Xtreme triathlon (or extreme triathlon) is a type of triathlon competition on extreme courses, which include night or cold swims, and important elevation gain and high altitude during both the cycling and running sections. Athletes also deal with extreme weather conditions due to the remote locations and altitude 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, 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
The roots of extreme triathlon trace back to the Norseman Triathlon, first held in 2003 in Norway. Designed by Hårek Stranheim, Norseman offers a cold-water fjord swim of ~3.8 km, a 180 km bike leg through the Hardangervidda plateau, and a 42.2 km marathon ending atop Gaustatoppen. With over 5,000 m of total elevation, it emphasises self-reliance and endurance. Participation is capped (≈250 athletes), each required to bring a personal support crew for safety and logistics.[1][2]
Inspired by Norseman, similar races began to appear in Europe in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Altriman (France, 2009), Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme (Norway, 2010), and Oravaman (Slovakia, 2011) adopted similar formats, favouring elevation, remote terrain, and small-scale organization.[3][4] Between 2012 and 2013, additional events launched such as Celtman Xtreme Triathlon (UK), The Brutal Extreme Triathlon (UK), Swissman Xtreme Triathlon (Switzerland), Jurassicman (UK), and Snæfellsnes Jarnkarl (Iceland). These races emphasised community focus, athlete-crewed support, and wilderness routes.[5][6][3]
AlpsMan Extreme Triathlon, held annually since 2016 near Lake Annecy in France, includes a ~3.8 km lake swim, 180 km cycling across multiple alpine cols (~4,300 m ascent), and a marathon run climbing to the summit of Semnoz (~1,300 m ascent).[7]
In 2013, Norseman, Celtman, and Swissman formed an informal alliance, which eventually evolved into the XTRI World Tour. The first XTRI World Championship took place at Norseman in 2019.[8] While the Tour has helped raise the profile of select events, many races remain outside its framework. Some participants and commentators have criticised the Tour’s branded experience and elimination-style formats as diverging from the sport’s grassroots ethos.[9][10]
As of the mid-2020s, over 45 independent extreme triathlons exist worldwide. Notable events include Austria eXtreme Triathlon, StoneBrixiaMan (Italy), Winterman (Czech Republic), Knysna Extreme (South Africa), and AlpsMan (France), each emphasizing uniquely local terrain and low-capacity fields.[11][3]
Norseman remains considered the symbolic founding event. In 2025, over 6,300 applicants from roughly 96 countries entered the lottery for ~250 slots, demonstrating sustained demand far beyond its limited capacity.[12][13] Despite the rise of branded series and media coverage, the core ethos of extreme triathlon continues to revolve around self-supported endurance amid challenging natural settings.
Course format
Extreme triathlons follow the traditional Iron-distance (3.8 km swim, 180 km bike, 42.2 km run) but are held in remote and often mountainous environments. Courses are typically point-to-point and feature cold-water swims in fjords, rivers, or alpine lakes, steep climbs during the bike segment, and trail runs that may finish at altitude. These environmental and elevation factors significantly increase the difficulty compared to standard triathlon formats.[14][15]
Many races require athletes to be accompanied by a personal support crew, who provide nutrition, equipment, and safety support—especially on remote run sections. However, not all events have this requirement; some are self-supported or offer partial aid stations.[16]
Field sizes are usually limited to a few hundred participants, often selected through an application or lottery process. This allows organizers to maintain safety, protect natural environments, and preserve the event’s emphasis on personal endurance and self-reliance.[15]
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[17] 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.[18]
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 2025 are as follows:[15]
Women:
Julia Skala (GER)
Laura Kessler (CH)
Flora Colledge (GBR)
Men:
Kristian Grue (NOR)
Christophe Martiniger (CH)
Juuso Manninen (FIN)
Starting in 2025, the XTRI Solo Point Five World Championship will be held annually at a different SP5 race location each year.[citation needed]
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