XTERRA USA Championship: Back to The Beast

The XTERRA World Cup rolls into the Colorado Rockies for the USA Championship race this Saturday, August 26, at Beaver Creek Resort. Some 500 triathletes representing 14 countries and 33 U.S. states are on the start line for the big event, including an all-star cast of elites, age group legends, and triathlon royalty.

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Victoria Brumfield, the chief executive officer of USA Triathlon, said she’s excited to be back at Beaver Creek to tackle one of the XTERRA World Tour’s toughest challenges for the third straight year, while one of America’s all-time best long-distance triathletes, Timothy O’Donnell, looks forward to his first-ever XTERRA.

“XTERRA has always been on my triathlon bucket list but my dedication to Kona has always kept me away,” said O’Donnell, who has finished in the top 10 at Ironman Worlds six times in his illustrious career, including four top five’s and a runner-up performance in 2019. “Now with Kona behind me, I get to spread my wings, have some fun, and get dirty! I don’t have any expectations for my first race, and truth be told I’m not known for my mountain biking skills. In fact, my coach Julie Dibens, a 3x XTERRA World Champion, is somewhat nervous about me out there.”

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The whole world was nervous for O’Donnell after learning that he suffered a heart attack during a race in 2021, but we’ve all been elated to watch his amazing recovery and return to racing. 

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“My heart health has been great these past 18 months and I am so grateful to still be out here racing and being part of the triathlon community,” said O’Donnell, who won Ironman 70.3 Peru in April. “After my heart attack, I realized life is short so we need to live it up. That's a big reason I’m coming out to Beaver Creek, I’d hate for time to pass and regret never having tried XTERRA, it seems too amazing to miss." 

Amazing is certainly the right word to describe the XTERRA USA Championship weekend, which offers up a good time and treats for all involved.

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“It’s a family friendly celebration with free kid’s races, face paintings, yard games, food trucks, beer gardens, a movie (BRAVE) under the stars on Friday night and a free concert featuring The Spazmatics 80’s tribute band after awards on Saturday night,” said Steve Andrus, XTERRA Americas Tour manager.

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And the race itself will be electric with so much at stake. It’s the pinnacle event in the Americas this season with $25,000 in prize money and big points in the World Cup for professionals, and for amateurs, the opportunity to be crowned the XTERRA USA Champion, earn a coveted qualifying spot into the 2023 or 2024 XTERRA World Championship in Italy, and post a big score in their hunt for the XTERRA Americas Tour title. 

The big bounty has lured the best age group athletes from across the Americas, including six XTERRA National Champions determined to defend their titles; Sophie Evans (50-54), Ali O’Donnell (25-29), Shannon Feran (20-24), Eric Snowberg (50-54), Dwayne Dixon (35-39), and Porter Middaugh (15-19).

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Porter, a senior at nearby Battle Mountain High School, won the amateur men’s race last year and finished an incredible 10th overall. And Porter’s older brother, Sullivan, who is now in his first year with USAT’s Project Podium and a freshman at Arizona State University, is back to defend his title in the elite race.

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“I’m looking forward to having a World Cup stop in my hometown on a course I know very well and that I am confident on,” said Sullivan, who is currently ranked 14th in the XTERRA World Cup standings. “It’s an amazing opportunity to race Ruben Ruzafa and Sébastien Carabin on home soil, and Sam Osborne will be a favorite as well.”

Ruzafa, who flatted out at XTERRA Germany last weekend, made the quick decision to cross the Atlantic for the chance to score big points in the last full-distance race in the XTERRA World Cup before the finale in Italy.

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“It’s incredible that now I’m racing against Josiah's son, Sullivan,” said Ruzafa, a seven-time World Champion who has gone shoulder-to-shoulder with Josiah Middaugh for more than a decade. “They both have amazing racing abilities, and I hear Porter could end up being faster than both of them.”

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At least Ruzafa and the rest of the field will not have to compete against Josiah Middaugh, the 15x XTERRA US Champion who will have to sit this one out with a broken foot.

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“I'm gutted that Josiah is out with injury, but Sullivan is on,” said Sam Osborne from New Zealand, the 2021 XTERRA Beaver Creek Champion. “Sullivan might be young, but he’s the most experienced in the high mountains of anyone on the line.”

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In the women’s elite race, the local experience edge goes to Suzie Snyder, the reigning U.S. Elite Champion who is currently ranked 6th in the World Cup standings.

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“Suzie has the biggest trump card of all, she lives and trains at Beaver Creek,” said Samantha Kingsford (NZL), who like her partner Sam, also won in 2021. “Racing at this altitude will be a breeze for her, so it will take a lot to beat her.”

The altitude indeed gets a lot of attention at this race, and for good reason, because it boasts the highest elevation of any major on the XTERRA World Tour with a swim that starts at 7,400-feet elevation and a bike that tops out at 9,400-feet.

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This will be XTERRA’s 14th year of racing in Beaver Creek since 2009, and the second time the national championship will be held in the Rockies following 12 seasons at Snowbasin Resort in Utah (2009-2021) and eight years in Incline Village, Nevada (2001-2008).

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To ensure that as much waste as possible is diverted and compost and recycling streams are free of contamination, XTERRA joined forces with the Walking Mountains Science Center in Eagle Valley to have a dedicated zero-waste coordinator on-site both days.

The community outreach partner for the XTERRA USA Championship is The Cycle Effect, founded by XTERRA alumni Brett and Tamara Donelson. They empower under-privileged young women through mountain biking by focusing on physical wellness, community impact, and mentorship.