XTERRA World Championship

Join us and be part of a fantastic international event weekend with some of the best athletes from all over the world swimming, biking, and running right in Ruidoso. We are looking for groups or individuals to serve as course marshals and sweeps, help with timing, and hand out recovery at aid stations. No previous experience is necessary.

Volunteers will get XTERRA swag, food, and the undying gratitude of the XTERRA family.

SIGN UP HERE!

If you want to be involved, but you aren't sure where the best place for you to volunteer might be, please email [email protected]. We are happy to help with any questions.

We hope to see you there!

Ruidoso is located in southern New Mexico, between Alamogordo and Roswell. The nearest airport with commercial air service is in Roswell, with International airports in Albuquerque (ABQ) and El Paso (ELP), each about 150 miles away.

For more information, visit https://www.discoverruidoso.com/info/getting-to-ruidoso.

Discover Ruidoso

Race week in Ruidoso is as much about the place as the competition. Use these quick details and planning resources to prepare for your stay, explore the village, and make the most of championship week. Check out the link below for a curated resource of information around Ruidoso focused on the World Championships to all participants.

Plan Your XTERRA World Championship Visit

XTERRA Ruidoso Shop Hop

Registered XTERRA World Championship athletes can enjoy exclusive discounts and special offers throughout race week at participating Midtown Ruidoso businesses!

How it works

Registered athletes can claim their digital Shop Hop Pass here , then simply present it at participating businesses to receive the XTERRA Offer displayed in the link below.

View Participating Businesses & Offers

Note: Offers and participating businesses are subject to change. Please confirm offer details, eligibility requirements, and any restrictions directly with each business.

Livestream Watch Guide

Follow the 2026 XTERRA World Championship live from Ruidoso, New Mexico, on XTERRA’s YouTube channel. Tune in on October 10–11 as the world’s best elite, age-group, and youth athletes race for world titles.

All times below are local to Ruidoso: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT / UTC−6).

Saturday, October 10 — Full Distance World Championship

A 1.5K swim, 27K mountain bike, and 10K trail run await the elite and age-group qualifiers.

• Live coverage: 09:00

• Race start: 09:15

• Watch Full Distance Live

Sunday, October 11 — Youth A World Championship

Athletes aged 14–15 compete over a Super Sprint course featuring a 400M swim, 7K mountain bike, and 2K trail run.

• Live coverage: 09:50

• Race start: 10:00

• Watch Youth A Live

Sunday, October 11 — Youth B & Junior World Championship

Youth B athletes aged 16–17 and Juniors aged 18–19 take on a 750M swim, 15K mountain bike, and 5K trail run.

• Live coverage: 11:20

• Race start: 11:30

• Watch Youth B & Junior Live

Bookmark the links and join before each race start to catch the opening coverage. Watching from another time zone? Check the scheduled time displayed on each YouTube livestream page.

Honor the season, the athletes who define it, and 30 years of off-road adventure. With local food, live music, and lots of memorable moments, the Welcome and Award Ceremonies will offer a chance for athletes, families, and friends to come together to celebrate in true XTERRA fashion.

Thursday, October 8, 2026

17:00-22:00: Welcome Ceremony - Wingfield Park (map)

17:00-19:00: World Championship Welcome Buffet Open - Wingfield Park (map)

18:30-19:30: Welcome Ceremony Program (Open to Community) - Stage at Wingfield Park (map)

19:30-21:30: Phil Hamilton Band (Open to Community) - Stage at Wingfield Park (map)

Saturday, October 10, 2026

19:00-22:00: Awards Ceremony - Full Distance Athletes - Ruidoso Convention Center (map)

22:00: XTERRA After Party - Ruidoso Convention Center (map)

Sunday, October 11, 2026

18:00: Youth Awards and Closing Ceremony - Ruidoso Convention Center (map)

Parking

Wingfield Park Parking - Festival & Registration

• Opens: All hours

• Location: There is parking available in Midtown Ruidoso along the street in many designated areas, as well as at the Northwest Corner of Wingfield Park 

• Signage: Look for the signs that say  “Public Parking”. XTERRA-branded parking signs will be posted at each lot entrance.

• This is ideal for spectators and athletes accessing Start/Finish area activities at Wingfield Park.

• For race-day parking, athletes should park in the Grindstone Lake Athlete Parking Lot.

Grindstone Lake – Athlete Race Parking Lot

• Opens: Monday - Friday, all vehicles, beginning at 6:00 AM each day. 

• Open: Saturday and Sunday, Athlete vehicles only, beginning at 6:00 AM each day.

• Location:  Below Grindstone Lake, in the Grindstone Lakes parking lot. 

• Signage & Flags: Large XTERRA parking signs/flags at lot entrance.

• Recommended Use: Thursday & Friday: Convenient for pre-riding the race course.

Saturday: ATHLETE ONLY parking. Families and guests may ride with their athletes and then shuttle from Grindstone Lake to Wingfield Park for the festival and finish line festivities 

• Access to Lake: The lot is within walking distance—follow the marked trail to Grindstone Lake.

Handicap / Accessible Parking

• Available at both Wingfield Park and Grindstone Lake.

• Clearly marked with handicap signage and located close to venue access points.

Important:

• Arrive early to secure your preferred parking location.

• Follow all XTERRA parking signage and staff instructions for smooth traffic flow.

• If you’re pre-riding or need longer-term parking, Grindstone Lake Athlete Parking Lot is your best choice. NO CAMPING ALLOWED.

Shuttle Service

Shuttle service is available throughout race weekend. Look for bright yellow XTERRA Shuttle flags at all pick-up and drop-off points.

• Thursday Welcome Party: 5:00–9:00 PM — Wingfield Park ↔ Elegante Hotel/Ruidoso Convention Center ↔ Elevate Hotel ↔ La Quinta Hotel

• Saturday & Sunday Race Days: 7:00 AM–4:00 PM — Wingfield Park ↔ Grindstone Lake ↔ Athlete Parking Lot

• Saturday Awards Ceremony (free for ticketed ceremony guests): 5:00 PM–2:00 AM — Elegante Hotel/Ruidoso Convention Center ↔ Wingfield Park ↔ Elevate Hotel ↔ La Quinta Hotel

• Sunday Awards Ceremony  (free for ticketed ceremony guests): 5:00–8:30 PM — Elegante Hotel/Ruidoso Convention Center ↔ Wingfield Park ↔ Elevate Hotel ↔ La Quinta Hotel

Please note: The Athlete Parking Lot shuttle stop is closed from approximately 9:00 AM–2:00 PM on race days. Bicycles are not allowed on the shuttles. Please allow extra time before your race starts.

Athletes looking for full information about qualifying for the XTERRA World Championship can visit https://www.xterraplanet.com/race-rules/xterra-world-championship-qualification.

Bike Rentals
If you are in need of a bike rental, the following shops are recommended. Please note that supplies are limited and advance booking is strongly encouraged.

Ruidoso, New Mexico
The Village Bike Shop

Address: 1017 Mechem Dr. Ruidoso, NM. 88345
Email to book: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (816) 405-9061
Website: https://ruidosobikeshop.com/

Albuquerque, New Mexico 183 miles north of Ruidoso
Fat Tire Cycles – Montaño
Address: 421 Montaño Rd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
Phone: +1 (505) 345-9005
Booking note: Call to book and mention XTERRA
Website: https://www.fattirecycles.com/demorental

*Fat Tire Cycles also offers a service to ship bikes to and from their store in Albuquerque. Contact the store for more information.

El Paso, Texas 136 miles south of Ruidoso
Crazy Cat Cyclery
Address: 2800 N Stanton, El Paso, TX 79902
Phone: +1 (915) 532-9666
Website: https://www.crazycatcyclery.com/articles/bike-rentals-pg183.htm

EVENT BIKE MECHANIC SCHEDULE

Wednesday: 12:00-17:00 at Wingfield Park

Thursday: 10:00-17:00 at Wingfield Park

Friday: 9:00-17:00 at Wingfield Park

Saturday: 7:00-10:30 at Grindstone Lake

Sunday 7:00-11:30 at Grindstone Lake

EVENT BIKE MECHANIC INFORMATION

Rad Dog Bikes

+1 (915) 630-2682

Contact: [email protected]

Website: https://www.raddogbikes.com

Based out of El, Paso Texas: 10710 Gateway N Blvd. Suite B-6 El Paso, Texas 79924

LOCAL BIKE SHOP INFORMATION

The Village Bike Shop

+1 (575) 973-1043

Contact: [email protected]

Website: https://ruidosobikeshop.com

Address: 1017 Mechem Dr, Ruidoso, NM 88345

The Ruidoso Athletic Club has a 25 yard (22.86 meters) swimming pool that is available to use for lap swimming during race week. Reservations are required, so contact the facility directly for a day or week visitor pass.

https://ruidosoathleticclub.com/

+1 575-257-4900

415 Wingfield St, Ruidoso, NM 88345

Athletes in the full triathlon may request a partial refund of US$110 with written notice to [email protected] on or before August 31, 2026.

No refunds on or after September 1, 2026.

Medical conditions, pregnancy, military assignments, or visa issues may be considered, but are not guaranteed. To request a deferral, email [email protected] with your name, event name, and reason for the request. Include supporting documentation such as a doctor’s note confirming the injury, illness, or pregnancy and recommending you not race, visa denial letter, or official military orders.

Please note that the partial refund available does not apply to athletes who deferred from a previous year, those are nonrefundable.

All the race excitement will kickoff at Grindstone Lake Park with the event celebration finishing at Wingfield Park.

All multi-sport athletes during the XTERRA World Championship weekend will be required to have a USA Triathlon license in order to race. If an athlete does not already have a USAT year-long membership, during the registration flow, athletes will be given the opportunity to purchase a one-event license (Bronze Membership). The Bronze Membership allows athletes to race in a single USA Triathlon Sanctioned Event without an annual membership. Your Bronze membership also provides you with athlete participant accident medical coverage during the event. Bronze Memberships are purchased for a specific race, non-refundable and are not sold directly through USA Triathlon. Planning to race more than one distance at the event? Just grab the Bronze Membership for the longest race - you'll be covered for all the shorter ones too. More information about USAT Memberships can be found at https://www.usatriathlon.org/membership. 

The USA Triathlon license does not require an additional, documented visit to the doctor.

Congratulations on qualifying for the XTERRA World Championship! If you require an official invitation letter to support your visa application, we’ll be happy to provide one. Please send the following details to [email protected]

Full Name (as shown on your passport)
Date of Birth
Role (Athlete / Support Crew / Family Member)
Passport Number
Passport Issuing Country
Date of Issue
Date of Expiration

Once received, our team will prepare your invitation letter promptly. If you have any questions or additional requests, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Information about traveling to the USA can be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html. If an athlete's United States visa application is denied, next step options will be evaluated on an individual basis by emailing [email protected].

Check out some of the amazing trails athletes can explore in Ruidoso.

https://youtu.be/vuMhms18734?si=8n7t0IKza6qjkIxH

If you need to make any changes or additions to your existing registration, please visit https://myevents.active.com/XTERRA.

While we can’t say for certain, historic data measured the water temperature at 63-64°F (17-18°C) on the same weekend in 2025.

We will be following the wetsuit rules as outlined by USAT, which can be found at https://www.usatriathlon.org/multisport/rules.

The emergency number to call in the USA is 9-1-1.

Those wanting to stay up-to-date with any weather or emergency situations in the Village of Ruidoso, can find information about downloading their app at https://www.discoverruidoso.com/ruidoso-mobile-travel-app.