Bigger, Better, and Beyond: Inside the 2024 XTERRA World Championship

When the world’s best off-road triathletes descend on the foothills of Italy’s Dolomite Mountains for the 2024 XTERRA World Championship, the occasion will mark the 28th chapter of a sport that has only become stronger, faster, and more competitive with every passing year since its origin nearly three decades ago.

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Far younger than its on-road counterpart, the history of XTERRA off-road triathlon dates back to 1996, when the chance sighting of mountain bike riders washing off in the ocean after a race spawned the idea of combining open-water swimming, mountain bike riding, and trail running, with the biggest portion of the race given to the bike to even the playing field between roadies and specialist riders. Essentially it was MTB riders vs road triathletes, and the idea immediately gained traction with both parties ready to go to battle on what seemed like a fair middle ground.

It was under the name Aquaterra that the first race was held, with top-tier athletes from both triathlon and mountain biking making up the 123 pioneers standing on the water’s edge of Maui Island, ready to take on the first off-road triathlon in history. On that day, Jimmy Riccitello and Michellie Jones swam, rode, and ran themselves into the history books as the winners of what retroactively was honoured as the first-ever XTERRA World Championship.

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Twenty-eight years on, XTERRA has now taken hold in over 46 countries, providing a platform for cross-tri icons such as 6-time World Champion Flora Duffy, 5-time World Champion Lesley Paterson, as well as Conrad Stoltz and Ruben Ruzafa, who each claimed four World Championship titles during their reigns of dominance.

This year, the XTERRA World Championship will be the third to be held in Molveno, Italy—the only other location to host the sport’s pinnacle event since its move away from Maui in 2022.

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Across the two days, over 1,000 cross-triathletes from more than 50 countries will take to the line in pursuit of a World Championship title in a sport that has seen the level steadily rising year after year. For the pros, it has been the introduction of the World Cup that has pushed the level of the sport to a place where a single mistake can cost an entire race. For the age division athletes, more races in new countries every year means tougher competition, with World titles increasingly hard to earn. And now, with the debut of the XTERRA Youth World Championship, a new fire has been lit under both the elite and age division athletes as the next generation looks to make their mark and push the sport another step further.

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XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon has never been stronger, with just days remaining until the trails of Trentino, Italy, officially decide which athletes will lay claim to being the strongest of them all at the 2024 XTERRA World Championship.

In 2022, the World Championship moved from its spiritual home of Maui to the iconic Dolomites of Italy as part of XTERRA’s new commitment to rotate the location of the event between countries around the world. The move marked the beginning of not only the Italian era but also the era of Arthur Serrières and Solenne Billouin, as the move to Europe seemed to perfectly coincide with the two French athletes hitting their absolute prime.

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While Arthur Serrières had won almost every race he entered that year, Solenne Billouin came as a shock win to many. But the French pair have since become synonymous with success, winning every World Championship to be held in Italy so far and now standing on the cusp of cementing their legacies with what will be a hat-trick of World titles if they can fend off the toughest competition this year. If either athletes crosses first, they'll have earned their place on the list of XTERRA's greatest World Champions.

If Serrières can do it, he’ll become the first male athlete in the history of the sport to pull off the three-peat. For Billouin, she’ll tie the record of Julie Dibens, who reigned supreme from 2007-2009, but still be one short of the all-time record holder, Flora Duffy, who claimed four consecutive World Championship titles from 2014-2017.

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It’s no easy feat, with every race of the XTERRA World Cup demonstrating just how tight the competition is at the top of the sport. But if there’s anybody who has proven that they can dig deep when it matters most, it’s the two athletes who have done just that for two years in a row. They’ll be the names to beat in Trentino, but margins have never been thinner at the sharp end of this sport.

Arthur Serrières (FRA)

Arthur Serrières has been the single strongest force in the men’s division for three years running. Say what you want about his 2024 season being a bit turbulent, the man who currently holds the World Championship title, World Cup title, and European title simultaneously certainly knows how to show up on big occasions.

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The Frenchman admitted himself that he was missing some speed in the early season, which led some to think his time at the top may be coming to an end, but after a big training block at altitude and three back-to-back Full Distance wins in a row, that speed has very much returned.

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Serrières won’t lead out of the water, but he will likely be right up front in the chase pack and quickly find his way to the front on the bike. From there, he holds two distinctly lethal weapons: a run speed that almost nobody can match and the ability and maturity to pace his race to absolute perfection. No lead seems big enough when Serrières is on the hunt, and he will leave everything out on the course as he looks to complete his three for three this year.

Felix Forissier (FRA)

The biggest threat to Arthur Serrières’ three-peat comes from his fellow countryman and biggest on-course rival, Felix Forissier. These two Frenchmen have come down to the wire on countless occasions in the last two years, but none more memorable than last year’s World Championship, where Serrières snatched the victory in the dying minutes, and also in the recent Czech Short Track race, where Forissier took revenge in the dying milliseconds.

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Felix Forissier has not missed the podium in ten straight races this year, and when the best version of him shows up, it’s hard to imagine anybody beating him. A true triple-threat athlete, Forissier will be among the front of the race from the early stages. He carries immense strength that he will use to push the pace of the race, especially on the bike, to a level that will test the limits of anybody who dares to keep up.

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Forissier has all but guaranteed himself a World Cup title this year, so a win in Molveno will make him the next double-champ after Serrières first claimed that honour last year. But to do so, he’ll need to find the perfect balance of pushing hard enough on the bike to not let a charging Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen into the race, while also saving just enough gas in the tank to go elbow to elbow with Arthur Serrières on the run.

Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen (DNK)

Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen is the wild card that could make this the most exciting World Championship race in recent history. Completely dispelling the notion that only triple-threat triathletes can win races, the mid-pack swimmer is now just that fast on the bike and the run that he has become a genuine threat to the French status quo.

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Sloth Nielsen has been a podium regular since the debut of the World Cup last year, just missing the top step an agonising number of times. But one thing that cannot be denied is how he has closed the gap to the front more and more with every race. This year he’s claimed the fastest bike and run split on more occasions than any other athlete, and had he not racked up three easily avoidable penalties in Czech, he would have finally closed the gap to beat both Forissier and Serrières fair and square at their last meeting.

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Sloth Nielsen’s time is coming, and what vindication it would be for him, having finished second in two World Cup seasons in a row, to end 2024 with the biggest title of them all.

Michele Bonacina (ITA)

Michele Bonacina will be receiving the loudest cheers of them all as he enters the World Championship as the highest-ranked athlete from the host country. Last year, he finished seventh in Molveno, but with the season he’s having, he’ll be pushing for nothing less than a place on the podium this time around.

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Bonacina has long been known as the fastest swimmer in off-road tri, but the Italian has made significant strides toward becoming the next triple-threat athlete to enter the fray, as he now holds pace on the bike and regularly enters the run with the lead pack.

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In Czech, where he was up against much the same field that he’ll face in Molveno, Bonacina missed the podium by just one place. Since then, he’s gone on to win the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, which will surely boost his confidence as he looks to crack the top three on home turf.

Sullivan Middaugh (USA)

Little is known about the current off-road form of Sullivan Middaugh, with the reigning North American Champion having raced only once this season. However, those familiar with XTERRA’s most decorated family will know that you underestimate the Middaughs at your own peril.

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The son of one-time World Champion and 15-time USA Champion Josiah Middaugh, Sullivan finished in an impressive fifth place last year at just 19 years old and was tapped by many to be a future XTERRA World Champion. This year, he’s turned his focus to road triathlon as part of USAT’s Project Podium but will still be on the starting line for off-road triathlon’s biggest race.

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Sullivan Middaugh grew up in XTERRA and will not have forgotten how to handle a mountain bike. If he can bring the speed he’s been building in Project Podium onto the trails of Trentino, he may deliver one of the biggest upsets to the season regulars since Loanne Duvoisin proved her doubters wrong last month in Czech.

Solenne Billouin (FRA)

The two-time World Champion has had the season of her career in 2024, missing the podium only once in ten races and alternating between the top two steps in the remaining nine. She has all but guaranteed a World Cup title this year, with the gap in points serving as a testament to just how dominant she has been this season.

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If she shows up in good health and spirits, it's hard to imagine her not completing the three-peat and moving within one World Championship win of equalling Flora Duffy’s record. However, that has not been the case throughout the season, as the French athlete has faced numerous health issues that have affected her training and racing this year.

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Second chances exist in the World Cup, but not in the World Championship. By the last quarter of the bike section, we’ll know exactly which version of Billouin has shown up, and if she’s in the lead, the rest of the race will likely proceed as usual for the World Champion.

Loanne Duvoisin (CHE)

Loanne Duvoisin enters the top contenders list after not only winning her first XTERRA race of the season but also completely dominating the strongest female field of the season to claim the European Championship title in the final race before XTERRA Worlds.

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The Swiss athlete is no stranger to the top contender list, having been part of the core group that dominated the top rankings in 2022 and 2023. However, after turning her focus to road triathlon as part of the Swiss national team, there were doubts that she would be able to hold pace with the off-road regulars on her return to defend her 2023 European Championship title.

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Duvoisin has clearly gained a lot of strength and speed in her training this year while still holding onto her superior bike skills. Her biggest strength lies in her running, which is likely where she will make her move to claim the World Championship title. In Czech, she put over ten minutes on some of her biggest rivals, which surely sent a few shock waves through the field.

Sandra Mairhofer (ITA)

Italy’s Sandra Mairhofer likely has the most impressive trophy cabinet of all the top contenders, with the ‘Multisport Queen’ racking up medals in winter triathlon, mountain biking, and XTERRA races. But there is one title that has eluded the two-time European Champion twice now on home turf.

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In 2022, she came closest with a second-place finish—the same year Solenne Billouin announced her arrival at the top with a win that few saw coming, and in 2023 she came fourth. This will be her third attempt to deliver a win for the home crowd, and there are many factors working in her favour.

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Home turf advantage and the cheer of the crowd will undoubtedly give the Italian a slight edge heading into the race. She will also take confidence in the fact that she has beaten Billouin at her best already this season and could do it again. Finally, there is her strength in both mountain biking and running. This is a course where good bike handlers can gain an advantage, and nobody has spent more time on the bike than Mairhofer this season. She is also incredibly light on her feet with the ability to switch to power mode on the climbs. If she can put her skills on the bike to full effect and head into the run in the lead, she could close the race out to add the only trophy missing from her growing collection.

Alizée Paties (FRA)

Since the beginning of the season, Alizée Paties has had her eye on one prize and one prize only—the XTERRA World Championship. With a World Cup title already to her name, the French athlete has been vocal about pacing her season to peak just in time for the pinnacle race. Now is that time, and the reigning World Cup Champion will undoubtedly play her part in an epic battle at the front of the race.

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Apart from her DNF in Quebec due to a broken chain, Paties has not finished outside the top four all season, with her last outing at the European Championship resulting in a third-place finish.

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In 2023, she just missed out on capping off a career-best season with a World Championship win after finishing second to Solenne Billouin. This year, she’ll be out to reverse that result with the reigning World Cup Champ likely to do most of her damage on the bike.

Aneta Grabmüller (CZE)

The single biggest breakout athlete of 2024, Aneta Grabmüller is set to make her name known to those watching from around the world when she undoubtedly leads a large chunk of the 2024 XTERRA World Championship race.

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The Czech athlete has used her lightning-fast swim to put a significant gap on her nearest competitors this season, and with every passing race, she seems to hold that lead deeper into the bike section.

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She hasn’t found the top step of the podium yet, but she has amassed three silvers in 2024 and says her best is yet to come. What a story it would be if the now PhD graduate and mother of one were to finish her first season back with the biggest win of them all.

Swim - 1.5K

The World Championship race begins with a 1.5K swim in the cold yet crystal-clear waters of Lake Molveno, where wetsuits will be mandatory, and an Australian exit halfway will have athletes diving from the pier to enter the second lap.

Bike - 32K

The bike section of the race is broken into two 16K loops. The loop begins with a fast, flat 3K ride around the side of the lake before the climbing begins on a mix of gravel and rocky trails. Athletes will ascend to the course's highest point within the first ten kilometres, followed by a fast descent that includes both smooth sections and more technical areas laden with roots and rocks. The final section of the lap takes riders through Molveno and directly into the race village, where a series of wooden ramps and berms serve as the final obstacles to navigate.

Run - 10K 

The biggest change in the course comes on the final 10K trail run, which will be run in the reverse direction from the previous two years. The two-lap run will begin at a fast pace along a wide fire road before heading into the more technical aspects of the course, including challenging single tracks with steep ascents and descents. Athletes will then exit the mountain trails to link up with the beach of Lake Molveno, where they will either run through the village and back into the second lap or cross the finish line that will determine the 2024 XTERRA World Champions.

The series responsible for pushing the limits of professional off-road triathlon will again culminate in Italy this year as the XTERRA World Cup reaches its seventh and final stop in Italy. The series was designed as a condensed pro circuit that would see the best in the sport go head-to-head more frequently and on more varied terrains than ever before. The series consistently delivered highlight-reel racing, and if this year’s World Championship is indeed the most competitive in recent times, it comes as a direct effect of the XTERRA World Cup.

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So far, the series has touched down in Taiwan, Greece, the USA, Belgium, Quebec, Czech Republic, and now Trentino. Six Full Distance and three Short Track races have left Felix Forissier and Solenne Billouin at the top of the leaderboard, but there is still plenty to play for in the fight for a place on the podium.

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Just two races remain before the next XTERRA World Cup Champions are crowned, with both livestreamed directly and for free on the XTERRA YouTube channel. Read here for everything to know about the 2024 XTERRA World Cup series, and tune in live to watch the Short Track race on 26 September 2024 at 14:00 (GMT +2) and the final Full Distance race of the series when the World Championship goes live on 28 September 2024 at 09:45.

Last year, it was the World Cup that offered the most notable addition to off-road triathlon’s greatest day. This year will mark yet another historic milestone as junior athletes aged 14-19 prepare to share the stage with the world’s best at the first-ever XTERRA Youth World Championship.

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The Youth Tour officially debuted in February this year, with South Africa hosting the first of 40 connected qualifying events that have determined exactly who will line up at the first Youth World Champs in Italy. If this is the first you’re hearing of the series, here’s everything you need to know. But for now, the 40 events are done and dusted, and the countdown has begun. On 29 September, XTERRA will have its first-ever World Champions in the Junior, Youth A, and Youth B divisions, with the next generation of off-road triathlon icons ready to take their turn to carry the torch that first lit its flame 28 years ago.

Follow XTERRA on Instagram for highlights and updates throughout the week leading up to the race. You can also catch up on all the in-depth World Cup race recaps on the XTERRA YouTube channel to see how the season has unfolded for those at the top of the sport.

All livestream races are free on Youtube, so make sure you click the links below and ring the bell to get notified when the action begins at the 2024 XTERRA World Championship.

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World Cup Stop #7 Short Track

Date: September 26

Time: 14:00 (GMT +2)

Watch LIVE

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2024 XTERRA World Championship 

Date: September 28

Time: 09:45 (GMT +2)

Watch LIVE

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2024 XTERRA Youth World Championship 

Date: September 29

Time: 09:30 (GMT +2)

Watch LIVE