Press and Media Center

XTERRA National Championship Moves to Utah

TEAM Unlimited, owners and producers of the XTERRA Off-Road Triathlon Series, and the Utah Sports Commission, the catalyst in unifying Utah’s sports community and strengthening its presence in the global sports marketplace, have entered into an agreement to host the prestigious XTERRA USA Championship event.

The race will be held at Snowbasin Resort, a world-class ski and recreation destination and venue of the 2002 Olympic men’s and women’s downhill, super G and combined races, and will include festivities in Ogden.

“Team Unlimited choice to host its USA National Championship race in Utah is great news!  We’re excited to have yet another major sporting event come to our state, providing a world-class sporting event for sporting enthusiasts and an economic boost to our state,” said Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman.

For the past three years Utah has hosted the XTERRA Mountain Championship, one of four key regional U.S. events in the 60-race XTERRA America Tour, and also played host to the inaugural XTERRA Winter World Championship held in March, 2008. 

“Expanding our partnership with TEAM Unlimited, from hosting our first XTERRA trail series event to a regional championship, and now to a national championship, continues to position Utah as a leader in Adventure/Action sports.  This event continues to highlight that sports are a key driver of economic impact and image building for the State of Utah”, said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission.

The XTERRA USA Championship race, which had been held in Incline Village, Nevada for the past eight seasons, annually attracts amateur and professional athletes from nearly every State in the Union and a dozen countries.  As the grand finale and last race in the XTERRA America Tour and with more than $100,000 in prize money for professionals, Utah can expect a significant increase in media exposure and economic impact by hosting the national championship.

“We are thrilled that Utah is the new home of XTERRA’s pinnacle event in the United States,” said Tom Kiely, CEO of TEAM Unlimited.  “Over the past several years, Utah has developed a tremendous reputation for both great racing and warm hospitality and this is a win-win for both the state and XTERRA.”

Utah's spectacular natural environment and the majestic Wasatch mountain range provides an epic setting and challenge for the biggest race of the season.   The event combines a 1-mile swim (Pineview Reservoir) with a 20-mile mountain bike ride that climbs more than 3,000 feet up to Snowbasin Resort and a 6-mile trail run.

“We could not be more excited to have the XTERRA National Championship moving to Ogden and being held at a world-class resort like Snowbasin.  Our community has embraced it fully because it showcases Ogden’s strengths as the capital for high adventure recreation so well.  We intend to show the best off-road triathletes in the country an incredible course, along with a great time,” said Ogden Mayor, Matthew Godfrey.

In addition to the championship race which is for qualified athletes only, XTERRA will also host an open XTERRA competition that individuals and teams can enter without qualifying, the XTERRA Collegiate Nationals race, half-marathon “Xduro” trail run, kids races, Breeder’s Choice XTERRA K9 Challenge competition, free clinics taught by pro athletes, awards dinners, concerts, food festival, and more.

The XTERRA USA Championship race will be filmed and edited into a one-hour special that will be seen across the country via national syndication starting in November of 2009.   In addition, Utah’s myriad outdoor recreational pursuits will be featured exclusively in two half-hour XTERRA Adventure shows airing in syndication May through October of each year.  Combined, this three show television package will be seen by more than six million viewers nationwide.

The XTERRA USA Championship weekend is tentatively scheduled for September 25-26, 2009, and will be held in conjunction with the incredibly popular Mountain 2 Metro games in Ogden.

ABOUT UTAH SPORTS COMMISSION

The Utah Sports Commission is a not-for-profit, 501c3 charitable organization created to foster national and international amateur sports competitions to be held in the state of Utah, which will enhance the quality of life of all Utah citizens and strengthen Utah's presence in the worldwide sports community.