Extreme (or Xtreme) Triathlon refers to a type of triathlon competition where competitors race over distances broadly equivalent to those of an Ironman triathlon (3.8k swim, 180k bike, 42k run) or an Ironman 70.3 (1.9k swim, 90k bike, 21k run) under extreme courses, with night/cold swim, 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 large elevation changes.
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 which is one of many characteristic 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.
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.
The independent races are growing rapidly and currently a vast number of races choose to stay outside of «mainstream» Xtreme Triathlon. Alps Man, PatagonMan and Olympos X are independent races that has gained popularity and a massive following. [1]
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:
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.
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 [1] 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.
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. [2]
The international governing body World Triathlon does not recognize any XTRI® World Tour Championships as official Xtreme Triathlon World Championships. However, they are independent races similar to that of the Ironman World Championship or XTERRA Triathlon World Championship.
The current XTRI® World Championship Rankings for 2023 are as follows: [3]
Women:
Men:
Due to the popularity of the half distance extreme triathlon, XTRI® World Championship solo point five will also be taking place every year as of 2025. However, contrary to the full distance XTRI® World Championship which takes place in the same location every year, the half distance XTRI® World Championship will take place in different location each year.
The terms "XTRI" and derivatives are owned by XTRI World Tour AS, Norway. These terms are considered generic descriptions of Extreme, or Xtreme triathlon by many, but are in fact registered and protected trademarks.
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 | |
Segura - TRADEMARK BREACH, Legal Proceedings Underway. Unauthorised use of XTRI Brand Mark | |||||||||
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 |
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 |
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 |
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς or treis (three) and ἆθλος or athlos (competition).
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run completed in that order, a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km). It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.
World Triathlon, previously known as the International Triathlon Union (ITU), is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations. It is recognised as the international federation for the sport of triathlon and its derivatives by the International Olympic Committee, and it organises Olympic triathlon events on behalf of the IOC.
An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time transitioning between the disciplines.
Christopher John McCormack, also known as Macca, is an Australian triathlete. McCormack is a two-time winner of the Ironman World Championship, winning the titles in 2007 and 2010. He is also the winner of the 1997 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Cup Series, the 1997 Triathlon World Championships, the 2012 Long Distance World Championships. and inducted into the AusTriathlon Hall of Fame for 2023.
The sport of Ironman was developed in 1964 in Australia by Valentine Trainor to combine the four main disciplines of surf lifesaving into a single race; swimming, board paddling, ski paddling and running. The sport should not be confused with Ironman triathlon. It is typically run as a single event as a part of a surf life saving carnival, although it can be run as a sport in its own right. Internationally it is sometimes called Oceanman.
An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an Ironman Triathlon. The Ironman 70.3 series culminates each year with a World Championship competition, for which competitors qualify during the 70.3 series in the 12 months prior to the championship race. In addition to the World Championship race, Ironman 70.3 championship competitions are also held for the European, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America regions.
Tim DeBoom, is a retired professional triathlete from Boulder, Colorado, from 1995 to 2012. During that tenure, DeBoom participated in hundreds of triathlons around the world, winning both short course and long course triathlons. After a 10th place finish in the Hawaii Ironman in 1995, DeBoom focused on long distance racing, eventually winning the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii twice.
Christine Ann Wellington is an English former professional triathlete and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman-distance triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance.
Jan Frodeno is a German former triathlete who is the gold medal winner in men's triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 3-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2019, and 2-time winner of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2015 and 2018. He had set the world record for the long distance in Roth, Germany in 2016 with 7:35:39 hours. In 2021, he broke his own world record during the Tributtle in Allgäu, Germany against Lionel Sanders, with a time of 07:27:53, setting a new world best for the long-distance triathlon.
The Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is a non-Ironman branded triathlon, point to point, race held in Norway annually. The distances are equivalent to those of an Ironman race with the swim starting from the loading bay of a car ferry, through the water of the Hardanger fjord to the local town, Eidfjord. At Eidfjord the competitors transition onto their bikes and then cycle 180 km through the mountains, the first 40 km of which is uphill. After transition two, the competitors then run 42.2 km of which the first 25 km are flat and following this they end up climbing the local mountain, Gaustatoppen, 1,880 m above sea level.
The Ironman World Championship is a triathlon held annually in Hawaii, United States since 1978, with an additional race in 1982. It is owned and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It is the annual culmination of a series of Ironman triathlon qualification races held throughout the world. As of 2023, Ironman World Championships split between Kona and France, with the men's and women's races rotating years.
Terri Schneider is an endurance athlete, motivational speaker, author, coach, and consultant. In 1990, she won the Escape from Alcatraz and took third place at the 1990 Ironman World Championship.
Laura Marie Bennett is an American professional triathlete. She placed fourth in the women's triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, she finished 17th at the London Olympic Games. She earned a silver medal at the World Triathlon Championships in 2003 and bronze medals in 2004, 2005, and 2007. She has also raced at the Half-Ironman distance, placing 5th at the 2009 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.
Milos Kostic from Regina, Saskatchewan is the former world record holder of the Ironman World Championship in the Men's 65-69 age group with a time of 11 hours 29 minutes 45 seconds set in 2006. His time was beaten by William Christopher Wren who finished the course in 2013 with a time of 10 hours, 44 minutes and 31 seconds. He has won his age group there in Kona every time he has raced there, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012. He won his age group at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in 2011 and 2012. In 2011 he set the world record of the Ironman World Championship in the Men's 70-74 age group with a time of 11 hours 14 minutes.
The 2012 Ironman 70.3 World Championship was a triathlon competition held at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada on September 9, 2012. The championship was sponsored by the United States Marine Corps and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and was the culmination of the Ironman 70.3 series of events that occurred from August 14, 2011 through August 13, 2012. Athletes, both professional and amateur, earned a spot in the championship race by qualifying in races throughout the 70.3 series.
The 2013 Ironman World Championship was a long distance triathlon competition that was held on October 12, 2013 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The event was won by Belgium's Frederik Van Lierde and Australia's Mirinda Carfrae. It was the 37th edition of the Ironman World Championship, which has been held annually in Hawaii since 1978. The championship is organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
Meredith Brooke Kessler is an American professional triathlete from Columbus, Ohio who races in long distance, non-drafting triathlon events. She took third place at the 2011 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships and has won numerous Ironman and half-Ironman distance races as both an amateur and a professional. She was named USA Triathlon's 2014 Non-Drafting Athlete of the Year.
The 2015 Ironman 70.3 World Championship was a triathlon competition that was held in Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria on August 30, 2015. It was won by Jan Frodeno of Germany and Daniela Ryf of Switzerland. The championship was organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) and was the culmination of the Ironman 70.3 series of events that occurred from August 3, 2014 through July 12, 2015. Athletes, both professional and amateur, earned a spot in the championship race by qualifying in races throughout the 70.3 series. A prize purse of $250,000 will be distributed to the top 10 male and female professional athletes. The race marked the second year of the championship event being held in a non-recurring location and the first time being held in Europe.
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