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Xtreme triathlon (or extreme triathlon) is a type of triathlon competition where competitors on extreme courses, which include with night or cold swims and large elevation changes and high altitude during both the cycling and running sections. Athletes also deal with extreme weather conditions due to the remote locations and elevation changes. Participants race over distances broadly equivalent to those of an Ironman triathlon or an Ironman 70.3.
The number of participants is limited (usually to 250 to 300) and some races operate a ballot entry system. These small numbers allow races to be held in remote and inaccessible locations, one of many characteristics of extreme triathlon. Some races are "unsupported" so competitors need to have personal back up crews that support to provide them with food, drinks and other necessities. The support crews also often need to accompany their competitor on any potentially dangerous mountain sections. During these sections, competitors are often required to carry a backpack containing emergency food and clothing should the weather change.
History
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The original Extreme Triathlon was the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon first held in 2003. Many other races have followed on from this and in 2012 the concept of "AllXTRI was launched" as a global brand that encompassed Norseman along with Celtman and Swissman. This evolved into what is known as the XTRI World Tour although many other well renowned races and series of similar format exist around the world. Extreme Triathlon Series is a series of races that has gained popularity over the years, due to it`s low key and friendly atmosphere.
Course formats
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Extreme triathlon should not be confused with Ultra-triathlon. Hence, length is not the defining factor for extreme triathlon.
Extreme triathlons typically include four key elements:
- Courses that are point-to-point.
- Swims in challenging conditions, such as cold water, night swims, or deep water.
- Significant elevation gains in both the cycling and running segments.
- High-altitude passes during cycling and running.
It’s important to note that while one or more of these elements may be present in an extreme triathlon, there are also races that don’t incorporate any of them, yet are still considered extreme due to other challenging factors.
Extreme triathlon communities & activities
Many extreme triathlon races created Facebook groups or similar to allow their athletes to plan and discuss races. Some of these are relatively open format, and some set up with a closed audience related to specific athletes in specific years.
In late 2019, a 'Global Extreme Triathlon Forum' Facebook group and 'Global Extreme Triathlon Club' on Strava were also set up to create a community across all extreme triathlon races worldwide, and also help nurture aspiring athletes. This has been growing ever since. In 2023 a website called Global Extreme Triathlon was set up with the intent to gather information on all Extreme Triathlons in one place. This has been a success, especially for the independent races that are not a part of mainstream Xtreme Triathlon.
COVID in 2020 impacted races globally. All early extreme triathlon races were cancelled or postponed, but some later races managed to convene due to their format of being small in more remote locations. In this backdrop, several races created virtual challenges where athletes completed 'events' wherever they could, or on Zwift (or similar) if unable to get outside.
XTRI World Championship
The XTRI World Championship is an annual event that takes place at Norseman every August. The first championship took place in 2019 with less than 50 athletes starting in a small field before the main race. The entire field of Norseman is now the World Championship.
The international governing body World Triathlon does not recognize any XTRI World Tour Championships as official Xtreme Triathlon World Championships.
The current XTRI World Championship Rankings for 2024 are as follows:
Women:
- Laura Zimmermann (GER)
- Kaja Bergwitz-Larsen (NOR)
- Claire Weller (GBR)
Men:
- Sebastian Norberg (SWE)
- Lars Wichert (GER)
- Aurélien Le Lay (FRA)
Starting in 2025, the XTRI Solo Point Five World Championship will be held annually at a different SP5 race location each year.
Race catalogues
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Active race catalogue
| Race | Status | Distance | Org | Ascents (mtrs) | Country | Extras / Mythical feature(s) | Established | Notes | World Championship Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alps Man | Active | Full | Independent | 5600 |  France |
"Le Tournant" Bell High Route Cutoff | 2016 | ||
| Alps Man half | Active | Half | Independent | 3200 | France |
2016 | |||
| Altriman | Active | Full | Independent | 6320 | France |
Port de Pailhères (12km @ 9%) | 2015? | ||
| Amazigh XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour Prospect | 2930 |  Morocco |
2023 | |||
| Austria eXtreme | Active | Full | Extreme Triathlon Series | 5786 |  Austria |
Styrian snowfield run | 2015 | ||
| Aurlandsfjellet | Active | Half | Independent | 4200 |  Norway |
2011 | |||
| Bearman XXL | Active | Full | Independent | 6175 | France |
Bear Chair finish photo. | 2017 | 8848m option for Bears. | |
| Ben Nevis Braveheart | Active | Half | Independent | 1970 |  Scotland |
Highest summit in UK. | 2017 | ||
| Blacklake XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 5800 |  Montenegro |
Immortals Wall, 2 lake swim, bike over Worlds 2nd deepest gorge. | 2019 | YES | |
| Brutal | Active | Full | Independent | 4350 |  Wales |
They do multiples! | 2012 | ||
| Canadaman XTRI | Active | Full,1/2 | XTRI World Tour | 4000 |  Canada |
Mt Megantic Observatory finish | 2017 | YES | |
| CELTMAN! XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 3769 | Scotland |
Cold jellyfish swim, Beinn Eighe Ridge | 2012 | YES | |
| Cheaha | First 2022 | Full | Independent | 4570 |  USA, Alabama |
Mt. Cheaha "The High Place" | 2022 | New race, launching 2022. | |
| Diablak Beskid | Active | Full,1/2 | Independent | 6200 |  Poland |
||||
| EagleXMan | Active | Full | Independent | 6300 |  Italy |
Gran Sasso e Monti; Campo Imperatore | 2021 | ||
| EagleXMan half | Active | half | Independent | 3300 | Italy |
Gran Sasso e Monti; Campo Imperatore | 2021 | ||
| Estonian Forest | Active | Full, 1/2 | Independent | 2600 |  Estonia |
180km Gravel/MTB bike (flat country!) | 2021 | ||
| Evergreen | TBC | Full | Independent | 7850 | France |
Chamonix Skyline | 2015 | ||
| Fodaxman XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 4700 |  Brazil |
Serra do Rio do Rastro switchbacks | 2019 | YES | |
| Formosa XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 6840 |  Taiwan |
2019 | YES | ||
| Greek Hero | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour Prospect | 3900 |  Greece |
2020 | |||
| Grimm Extreme | Active | Full | Independent | c4000 |  Germany |
Cross old Iron Curtain | 2020 | ||
| Grizzlyman | Active | Full | Independent | 6300 |  Czech |
205km bike | 2019 | ||
| HardaSuka Ultimate | Active | Full | Independent | 8000 | Poland |
||||
| HelveticMan | Active | Half | Independent | 4150 |  Switzerland |
||||
| HimalayanXtri | First 2022 | Full | XTRI World Tour Prospect | 6200 |  Nepal |
4000m highest altitude | 2021 | ||
| ICON XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 6200 | Italy |
High altitude swim (1.800 MSL). Stelvio Bike | 2017 | YES | |
| Inferno | Active | 4 stage | Independent | 5500 | Switzerland |
||||
| Janosik XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 5800 |  Slovakia |
Midnight swim, Rozstuec climb on run | 2016 | YES | |
| Jurassicman | Active | Full | Indi | 3720 |  England |
2013 | |||
| Karakoram | First 2022 | Full | Independent | 2900 |  Pakistan |
7-8c (2km) swim at 2250m altitude | |||
| Kiwiman | Active | Full | Independent | 4200 |  New Zealand |
||||
| Knysna Xtreme | Active | Full | Extreme Triathlon Series | 3360 |  South Africa |
Longest extreme tri swim & run | |||
| Lofoten | Active | Full | Independent | 4100 | Norway |
Most northerly extreme tri. Svolvear Harbour swim. | |||
| ManX | Active | Full | Independent | ? |  Isle of Man |
2019 | |||
| Mercantourman | Active | Full | Independent | 7300 | France |
2020 | Same area as Cairoman, may be rename? | ||
| Norseman XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 5235 | Norway |
It's Norseman! Ferry jump. Zombie Hill. | 2003 | HOST | |
| Olympos-X | Active | Full | Independent | 7050 | Greece |
Night swim, 4km off the coast to 2834m altitude. 3000m elevation loss through technical trails | 2017 | ||
| Olympos-X half | Active | Half | Independent | 3700 | Greece |
highest half, extreme downhill | 2020 | ||
| Olympusman | Active | Half | Independent | 2916 |  Cyprus |
Cyprus highest peak | |||
| Extreme Olympusman | Active | Full | Independent | 6000 | Cyprus |
Full distance test event 2020. | |||
| Oravaman | Active | Half | Independent | 2550 | Slovakia |
||||
| Patagonman Xtreme | Active | Full | Independent | 3182 |  Chile |
Ferry jump. Finish Bell. | 2018 | ||
| Pirene Xtreme | Active | Full | Extreme Triathlon Series | 6500 |  Spain |
Discover the Pyrenees | 2017 | ||
| Pulpit Rock Xtreme Triathlon | Active | Half | Independent | 3500 | Norway |
2023 | |||
| Starvation XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 5260 | USA, Utah |
Iron Cowboys Race | 2021 | YES | |
| StoneBrixiaMan | Active | Full | Extreme Triathlon Series | 7050 | Italy |
||||
| Swedeman XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 4697 |  Sweden |
Swim finish at Waterfall. | 2018 | YES | |
| Swissman XTRI | Active | Full | XTRI World Tour | 5750 | Switzerland |
Run under a waterfall | 2013 | YES | |
| Tatraman | Active | Half | Independent | 3245 | Poland |
Swim between 2 castles | |||
| ThorXtri | Active | Half | Independent | Norway |
|||||
| TriathlonX Full X | Last 2022 | Full | Independent | 5137 | England |
"Toughest Xtreme" (220 article) | 2015 | ||
| TriathlonX Extreme X | Active | Full | Independent | 7336 | England |
"Toughest Xtreme" (220 article) | 2015 | ||
| Triverest | Active | Full+ | Independent | 8900 | Switzerland |
Greatest ascents (tied with Himalayan) | |||
| Wataha | Active | Full | Independent | 6200 | Poland |
Mountains of The Wolf | 2021 | ||
| Wild Siberia | Active | Full | 3600 |  Russia |
2.5k 9c swim in 'Dead Lake' Cheybek-Kohl. | 2020 | Xtremly Wild and beautiful. | ||
| Wilderman | Active | Full,1/2 | Independent | 3570 | North Dakota, USA |
Lifejacket on bike & run. Creek crossing. | 2014 | Offroad bike. Gravel or MTB. | |
| Winterman | Active | Full | Extreme Triathlon Series | 4700 | Czech Republic |
9 km downstream swim. | 2015 |
SOLO POINT FIVE race catalogue
| Race | Status | Distance | Org | Ascents (mtrs) | Country | Extras / Mythical feature(s) | First Ran | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CELTMAN! XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 2550 | Scotland |
Cold jellyfish swim, Belach na ba | 2022 | ||
| CANADA XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 2100 | Canada |
AUtumn colours and Mont Megantic | 2023 | ||
| BLACKLAKE XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 3100 | Montenegro |
Blacklake and Small Lake | 2022 | ||
| FODAXMAN XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 2550 | Brazil |
Serra do Rio do Rastro | 2022 | ||
| ORAVAMAN XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 2550 | Slovakia |
Technical Run | 2010 | ||
| HIMALAYAN XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 3400 | Nepal |
2023 | |||
| SWEDEMAN XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 2000 | Sweden |
2024 | |||
| Greek Hero XTRI SOLO POINT FIVE | Active | Half | XTRI World Tour | 3000 | Greece |
2024 |
Historic race catalogue
| Race | Status | Distance | Org | Ascents (mtrs) | Country | Extras / Mythical feature(s) | First Ran | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 007 Xtri | On Hold | Full | Independent | c8000 | Germany, Italy and Austria |
Cross three countries! | 2019 | Small test race. 2021 race unlikely. |
| Alaskaman | Ceased | Full | EEE/XTRI World Tour | 2400 | USA, Alaska |
Resurrection Bay, Bear bells, River Hhandtram, Aleyska Ridge | 2017 | Cancelled 2020. |
| Alohaman | Ceased | Full | EEE | TBC | USA, Hawaii |
2019 | Cancelled 2020. | |
| AlpineMan Xtreme | Ceased | Full | Independent | 4900 |  Slovenia |
2016 | One year only | |
| FjordXtreme | Ceased | Full | Independent | 3900 | Norway |
2016 | Held 2016 only. | |
| Iceland | Ceased | Full | Independent | 4179 |  Iceland |
Midnight swim, Volcanoes. | 2019 | |
| KarkonoszMan | Last 2021 | Half | Independent | 2900 | Poland |
2014 | ||
| Manx Xtreme Tri | Ceased | Full | XTRI World Tour Prospect | 3000 | England |
2019 | Test race only. | |
| Oppland (Oxtri) | Ceased | Full | Independent | 2700 | Norway |
2015 |
References
- "The History of Extreme Triathlon". GlobalExtremeTriathlon.com. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- "Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2019". events.racetracker.no.
- "Extreme Triathlon World Rankings 2024". XTRI World Tour. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
External links
- "Isklar Norseman Xtreme Triathlon".
- "XTRI World Tour".
- "Extreme Triathlon Series".
- "Global Extreme Triathlon Club Strava group".