An off-road Triathlon

The XTERRA Tremblant cross triathlon is back in full force in Mont-Tremblant with new courses and motivated partners.

On Sunday, September 8, in the Domaine Saint-Bernard, more than 180 “off-road” athletes will be at the starting line of the last stage of the XTERRA Québec series, with the goal of qualifying for the XTERRA World Championships in Maui…or just for the sheer fun of it!

As a solo competitor or as part of a team, participants choose from among three distances: standard triathlon, sprint triathlon, or duathlon.

The standard triathlon is 1.2 km in open water, 26 km of mountain biking, and 8 km of trail running. The sprint triathlon includes about half of these distances, while the duathlon combines a 2 km run with 26 km of mountain biking and an 8 km run.

The swim part of the event will take place in Lac Raynaud and the biking and running sections will use the magnificent packed-earth trails of the Domaine Saint-Bernard.

“We have a magnificent playground in our backyard and enthusiasm for mountain biking has been growing in recent years,” says Chantal Ruel, president of Tri-Action Mont-Tremblant. “A series like XTERRA, which is world renowned, will allow new customers to discover our trails,” she adds happily.

The courses

The courses designed by race director Patrick Lussier demand endurance, but are by no means impossible. “The mountain biking loops are not extremely technical… a beginner/intermediate level, I would say. They’re good for a triathlete who has some skill in mountain biking or for someone who loves mountain biking and wants to experience their first triathlon,” Patrick explains.

The fact that the course is in loops also allows spectators to follow the athlete easily and cheer them on several times.

In winding up triathlon season every start of September, XTERRA Tremblant does a good job of completing Mont-Tremblant’s calendar of sporting events. And our community will be pleased to know that this kind of event, whose scope remains more humble than that of the Ironman, does not block any roads or bike paths.

Ecological responsibility

With such beautiful natural surroundings, it goes without saying that event organizers wanted the most eco-responsible event possible…which is why the feeding stations produce minimum trash by using unpackaged snacks and reusable drink cups.

“We encourage participants’ independence in meeting their water needs and knowing the course. The course is extremely well marked, but in the forest, you can’t just go on auto-pilot,” notes Patrick Lussier, who is himself a great fan of forest trail running and adventure treks.

For those who still hesitate to register, you should know that the cross triathlon is not as difficult as it looks. On August 24, the Tri-Action Mont-Tremblant club organized a reconnaissance mountain bike outing to demystify the XTERRA Tremblant course.

Coach François Belle-Isle explained at the time how to prepare for a fall triathlon. He also managed to convince a few members of the Poules qui roulent women’s mountain biking club and some from the Salomon Tremblant running club to sign up for XTERRA Tremblant. Come run with them, or come out to support them!

Registration is open until midnight on September 7: xterratremblant.com

To volunteer, write to:  plussier@outeractive.ca

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