2025 XTERRA World Cup

Australia

March

29

07:00

Full Distance

1.5K

30.2K

10.5K

March

27

15:30

Short Track

0.4K

8K

3K

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The biggest stage in off-road triathlon opened with an all-new test for XTERRA’s fastest, launching the chase for the 2025 World Cup title in the crystal-clear waters of Geographe Bay before tearing through the rapid, rowdy trails of Meelup Regional Park.

A double-feature stop that began with the fast-paced Short Track race before delivering the first real endurance test with a Full Distance race under the hot Australian sun, the big question was how the World Champion and proven World Cup winners travelling from Europe would fare against a strong local field of acclimated athletes.

‍

But after two days of off-road triathlon at its highest level, just two names answered that question in emphatic fashion—claiming wins in both races to leave Stop 1 of the series with the golden cap and maximum points in the overall ranking.

Full Distance Start List

DNK

75

NZL

67

ITA

61

FRA

56

ITA

51

DEU

47

DEU

43

AUS

39

AUS

36

AUS

33

NLD

30

SVK

27

JPN

0

FRA

0

FRA

75

FRA

67

AUS

61

ITA

56

CZE

0

AUS

47

NZL

43

DEU

39

FRA

36

AUS

33

GBR

30

Short Track Start List

DNK

0

FRA

0

NZL

0

ITA

0

DEU

0

AUS

0

ITA

0

DEU

0

AUS

0

SVK

0

JPN

0

NLD

0

AUS

0

FRA

0

FRA

0

CZE

0

ITA

0

AUS

0

AUS

0

NZL

0

DEU

0

FRA

0

AUS

0

GBR

0

Full Distance Results

Times, splits and points from the first Full Distance race of the series.

Sloth Nielsen and Paties Go 2 for 2 with Full Distance Wins

‍

Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen and Alizée Paties of France have given themselves the best possible start to their World Cup campaigns with back-to-back wins at the opening stop in Australia. No longer just a bike specialist, Sloth Nielsen exited the water in the chase pack, stayed within striking distance on the bike, and unleashed a lightning-fast run to take the lead in the final kilometers—sealing the win after a perfectly executed race. For Paties, it was another commanding performance, taking control on the bike and never looking back as she returns to top form and makes her second trip to the top of the podium.

‍

With 75 points from the Short Track and 100 from the Full Distance, both athletes retain the golden cap and top spot on the leaderboard as the pro series moves on to Greece next month.

Men's Full Distance Results (Top 7)

1

2:26:38

Swim:

24:08

Bike:

1:17:37

Run:

43:22

$2,300

Points:

100

Total:

175

Rank:

1

2

2:27:29

Swim:

22:00

Bike:

1:18:12

Run:

46:11

$1,700

Points:

90

Total:

141

Rank:

2

3

2:28:54

Swim:

24:02

Bike:

1:20:23

Run:

43:23

$1,200

Points:

82

Total:

138

Rank:

3

4

2:30:34

Swim:

24:11

Bike:

1:16:30

Run:

48:28

$800

Points:

75

Total:

114

Rank:

6

5

2:30:42

Swim:

24:07

Bike:

1:21:58

Run:

43:25

$650

Points:

69

Total:

136

Rank:

4

6

2:32:58

Swim:

22:30

Bike:

1:18:31

Run:

50:20

$450

Points:

63

Total:

124

Rank:

5

7

2:33:39

Swim:

25:12

Bike:

1:22:15

Run:

44:46

$400

Points:

58

Total:

94

Rank:

8

Women's Full Distance Results (Top 7)

1

2:43:51

Swim:

25:30

Bike:

1:27:27

Run:

49:43

$2,300

Points:

100

Total:

175

Rank:

1

2

2:49:21

Swim:

25:32

Bike:

1:29:22

Run:

53:11

$1,700

Points:

90

Total:

146

Rank:

3

3

2:50:41

Swim:

25:30

Bike:

1:28:41

Run:

55:10

$1,200

Points:

82

Total:

149

Rank:

2

4

2:53:52

Swim:

24:50

Bike:

1:34:36

Run:

52:48

$800

Points:

75

Total:

136

Rank:

4

5

2:58:38

Swim:

27:42

Bike:

1:35:47

Run:

53:53

$650

Points:

69

Total:

116

Rank:

5

6

3:01:21

Swim:

27:14

Bike:

1:34:40

Run:

57:41

$450

Points:

63

Total:

106

Rank:

6

7

3:09:09

Swim:

29:52

Bike:

1:36:56

Run:

1:00:36

$400

Points:

58

Total:

91

Rank:

7

Full Distance - Story of the Race

A return to the top of the podium in the opening Short Track race, it was Alizée Paties and Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen that would start the Full Distance race in the golden cap.
Once again, the two Italians set the pace in the men’s swim—Bonacina exited 1st, with Spinazze 30” back and 90” to the chasers.
With Grabmüller sidelined, Aussie Maeve Kennedy took control in the women’s swim—exiting 1st with a 40” gap on the field.
In one of his strongest showings yet, Bonacina still hadn’t given up the lead he earned in the water by the end of the bike.
Back on dry land, Alizée Paties made her move—posting the fastest bike split to take control of the race.
The biker to beat this season, Ben Forbes laid down the fastest men’s bike split—riding into 2nd by the start of the run.
World Champ Solenne Billouin stayed close throughout—her second-fastest bike split keeping the pressure on Paties.
Spinazze held onto a top-three spot by the end of the bike, but Sloth Nielsen and Kiwi racer Kieran McPherson were closing in fast.
With her strongest discipline still to come, Marta Menditto stayed within striking distance—less than a minute off 2nd place.
A perfectly paced effort, Sloth Nielsen opened up on the run—laying down the fastest split to take the lead from Bonacina.
Maeve Kennedy ran her way back to 4th in the women’s race—adding another Asia-Pacific Championship title to her list of accolades as the top regional woman across the line.
Just one second off the fastest run, Forissier fought back from a conservative ride to secure a spot on the men’s Full Distance podium.
Marta Menditto powered past Billouin on the run to cross the line in 2nd, and climb to 3rd in the overall standings.
Giving the home crowd plenty to cheer for, Ben Forbes finished 4th, claiming the men’s APAC Championship title as the top regional male athlete.
Nobody in the women’s field had an answer for Paties, who backed up her bike split with the fastest run to take 1st in the Full Distance and go 2 for 2 in Australia.
Two wins in two days—the Dane heads to Greece wearing the golden cap as the World Cup series leader.

Short Track Results

Times, splits and points from the opening race of the series.

Sloth Nielsen and Paties Take Short Track Honours

‍

Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen opened his campaign with a dominant win in the fast-format race, his swim and run now seemingly matching the strength of his bike. Meanwhile, Paties returned to the top of the podium with a near-flawless performance. The Dane and the Frenchwoman walk away with the lion’s share of points—and their names at the top of the leaderboard heading into the Full Distance race.

Men's Short Track Results (Top 5)

1

37:22

Swim:

06:19

Bike:

18:37

Run:

11:09

$900

Points:

75

Total:

75

Rank:

1

2

38:00

Swim:

06:21

Bike:

18:47

Run:

11:41

$700

Points:

67

Total:

67

Rank:

2

3

38:15

Swim:

05:52

Bike:

18:59

Run:

12:09

$500

Points:

61

Total:

61

Rank:

3

4

38:27

Swim:

06:17

Bike:

19:36

Run:

11:29

$250

Points:

56

Total:

56

Rank:

4

5

38:49

Swim:

05:45

Bike:

19:21

Run:

12:36

$150

Points:

51

Total:

51

Rank:

5

Women's Short Track Results (Top 5)

1

41:48

Swim:

06:46

Bike:

20:56

Run:

12:58

$900

Points:

75

Total:

75

Rank:

1

2

42:42

Swim:

06:41

Bike:

21:11

Run:

13:31

$700

Points:

67

Total:

67

Rank:

2

3

43:33

Swim:

06:47

Bike:

21:58

Run:

13:23

$500

Points:

61

Total:

61

Rank:

3

4

44:09

Swim:

06:49

Bike:

21:55

Run:

13:59

$250

Points:

56

Total:

56

Rank:

4

5

44:53

Swim:

06:14

Bike:

21:46

Run:

15:33

$150

Points:

51

Total:

51

Rank:

5

Short Track - Story of the Race

Italy’s Michele Bonacina does what he does best—leading out of the water with the fastest swim split.
Czech star Aneta Grabmüller is first out of the water, setting the tone in the women’s race.
Japan’s Takehiro Irokawa delivers a standout swim, exiting the water in third.
A big pack of chasers, including both current and former World Cup Champions, battle to establish the women’s race order.
Just seconds behind the lead, Spinazze pushed hard to control the pace with countryman Michele Bonachina.
Alizée Paties powers to the fastest bike split, taking over the lead from Aneta Grabmüller.
Local rider Ben Forbes did not disappoint on the bike, putting down the fastest split on two wheels.
Marta Menditto keeps herself in the mix with a strong and steady ride.
After exiting the bike in third, Sloth Nielsen unleashes the fastest run to take the lead.
A fierce effort from Kieran McPherson earns the Kiwi a hard-fought second-place finish.
With the fastest run of the day, Maeve Kennedy brings home a podium on home soil.
Sloth Nielsen starts his season strong, adding another World Cup win to his growing tally.

Leaderboard after Stop 1

Men

Points

WORLD CUP Series Info

The XTERRA World Cup is the world's premier off-road triathlon pro series, where the sport’s top elites go head-to-head in a condensed circuit of Full Distance and Short Track races. A points-based battle where every turn, climb, and descent matters, each race is a fight for a share of the series prize purse and the pursuit of becoming the next XTERRA World Cup Champion.

The 2026 World Cup features seven stops and eleven races across Oceania, Europe, North America, and Asia. The Joker Rule returns, giving each athlete one Full Distance joker and one Short Track joker to help manage the demands of global travel and reduce the impact of mechanicals. Each race awards points to the top 30 finishers, with a standard Full Distance win earning 100 points and Short Track awarding 75. Stakes rise at the biggest events, with Regional Championships offering 1.2x more points and the series finale offering 1.5x.

In 2026, the series finishes on fresh terrain in Suzhou, China, where Pan Men Square becomes a city-centre stage for the final Short Track showdown before the Full Distance battle around Lake Taihu closes out the season and crowns the next XTERRA World Cup Champions.