XTERRA Off-Road Triathlons: July & August ‘26

Xonrupt-Longemer has one of the most established XTERRA atmospheres in Europe. Lac de Longemer sits at the center of the venue, with pine forest, mossy trails, and the Vosges mountains close around it. The area has a long outdoor sports history, from the Triathlon de Gérardmer nearby to World Cup mountain biking in La Bresse, and that background shows when the weekend comes together.

The swim is a single loop in cold, clear, mountain-fed water. From there, the bike moves into two laps through the forest, with long climbs, fast descents, moss, roots, and technical sections that keep athletes focused. The run stays in the woods, with narrow trails, rocks, roots, short climbs, and the kind of humid forest air that makes the Vosges feel different from anywhere else.

Everything is close at XTERRA France, and that is a big part of why the event feels so full. The lake, transition, trails, crowds, and finish area all sit within the same natural bowl, making it easy for families and supporters to stay connected to the day. Around the swim exit and transition, the crowd is usually packed in tight, giving the event the kind of noise and presence that athletes remember.

Away from the course, the wider area is worth time before or after the weekend. Gérardmer is just down the road, and the lakes, forest paths, and small Vosges towns make it easy to turn the event into a few days outside. 

Manoir du Lac Delage sits close to Quebec City, but the venue feels much farther from town once the trails begin. The lake, the hotel grounds, and the Empire 47 trail network give the weekend a home base, with enough space for racing, riding, families, music, and finish line celebrations to all happen close together.

The swim takes place in Lac Delage before the bike moves into Empire 47, a hand-built trail network with more than 75K of routes across forest, granite, berms, climbs, and fast descents. The course changes often from year to year, which keeps the event fresh and gives returning athletes a reason to rediscover the area each time. The run follows the same forest character, starting more open before climbing deeper into the trail system and returning toward the finish.

This is one of those weekends where the trail culture is just as important as the competition. Empire 47 carries that feeling with routes for beginners, advanced riders, families, and World Cup athletes all in the same network. 

Quebec City is less than 30 minutes away, giving visitors an easy way to add time in one of Canada’s most historic cities. Closer to the venue, Pascal Le Boulanger is a good morning stop for fresh bread and pastries, while La Souche is a local favorite for a post-race beer. Between the lake, the trails, the music, and the people gathered around Manoir du Lac Delage, XTERRA Quebec feels like a wild and fun weekend in the great Canadian wilderness. 

Paipa brings the South American Championship back into the Boyacá highlands, about 80 miles from Bogotá and more than 2,500 meters above sea level. Lake Sochagota sits close to the town, the hills, and the countryside all within reach. It is a place known for mild weather, thermal springs, local food, and a warm welcome from the people who live there.

The swim takes place in Lake Sochagota, where the water can feel cold but the course stays calm and open for spectators along the lakeside. The bike moves through the countryside around Paipa, with climbs, rural roads, farms, fields, and views across Boyacá. The run begins near the lake before climbing toward a higher viewpoint, then returns through forest trails and rural paths toward the festival grounds.

The altitude is part of the experience here. Athletes coming from lower elevations will feel it, especially on the climbs, but that is also what makes the course feel tied to the region. Horses, cattle, small farms, and local families fill the route, while the official hotel and Expo area bring everyone together around the finish.

Paipa gives visitors plenty to enjoy in a short stay. The thermal springs are one of the area’s best-known attractions, while the Lanceros Pantano de Vargas monument, local crafts, and Boyacá cuisine add more to the trip. Almojábanas, mantecadas, pan de yuca, agua de panela, and masato de arroz are all worth trying before heading home.

Scanno is one of the most distinctive villages in Abruzzo, with the lake, the mountains, and the old streets all connected to an immersive XTERRA weekend. The venue has a strong identity because of the village, stone alleys, and the way the lake sits below the surrounding hills.

The swim takes place in clean mountain water and the bike uses the forest roads and hillside trails around Scanno, with a course that has become more accessible in recent years while still keeping the feel of a true mountain event. The run brings athletes through woods, trails, and village alleys, with views back over the lake before the final stretch.

The community is a big part of why Scanno feels different. Over the years, the event has become part of the village, with locals, athletes, families, and supporters sharing the same streets through the weekend. The Saturday evening party in town adds to that connection, giving people a reason to stay, walk around, eat together, and feel the place beyond the finish line.

Walk through the alleys that have been photographed by some of Italy’s best-known documentary photographers, spend time near the lake, and leave space for a proper meal in town. Arrosticini, cazzellitti, local cheeses, and cured meats are all part of the local table, and a post-race dinner in one of the village trattorias is one of the simplest ways to understand why athletes keep coming back.

Hagg Lake has long been part of Oregon’s triathlon scene, and XTERRA Portland uses the side of the venue that off-road athletes know best. The lake sits west of Portland near Forest Grove, with open water, wooded singletrack, and a compact race area that keeps athletes, families, and supporters close throughout the day.

The swim takes place in the lake before the bike heads onto the singletrack that runs around the shoreline. The course mixes forest trail, short climbs, technical sections, and regular openings back toward the water. It is demanding enough to reward confident riding, but approachable for athletes making the move from road triathlon or looking for an off-road course that does not feel excessive. The run follows the same lakeside terrain, moving through the trees and back toward the finish area.

Hagg Lake is used throughout the summer by local swimmers, riders, runners, anglers, campers, and families, and that regular connection carries into the event. The start and finish area brings everyone together, while the lake and surrounding park give supporters room to watch, spend time outside, and be part of the weekend without needing to follow every turn of the course.

Forest Grove is close by for food and time in town after the race, while the park itself offers trails, picnic areas, fishing, boating, and disc golf. For athletes travelling into Oregon, XTERRA Portland offers a straightforward reason to visit: a clear-water swim, a proper singletrack course, and a summer race day at a venue the local outdoor community already knows well.

Prachatice has become one of the places most closely linked with XTERRA in Europe. Set in South Bohemia, near the forests and hills of the Šumava region, days here can move easily between swimming, cycling, running, hiking, time in the historic center, and long evenings with people who have returned year after year.

The Full Distance Triathlon begins at Křišťanovický Lake, a forest-surrounded swim venue outside town, before the bike heads across the varied terrain between the lake and Prachatice. Old panel tracks, wooded singletrack, open meadows, climbs, and fast descents create a course that changes constantly without losing its connection to the landscape. The run continues through the hills and forest before bringing athletes into town for the finish in the historic square.

That journey from the lake to the center of Prachatice is part of what gives the event its identity. Athletes begin among the trees and finish on cobblestone streets, with the town gathered around them. For those travelling in, it offers the chance to experience one of the original XTERRA destinations in a setting where the event has become part of local summer life.

Prachatice also works well for athletes travelling with family or friends. The surrounding countryside is made for active days outside, while the town itself brings Renaissance architecture, local food, and the relaxed pace of a small Czech community. It is a stop that can fill an entire week, with the event at the center of a visit to one of the most established places on the XTERRA World Tour.

Lac de la Gileppe brings XTERRA into the Belgian Ardennes, where the reservoir, dam, forests and nearby High Fens create a weekend centred on time outside. The area is used year-round for riding, running and hiking, with broad forest tracks, steeper trails, wet ground and open views across one of Belgium’s most distinctive natural regions.

The swim takes place in the reservoir beneath the wooded hills surrounding the dam. From there, the bike course moves through the Ardennes on a mix of gravel roads, climbs, descents and more technical sections through the forest. The run stays close to the character of the region, with wooded singletrack, roots, rocks, mud and elevation creating a proper trail finish after the ride.

The dam gives the event a strong meeting point. Athletes, supporters and volunteers can gather near the water throughout the day, while the tower offers views across the reservoir and surrounding valley. Beyond the venue, the High Fens are close enough to explore on foot, with heathland, wetlands and rolling hills adding another side to a visit to the area.

Nearby Jalhay gives visitors an easy place to slow down after the event, with local food and Belgian beer close at hand. Between the reservoir, forest trails and access to the High Fens, XTERRA Ardennes offers a direct way into a greener, rougher side of Belgium.

Lake Olbersdorf sits beside Zittau in Germany’s far eastern corner, close to the Czech and Polish borders and within reach of the wooded Zittau Mountains. The lake, the trails, the surrounding villages and the easy access to hiking and riding give the event a strong outdoor base, with athletes and supporters able to spend several days exploring the region.

The swim takes place in Lake Olbersdorf, where the Australian exit brings athletes close to the crowd before the second lap. The bike then heads into a single-lap course through mixed forest, combining steep climbs, rocks, roots, forest tracks and fast descents. The run stays in that same mountain setting, winding through narrow trails and smaller stream beds before returning to the lake.

The wider area has plenty to explore at a slower pace. Trails through the Zittau Mountains lead to panoramic viewpoints and local Bauden, the traditional mountain huts found across the Silesian-Bohemian border region. Visitors can also walk through Zittau’s old town, look for the distinctive Umgebinde houses in the surrounding villages, or hike to the ruins of Oybin Monastery.

By race week, Lake Olbersdorf changes completely. The campsite fills, the event tent becomes the center of the venue, and people settle into a few days of swimming, riding, racing and catching up by the water. Then, after the main race on Saturday, comes the part returning athletes rarely leave out: an open-air after-party with a reputation for being one of the best nights of the off-road season.

Rancho Santa Elena sits outside Huasca de Ocampo, a mountain town in Hidalgo known as Mexico’s first Pueblo Mágico. Pine forest, open grassland, canyons and volcanic rock give this part of the country a landscape that feels far removed from the usual image of Mexico, with space for riding, running, walking and time outdoors across the wider ranch area.

The swim opens the Full Distance Triathlon at Rancho Santa Elena before the bike moves onto trails through the surrounding forest and grassland. The route combines steady climbs, rocky ground and sections that bring athletes through the pines and across the higher parts of the property. The run continues through the same terrain, with the changing surface and elevation keeping the course closely tied to the ranch from start to finish.

For families and friends travelling with athletes, Huasca de Ocampo adds plenty to the visit. Its cobblestone streets, traditional buildings and local restaurants offer time in town between days outside, while the surrounding region is known for haciendas, forest parks and the Prismas Basálticos, the tall volcanic columns cut through by water near Santa María Regla.

A morning on the course can lead into an afternoon exploring Huasca, seeing the basalt prisms, or sharing a meal in town, with the forests and volcanic landscape of Hidalgo at the center of the trip.

Across Lake Superior from Thunder Bay, the rock formation known as the Sleeping Giant appears on the horizon like a figure lying on his back. It gives the event its name and one of its defining views, while the course stays closer to the city through Boulevard Lake and Thunder Bay’s boreal forest trail network.

The swim begins from the beach at Boulevard Lake, with athletes returning close to shore during the Australian exit between laps. The bike then connects into local mountain bike trails built across red rock mesa and through the surrounding forest. Riders move between approachable trail sections and more playful features, with Lookout Trail opening views across the harbour toward the Sleeping Giant and Magma Day bringing berms, turns and downhill flow.

The run returns to the rougher side of northern Ontario trail terrain, with rolling forest paths, roots and rocks keeping athletes engaged through the final section of the day. There is enough variety here for experienced off-road athletes to enjoy the course, while the accessible swim start and local trail system give newcomers a comfortable way into the experience.

Thunder Bay offers plenty of room to extend the trip, with Lake Superior waterfront walks, local lookouts and trails through the surrounding boreal landscape. For athletes and supporters, the combination of a beach start, fun riding and the Sleeping Giant visible across the harbour gives the weekend a clear connection to this corner of Ontario.

Las Catalinas brings XTERRA Costa Rica to the Guanacaste coast, where a car-free town, warm Pacific water and tropical forest trails are all close together. Playa Danta sits directly beside the town, while the hills above the shoreline provide space for riding, running and exploring throughout the weekend.

The swim begins in the sheltered waters of Playa Danta, with the bay offering a calm ocean setting surrounded by forested hills. From there, the bike climbs into the reserve above town, using purpose-built mountain bike trails through tropical forest and along sections with views over the Pacific. The terrain combines elevation, technical riding and the heat and vegetation of Costa Rica’s northern coast.

The run links the beach, shaded forest trails and the cobblestone streets of Las Catalinas, bringing athletes back into the town center for the finish. With no cars moving through the venue, families and supporters can spend the day between the water, trails, cafés and finish area without being far from the event.

Las Catalinas is around 45 minutes from Liberia International Airport, making the trip straightforward for visitors travelling into Guanacaste. Beach time, forest walks, local food and evenings by the coast give athletes and families plenty to enjoy around the event, with the pace of life here closely tied to Costa Rica’s familiar idea of Pura Vida.

We enter the Salzkammergut, a region of mountain lakes, green hills, forest trails and views toward the Dachstein Glacier. The town of Bad Aussee is surrounded by places to swim, ride, hike and spend time outside, with Altausseersee, Grundlsee and Toplitzsee all close enough to become part of a longer stay in this part of Styria.

The course moves through that Alpine landscape with constant changes in terrain. After the swim, the bike combines flowing trails, steep climbs, rocky sections and faster forest roads, with the mountains and lake country visible throughout the ride. The run continues through the surrounding trails and open areas, bringing the challenge of the day together with the scenery that draws people to Bad Aussee throughout the summer.

A few extra days here can include a walk beside Altausseersee, a swim in one of the mountain lakes, a visit to the Loserhütte, or a local meal after time on the trails. Kaiserschmarrn, schnitzel, roast pork, local fish and an Austrian beer all belong naturally, where an XTERRA adventure is only one part of the experience.