Arthur Serrières has already made his mark with two consecutive World Championship titles, but now he’s on the verge of something even greater. A third win in Italy would solidify his place among the all-time legends of off-road triathlon, as the Frenchman looks to etch his name into history.
High in the Pyrenees, Arthur Serrières is hard at work, relentlessly preparing for the 2024 XTERRA World Championship. At altitude, he’s in his element—high training volume, high focus, and an unwavering commitment to one goal: completing a historic three-peat. For the 2-time World Champion, winning in Molveno isn’t just another victory; it’s the key to cementing his legacy.
“I really want to have my third title because I know, with a third title, I will be someone else—I will really put my name on the sport.”
Serrières is chasing legacy with a singular focus. It’s why he skipped the opening World Cup, why he spends so much time training in the mountains, and why he’s been honing his performance to peak at precisely the right moment. As he stands on the edge of history, Serrières is prepared to stop at nothing to achieve his one and only goal.
As the reigning World Cup Champion, Serrières’ absence from the opener in Taiwan didn’t go unnoticed. Instead of lining up at the start, he chose to stay home and train, sending a clear message to his rivals: this season, he’s playing the long game. With every race counting toward the World Cup, it was a bold move, but a calculated one.
“Missing Taiwan was to extend my winter training so I can be ready, be more focused for the rest of the season. It's a really long trip at the beginning of the year. Put Taiwan at the end of the year and I would be there, but starting a season with a hot, humid race, makes too many different things to manage.”
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Serrières had learned this lesson the hard way. At last year’s opener, the stifling conditions took their toll, and the defending world champion crossed the line in 7th—well below his expectations. But this year, skipping Taiwan wasn’t just about avoiding difficult memories.
“I really like to build my season and extend my winter a bit longer to be in good shape at the end of the year. I'm a guy who works with at least 15 to 20 straight weeks of training during winter. Taiwan was 10 weeks into winter training and I would have to stop my training too early. I really decided to take the season race by race and not to play for the World Cup standings.”
By opting out of Taiwan, Serrières would have to perform far better than his competitors to overcome the deficit and reclaim his World Cup title. But it was a calculated risk, and his results throughout the season validated his approach, especially with a new goal in mind. After a 3rd place in Greece and 2nd at Oak Mountain, Serrières kept improving. While he jokes that “Belgium never treats him well” after finishing 6th, he rebounded with back-to-back World Cup wins in Québec and Czech. He’s now worked his way back into the top three in the World Cup rankings and remains number one in the overall world rankings—a position he intends to defend at all cost.
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Serrières isn’t just at the top of the rankings—he’s quite literally above his competition. Spending months at altitude in the Pyrenees, his high-altitude training is a key part of his formula for success.
“Altitude works so well on me, and when something works well on you, you just have to use it.”
Already in the middle of the season, Serrières had his sights set on Molveno. “Just before Belgium, I was already focusing on Molveno. I wanted to take some rest before Belgium because I went directly to altitude after. I wanted to push as soon as possible, to put all I can to win this title again.”
“Right now, when you want to win, you have to be at the front of the race every time.”
What sets Serrières apart isn’t just where he trains, but how hard he works. Thirty-hour training weeks are his standard, and he often pushes beyond 40 hours, even in the added strain of high altitude. He’s not one to boast, but he’s confident in the process. His regimen includes intense sessions like the 6.5-hour mountain bike ride he had planned, with a punishing 4km climb at 25%.
“I can train a lot at altitude because I’ve been doing it for several years. And when you work really hard here, you have some really good effects.”
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Handling the intense physical demands of his training is one thing; mastering the mental discipline required is another. At the heart of Arthur Serrières’ success is an unwavering work ethic, a value he attributes to his upbringing.
“My family was really modest—not much money, but we were okay. I never missed anything important. They always focused first on my studies. That’s why I have two degrees before turning to full triathlon. They never pushed me to just do sports or anything like that.”
“I’ve never taken money from them during my career. I made myself, by myself.”
Serrières’ roots run deep in hard work and self-reliance, lessons passed down from his grandmother, who lived a simple life on a farm.
“My grandmother lived on a farm, raising pigs and eating potatoes through the winters. I really love that value because it keeps my feet on the ground. No bullshit, just hard work. Just doing things your own way, by yourself. Of course, my parents helped me a lot and always supported me, but I’ve never taken money from them during my career. I made myself, by myself.”
These values form the backbone of Serrières’ relentless pursuit of excellence—built not from privilege, but from sheer determination and self-made success.
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Arthur Serrières' coach of 10 years, Aurelien Lebrun, couldn’t agree more about the source of his success.
“He's a hard worker,” says Lebrun. “That’s the first thing that comes to mind. He’s very rigorous. He likes to have a good routine—every day, every week. He believes in doing the same thing over and over, building his work year after year, winter after winter, to get stronger.”
Their relationship began as more of a mentorship, but over time, it blossomed into a true coaching partnership.
“When I met Arthur, I was still an athlete, so I was more like a guide. I taught him how to set up a good routine. He liked how I used to alternate easy days with hard days, and he took a lot from me. But now, I’ve become more of a guide again because he’s so autonomous. He just consults me when he needs something—when he’s unsure or needs advice.”
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Lebrun admits the early years weren’t easy.
“He wasn’t very committed at first. He wanted to do it, but he didn’t know how to do it at a high level or how to make it his living. That’s maybe the biggest role I had in the beginning—showing him how to do it. I’ve tried with a lot of people, but not everyone gets it. He got it after four years.”
What Serrières “got” was the value of hard work and consistency. Once that clicked, everything else followed. He went from a regular podium finisher to the dominant force he is today. In 2022, Serrières claimed his first World Championship, an emotional victory that every XTERRA fan remembers. In 2023, he defended his title and set a new standard, becoming the first athlete to win both the World Championship and the World Cup in the same year.
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“He likes to train, and if you want to be successful, you have to love the training. He loves the rigor, the work, and even being tired. It’s strange to say, but he likes being tired.”
Serrières’ lifestyle may sound relentless—and he admits that’s a large part of it—but his deep love for the sport makes the commitment to his work feel natural.
“Right now, for the past two or three years, it’s just been racing, then training, then racing again. It’s living for this and that’s all.”
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His singular focus on performance defines his approach, even when compared to other top athletes. “When you want to just focus on performance and be at the top like I intend—like I know Felix wants to be on top, but he just took a week off, or things like that. Those are things I would never permit for myself. Even if you’re always with people, you are just a bit alone. Sometimes it can be hard, but I choose it, and I never suffer because of it.”
“Sometimes it can be hard, but I choose it, and I never suffer because of it.”
Serrières is driven by more than raw talent. “I’m just loving what I’m doing and I’m loving the process. I was not a super talented athlete at the beginning. I was not a naturally speedy guy. I didn’t have so much strength in running, riding, or swimming, but I could train a lot and I’m really tough on the training.”
His motivation comes from progress. “What’s keeping me in love with it is when you focus on performance and when you’re happy with what you do and have a really clear vision. I started being 10th, then 7th, 5, 3, 2, and then 1. So it’s just improving year by year, and that gives me motivation.”
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Serrières’ focus on his own XTERRA performance—rather than race dynamics—doesn’t always sit well with everyone, including some of his top rivals. Known for his ability to run down nearly any competitor off the bike, he’s never been afraid to play to his strengths tactically.
“I want to have the best race I can and be as fair as possible, but some people don’t really like my way of racing because I don’t help much during the bike due to my running.”
Serrières acknowledges that his tactics frustrate his competitors, but he sees it as part of the game. “Of course, if I’m with them, I could help, and I think everyone knows that. But right now, there’s a different kind of racing from my opponents—they try to put a huge gap on the bike before the run because they don’t want me with them.”
However, Serrières admits his once-dominant run had been lacking at the start of the season—and even in the past two years. “I lost a bit of my running speed the last two years. When I started getting strong in XTERRA, I was always super speedy on the run, but I didn’t have the swim and bike I have now. The biggest difference is that I’ve pushed the swim and bike more, and I’ve improved a lot. Sometimes you lose a bit in one sport to improve in another.”
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The shift was a necessary investment for his overall future in the sport, but Serrières feels like he’s regaining his old stride. “Right now, when you want to win, you have to be at the front of the race every time. And two months ago, I found the speed that was missing these last two seasons.”
His iconic running performance was on full display in Québec, where he overcame a 1:25 deficit off the bike to catch Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and pull ahead by 1:55. At the European Championship in Czech, Serrières erased a 2-minute gap to pass both Sloth Nielsen and Felix Forissier, winning by 43 seconds to add yet another title to his list.
Expect nothing less than Serrières performing at the peak of his abilities at the 2024 World Championship. With his improved bike and swim, and his run back in top form, he will be difficult to beat—especially with his sights set on “making it three.”
“The first time I won the World Championship, I was like a young boy who just wanted one. I was really motivated, like you always are when it’s your first time. I won with a huge gap and controlled the race from start to finish.”
“The second one was different. I had a lot of pressure at the start. That’s why I had a pretty bad start on the swim, and Felix was super strong. It was much closer, and I loved it so much because it was a big battle. But I didn’t have the same motivation last year during training. My family being there for the second title made a big difference—that was something I really missed during my first win.”
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“And now, for this third title, I have the same motivation I had for my first. I want to show people that I can win again as the sport continues to evolve.”
“I’ll be happy to prove that I was one of the best with the old generation, like Ruben [Ruzafa], and that I’m still one of the best with the new generation of Felix, Jens, and Michele. It’s a bit more challenging now because I have to be at my best to beat these guys, so it’s a new challenge for me.”
“We never think about just having one title. We never think about just having two. Once you win the second, you immediately start preparing for the next. You want to be on top again because those emotions and feelings can never be replaced.”
“I really want to have my third title because I know, with a third title, I will be someone else—I will really put my name on the sport.”
Standing on the edge of history, Arthur Serrières knows that greatness demands more than just talent. It requires relentless focus, sacrifice, and the drive to go beyond what you’ve already achieved. With two titles in hand and his eyes on a third, Serrières is ready to stop at nothing to carve his name among the legends of XTERRA—a place he already knows he belongs.
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The 2024 XTERRA World Championship returns to the village of Molveno, situated beneath the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Brenta Dolomites in the northern Italian Alps. Get everything you need to know about off-road triathlon’s pinnacle event here, and be sure to tune in live for the fast-format Short Track race on September 26th, the XTERRA World Championship on September 28th, and the live debut of the XTERRA Youth World Championship on September 29th.
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure.
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