September Events: The Mountains Are Calling

Starting the month in Europe, the small town of Horni Plana will welcome adventure enthusiasts to the Czech Republic once again for the third XTERRA long-distance event of the year. 

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After successfully hosting the European Championship in Prachatice just a few weeks ago, organiser Michal Pilousek is super excited to welcome athletes from all over the world for an extended day of swimming, cycling and running in the Sumava National Park.   

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With transition accessed via a ferry on race morning, athletes will set up their race spot with the option of using either gravel or mountain bikes. 

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While the rest of the XTERRA long-distance events arguably favour a mountain bike, Sumava uses easy to access fire roads with little in the way of technical challenge opening up the race to more first-time XTERRA athletes than ever. 

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Alongside the 2km swim, 60km bike and 21km run long-distance race, there will also be a 14km trail run on the same accessible trails. 

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See event details.

What’s an XTERRA season without a race-cation to the Caribbean! 

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The white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, and tropical rainforests of Samana, a province on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the Dominican Republic, annually sets the stage for one of the most exotic off-road triathlons on the XTERRA Planet.

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Just 30 years ago there were no paved roads nor electricity in Las Terrenas, leaving the area untouched, wild, and pristine. Development since has been purposefully slow and deliberate to protect its natural beauty, and it’s worked like a charm.

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More than a dozen elites and hundreds of amateurs from around the Americas are making their way to the beach for one of the many trail runs on offer or the signature off-road tri which combines a 1.5km swim in Coson Bay, a 30km mountain bike through the jungle, and 10km trail run that’s an adventure all in itself.

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“Hard, but beautiful,” exclaimed former Olympian Fabiola Corona (MEX) after winning the women’s race in 2019. “The run is on the sand along the coast, then into a bamboo forest, then through a jungle to some stairs that lead to a panorama view that is just incredible. And on the way back we crossed two rivers, and when I finally got to the finish line I held my hands up with a big smile!”

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See event details.

Get ready to get down and dirty in the 6th and final instalment of the Auckland Trail Run & Walk Series. 

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The series has consistently balanced challenging trails for experienced runners with entry level options for beginners to foster a blossoming community of trail run enthusiasts.

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The season finale heads to the Riverhead Forest and promises a sufficient amount of glorious mud and clay, so come prepared!

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Those entering the Mid and Short courses are in for a relatively friendly run/walk if they can get through the slippery parts, but those doing the Long and Super are in for some lung-buster climbs that will be rewarded by some spectacular views.

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See event details.

The last of four races in the 2022 XTERRA Quebec Series heads to the spectacular sea cliffs of Gaspesia, where the transition area is located inside the UNESCO Global Geopark of Percé.

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“Don’t forget your camera,” is the first and seemingly most important message organizers have to share with participants for this race (Lucky for us, we got those on our phones now!)

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Quebec earned a bit of notoriety in the triathlon world this year when it was named one of four international destinations that would be perfect for a Race-Cation by the editors of Triathlete Magazine, and for good reason! 

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Postcard landscapes in the heart of a city, courses specially designed for the event, and challenges to suit your ability - from sprint to full to ultra off-road triathlon and duathlon events.

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With any luck you’ll see a whale, or a moose, or both! And if not, you can always order yourself some of the lobster, crab, or shrimp the region is known for.

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See event details.

Held in the very same mountains as the XTERRA World Championship next month, the XTERRA Dolomiti di Brenta Trail adventure is one for the ages. 

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Not for the faint of heart, the race kicks off in the lake town of Molveno before traversing a brutal 45km with nearly 3000m of climbing around a single lap course. 

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With ITRA points available, you can expect a quality field of ultra runners going to the limit in the most beautiful mountains in the world. 

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But for the majority it won’t just be about going fast, it's about connecting with the mountains of the UNESCO-designated site and following in the footsteps of the pioneers of modern-day mountaineering.  

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See event details.

The Island of Ameland in the Netherlands gives XTERRA fans an opportunity for a very different experience. 

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Gone are the normal challenges of woodlands, roots and mountains. Instead, you’ll have to work out how to deal with cold North Sea water temperatures, fit wide profile slick tyres to your bike, and how to run on soft sand. 

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This has to be the only XTERRA race to take place entirely on the beach! 

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But there will be no lying around as the full and sprint distances offered alongside a popular kids' race will transform the entire island into a hub of XTERRA activity. 

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You can stay on the mainland, but the best option is to find one of the great accommodation spots available on the island and use pedal power to explore for a few days either side of the race.

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See event details.

Held in the picturesque village of Katashina where a treasure trove of untouched nature offers a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, XTERRA Japan is not to be missed as one of the few remaining events on the Asia-Pacific calendar for 2022.

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With 9 event catagories spread over a huge weekend of off-road racing, from the full-distance triathlon all the way down to the kid’s race, there is something for just about everyone and a whole shopping list of local sights, activities, and dishes to take in.

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Top finishers of each age group in the full-distance race will also be awarded slots to the 2023 XTERRA World Championship.

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See event details.

Following a visit to the mainland for XTERRA Malta and a trail run on the island of Gozo earlier this year, it's time for yet another visit to the Mediterranean for a race format that would struggle to complement the local terrain any better.

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With participants dipping in and out of the crystal clear waters in a series of short swims and trail runs that amount to 2km of swimming and 8km of running, it's the perfect way for athletes of any level to explore the incredible coastline the region has to offer. 

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See event details.

Cool is the rule if you’re headed to Southern California for the XTERRA Laguna Beach off-road sports festival, where legends like Hall of Famer Scott Tinley and 5x World Champ Lesley Paterson have been known to show up and jump into the action.

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This is one of the rare events to receive permission to swim in the Pacific Ocean then cross under the famous Pacific Coast Highway and into Crystal Cove State Park to bike and run, and whatever tri disciplines you’re into - there’s an option for that!

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You can run (6K, 13K trail runs), you can swim (1500m), you can swim then run in the Aquathon, or you can go all in and take on the long or short course off-road triathlon races. You can even go gravel, as the triathlon options are part of the USA Triathlon Gravel Series (read all about it).

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The short course mixes a 500m swim, 16k off-road bike and 5k trail run, and the long course dishes out a 1500m swim, 25k off-road bike, and 10k trail run and serves as a qualifier for the 2023 XTERRA World Championships in Italy.

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See event details.