Press and Media Center

The XTERRA World Championship is Just Nine Days Away

THIS WEEK:

The XTERRA World Championship is just nine days away on Sunday, October 29th in Makena, Maui.  In this preview edition we'll run down the basics for the media members, provide a course description, delve into the Hawaiian Airlines Double competition, recognize a short list of guys who've race in every Maui, breakdown the start list by hometown and divisions, talk Makena Beach Scramble, and look at the weekend's XTERRA TV schedule.
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PRESS CONFERENCE: 

A kick-off press conference will be held at the lower terrace level of the Maui Prince Hotel on Thursday, October 26, at 4:00 p.m. HST.  Guests include defending pro champions Nicolas Lebrun and Melanie McQuaid, last year's runner-ups Eneko Llanos and Sibylle Matter, and challengers Brent McMahon, Candy Angle, Hamish Carter and Renata Bucher.
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PRESS GUIDE: 

A PDF version of the Nissan Xterra World Championship press guide, complete with a schedule of events, course description, global tour information, athlete profiles, facts, figures, and past results, is available for download.

Press Guide - 4MB PDF
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PRESS ROOM: 

Media covering the 2006 Nissan Xterra World Championship can pick-up credentials and prepare for race day in the XTERRA Press Room located in the Ilima Room (#113) at the host hotel, the Maui Prince in Makena.  Call Trey Garman at 808-216-8606 for more details.
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VIDEO AND PHOTOS: 

Race footage in beta format and still photography will be made available to all outlets interested in receiving such.  Make arrangements in advance by replying to this email with your request.
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THE COURSE: 

Maui's XTERRA course is legendary, and conditions change radically from year-to-year, diminishing the advantage to repeat competitors and perpetuating the course's stature as the most intimidating in the series.  Hawaii's natural obstacles are unlike anywhere else on earth and for the 550+ athletes racing in Maui - the Nissan Xterra World Championship is a truly unique experience.  The victor will traverse this rugged terrain in roughly two and half hours (although Conrad Stoltz broke the record by almost two minutes when he crossed in 2:22:55 in 2002), with the lead woman approx. 30-minutes behind.
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SWIM

Distance: 1.5-kilometers (0.93 miles)
Location: Maluaka Beach, aka Prince Beach
Access:  Open to the public
The rough water swim is two laps of a 750-meter triangular course, with a 150-meter beach sprint between laps to get the blood pumping in a totally different direction. 
 
Swim Record:
Male - Glenn Wachtel (HI) 18:10 in 2000
Female - Raeleigh Tennant (AUS) 18:31 in 2000
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Swim to Bike (T1), and Bike to Run (T2) Transition
Location: Located at the lobby level of the Maui Prince just up from the swim start in a big grassy area
Access:  The swim/bike transition area is for competitors only, however, spectators may view the change-over from any position around the boundary.
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MOUNTAIN BIKE

Distance:  32 Kilometers (20 miles)
Location: The slopes of the mighty Haleakala Volcano
Access: Closed to the public
 
Competitors are not permitted to pre-ride the Nissan Xterra World Championship course.  For newcomers, it is read and react.  For veterans, the experience might allow them to remember portions but more often than not it instills a solid feeling of respect for the Old Lady of XTERRA.

Every year competitors say, "XYZ course is tougher than Maui".  Every year around noon on Championship Sunday, the look - the eyes pointing down and the head shaking side to side - tells you that there is nothing like Haleakala.

Climbing from sea level to 1,200 feet then down and back up to 1,400 feet with a final portion called "the plunge" of 8-kilometers back to sea level, this track has everything.  Full of rock strewn paths, gnarly golf ball sized gravel, short steep climbs, long, go forever climbs, hard packed lava, and then 6" deep, dusty silt.  There's more than 3,000 total feet of climbing.
 
Bike Record:
Male - Conrad Stoltz (RSA) 1:24:12 in 2002
Female - Melissa Thomas (USA) 1:41:02 in 2004
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TRAIL RUN

Distance: 10 Kilometers  (6.2 miles)
Location: South Maui
 
Out on the run athletes will find all sorts of sand - white, gold, black, salt and pepper, green or garnet.  There's a lot more climbing involved, a spooky forest to navigate, a dozen different surfaces to cross, and just before the finish line some of Hawaii's most stunning oceanfront scenery.

There is no accounting for the heat generated by gnarly lava fields, making otherwise simple obstacles extremely difficult to conquer.  The "Makena Beach Mile" is a grueling slog along soft sand, but a beautiful end run along the ocean-front golf course helps racers forget it all at the finish.
 
Run Record:
Male - Jan Rehula (CZE) 33:14 in 2004
Female - Erika Csomor (HUN) 38:18 in 2004
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HAWAIIAN AIRLINES DOUBLE: 

The Hawaiian Airlines "Double" Purse is awarded to the pro man and woman with the fastest combined 2006 Nissan Xterra World Championship and Ironman Hawaii Championship time, a feat reserved for the world's leading endurance athletes as the two events are held only eight days apart.  "The Double" has become a sought-after title by both pro and amateur competitors.  Hawaiian Airlines pays $2,500 to both the top male and female professionals with the fastest times and in addition, will present amateur winners with round trip tickets for two from the West Coast to Hawaii.
 
LAST YEAR
Canada's Peter Reid, who finished third at the Ironman Hawaii Championship, placed 14th overall at XTERRA and won his sixth Hawaiian Airlines "Double" Award in seven years (including the last four).  His combined time was 11:10:09 (8:20:04 in Kona and 2:50:05 in Maui).  Aussie star Kate Major won the women's double, and it was her first-ever XTERRA.  Like Reid, Major finished third at Ironman.  Her combined times equaled 12:51:01 (9:12:39 in Kona and 3:38:22 in Maui). Hawaiian Airlines awarded $2,500 cash to both.

In the amateur division Australian Ryland Garnett was the top male in 11:57:22 (8:55:20 + 3:02:02) and Amber Monforte was the top female in 14:37:57 (3:56:50 + 10:41:07).  Those two received airfare from Hawaiian.
 
Past Hawaiian Airlines Pro Double Winners
2005: Peter Reid (11:10:09), Kate Major (12:51:01)
2004: Peter Reid (11:27:59), Heather Fuhr (13:18:17)
2003: Peter Reid (11:03:50), Heather Fuhr (12:42:03)
2002: Peter Reid (11:18:23), Arianne Gutknecht (13:30:26)
2001: Cam Widoff (11:54:30), Wendy Ingraham (13:37:04)
2000: Peter Reid (11:05:07), Beth Zinkland (13:15:26)
1999: Olivier Bernhart (11:05:09), Uli Blank (13:09:57)
1998: Peter Reid (10:59:49), Wendy Ingraham (12:58:32)
 
THIS YEAR'S DOUBLERS (Tentative as of 10/18)     

PRO MEN
Chris Lieto, Danville, California
Eneko Llanos, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Hektor Llanos, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Taro Shirato, Tokyo, Japan

PRO WOMEN
Yukako Inoue, Japan
Sybille Matter, Bern, Switzerland
Yasuko Miyazaki, Setagaya-ku, Japan
Imke Schiersch, Nuernberg, Germany

AMATEUR MEN
Max Renko, Men 20-24, Klosterneuburg, Austria
Scott Thorne, Men 20-24, Hamilton East, New Zealand
Antonio Ferreira, Men 25-29, Magi das Cruzes, Brazil
Boineau Xavier, Men 25-29, France
Ryland Garnett, Men 30-34, Melbourne, Australia
Brian Grasky, Men 30-34, Tucson, AZ
Thomas Vonach, Men 30-34, Schwarzach, Austria
Joe Dixon, Men 35-39, Kelowna, Canada
Olivier Fontaine, Men 35-39, Villeuneuve Loubet, France
Paul Gibbons, Men 35-39, Alpharetta, GA
John Marshall, Men 35-39, Miami, FL
Andreas Redl, Men 35-39, Schiltern, Austria
Rolf Schwartz, Men 35-39, Sindelfingen, Germany
Brad Miller, Men 40-44, Columbia, MO
Daniel Weil, Men 40-44, Czech Republic
Reinhold Garnitschnig, Men 45-49, Klagenfurt, Austria
Bruce Moore, Men 45-49, Kihei, HI
Bruce Wilson, Men 45-49, Temecula, CA
Detlef Profasaka, Men 50-54, Schlier, Germany
Al Truscott, Men 55-59, Gig Harbor, WA
Dave Kerr, Men 60-64, Honolulu, HI
Woody Paylor, Men 60-64, Red Deer, Canada
Peter Wood, Men 60-64, La Jolla, CA
David Brown, Pro Men, Ampthill, Great Britain
Alexander Lang, Pro Men, Freiburg, Germany
Norbert Langbrandtner, Pro Men, Saalfelden, Austria

AMATEUR WOMEN
Jessica Stacey, Women 20-24, Tauranga, New Zealand
Janell Petalver, Women 30-34, Honolulu, HI
Claudia Frank, Women 35-39, Vauey, Germany
Barbara Alber, Women 40-44, Dettingen, Germany
Beate Kleindienst, Women 40-44, Dachau, Germany
Wendy Minor, Women 60+, Honolulu, HI
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GOING FOR 11 STRAIGHT: 

In the inaugural race of 1996 there were 123 competitors.  Of that group, a few dozen will be racing again this year, and the five guys listed below are the only competitors that can claim to have done (and finished) all 10 XTERRA's in Maui.  All but Davis are back on the start list for this year's race.
 
Steve Fisher, 45, Lahaina, Maui
Gerry Clark, 44, Lahaina, Maui
Steve Tarpinian, 44, Wantagh, New York
Paul Davis, 42, Haiku, Maui (now Vail, CO)
Joe Alueta, 37, Wailuku, Maui 
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COMPETITOR STATS:

The Nissan Xterra World Championship is truly a global affair that has reached athletes both young and old from all over the world.  Here's a look at the numbers.
 
Countries Represented: 22
Australia (11), Austria (10), Brazil (25), Canada (21), China (1), Costa Rica (3), Czech Republic (15), Denmark (1), France (13), Germany (21), Hong Kong (1), Italy (11), Japan (23), Mexico (8), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (30), Russia (2), South Africa (12), Spain (7), Switzerland (5), UK (14), USA (330).
 
States Represented: 36
Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin.
 
Territories Represented: 2
Guam, Saipan
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Most populated competitors base:  California (101), Hawaii (56), Colorado (37), New Zealand (30), Brazil (25), Nevada (24), Japan (23), Canada (21), Germany (21).
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By Age Group: 

Men 15-19: 9
Men 20-24: 15
Men 25-29: 33
Men 30-34: 53
Men 35-39: 81
Men 40-44: 70
Men 45-49: 43
Men 50-54: 20
Men 55-59: 16
Men 60-64: 10
Pro Men: 56

Total Men: 411
 
Women 15-19: 7
Women 20-24: 9
Women 25-29: 20
Women 30-34: 24
Women 35-39: 30
Women 40-44: 27
Women 45-49: 9
Women 50-54: 3
Women 55-59: 4
Women 60-64: 2
Pro Women: 27

Total Women: 164
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"Oldest" Man: Robert Alt, 70 
"Oldest" Woman: Wendy Minor, 61
Youngest Man: Hayato Katayama, 15  
Youngest Woman: Juliana Sampaio, 16
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SCRAMBLE ON: 

At 8:00 in the morning on Saturday, October 28, the tempestuous landscape of South Maui will beckon runners of all ages to test their lungs and dexterity in the XTERRA Makena Beach Scramble®. 

Competitors choose from two courses - a 5K fun run designed for anyone and everyone wanting to start the day off with a sweat, and a 10K for those who are looking for a true challenge.

This off-road 10K thriller takes participants on the famed Nissan Xterra World Championship run course that multisport pros will tackle the next day. 

Runners begin with an ascent up the south slope of Haleakala into the desert-like environment, the hot temperature enlightening racers on why it is called the "House of the Sun".  After a pass though Cactus Alley, competitors are treated to a run on the white sands of Makena Beach, famed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.  

The course continues through the "spooky" forest adorned with kiawe thorns and leads to a striking black sand beach but beware, the final leg is infamous for its grapefruit sized cobblestones and lava rocks that grab and twist unsuspecting ankles.

The top three competitors in each division are awarded medals plus great adventure prizes from Maui Magazine.  In addition, Hawaiian Airlines is awarding the fastest 10K female runner a Roundtrip Airfare from the West Coast back to Hawaii!  So "Wahine holo nui" which translates to "run fast young lady"!

The true beauty of the XTERRA Scramble trail run is the cause.  In conjunction with the XTERRA Foundation, proceeds benefit the Aloha United Way and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County.  

The Makena Beach Scramble® is the kick-off event for the Nissan Xterra World Championship weekend.  Further information including directions and registration info can be found on the web at www.xterraplanet.com
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