd
13
23 rd
12
24 th
10
25 th
9
26 th
7
27 th
6
28 th
4
29 th
3
30 th
1
Competition Rules
XTERRA World Cup events will follow World Triathlon Competition Rules where possible. However, events may implement modified rules based on the Local Triathlon Federation. Any modifications will be communicated during the mandatory Athlete Briefing.
World Triathlon Competition Rules can be found here.
Tie-breaks
In the event of a tie for a prize money position at the end of the World Cup season, the tie will be broken using the following criteria, in order:
Most World Cup victories during the current season.
Highest finishing position in the most recent head-to-head race between the tied athletes in the current season.
The highest WPI score achieved in any race from the current World Cup season.
License Requirements
Athletes must hold a valid membership or race license with a recognized Triathlon Federation.
A list of recognized triathlon federations can be found here.
Mandatory Race Briefing
Athletes are required to attend the mandatory Race Briefing at each World Cup event.
How do I join the World Cup and register for events?
Email your schedule of events to [email protected] for further information.
Do I have to race in all 12 races?
No, elites can race as many or as few events as they choose. However, an athlete's final World Cup score will be calculated using their best 6 Full Distance results and their best 4 Short Track results.
What does it take to be eligible for the World Cup Bonus?
Athletes must start at least two of the three continental championships. This rule ensures the XTERRA World Cup remains truly global and rewards athletes committed to competing outside their home region.
What if I have a mechanical and don’t finish a continental championship, does it still count?
Yes. To qualify for the bonus, athletes only need to start two of the three continental championships (Australia, Oak Mountain and Molveno). Finishing the races is not required.
How do I get ranked?
All elites who place in the top 30 at any of the 12 World Cup races will be included in the rankings.
How do I earn free entry or accommodations?
Entry and travel incentives can be found above, on this page.
How does the World Performance Index World Ranking Work?
The WPI World Ranking is calculated using the average of your best two event scores from the previous 24 months. Learn more here.
To be eligible to compete at the XTERRA World Championship, Elite athletes must:
Race (start) at least one XTERRA World Championship Qualifying Series race in the current season*.
Request an entry by emailing [email protected].
Exemptions:
During an Olympic year, Elites who participated in the Olympics are exempt from having to race one XTERRA World Championship Qualifying Series race during the current season.
Geographic and injury exemptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with requests reviewed by the XTERRA Elite Committee. The Committee’s decisions are final.
Top-performing athletes as described below will receive discounted entry to the World Championship event, on the condition that they participate in at least one XTERRA World Championship Qualifying Series event from the same year as the World Championship:
Elites who finished in the top 10 at the previous year's XTERRA World Championship receive complimentary entry into the next World Championship. Racing (starting) one qualifying race from the current season* is still required
Elites who finished in the top 10 at the previous year's XTERRA World Cup receive complimentary entry into the next World Championship. Racing (starting) one qualifying race from the current season* is still required
The top 10 men and women in the XTERRA World Cup standings after the World Cup stop immediately prior to that season’s World Championship receive complimentary entry into the World Championship.
Elites who win a XTERRA World Championship Qualifying Series event offering at least 7,500 USD/EUR in prize money will receive 50% off entry into the XTERRA World Championship of the same year.
All other athletes must pay the full entry fee.
Note: Race Number Allocation and Starting Procedures will use rankings from the 2025 XTERRA World Championship, followed by WPI rankings.
* the current season of the XTERRA World Championship starts right after the previous World Championship and ends when registration for the World Championship closes.
The reigning XTERRA World Champions will receive three nights’ free accommodation or the financial equivalent. All other athletes are encouraged to book early to secure the best deals.
At XTERRA World Tour events offering at least 7,500 USD/EUR in prize money, the top 10 ranked men and women in the WPI Rankings will receive free entry if they register at least 30 days prior to the event. Free entries after this date are at the discretion of the race organizer.
Accommodation provision is not required and remains at the discretion of individual race organizers.
The XTERRA World Performance Index (WPI) is a formula-driven system that enables athletes to compare their performances against competitors worldwide. XTERRA World Rankings are determined by averaging an athlete’s best two event scores over the previous 24 months.
For more information, visit the XTERRA World Performance Index page.