Triathlon

www.xterracanada.ca

After two years in Whistler the XTERRA Canada Championship is headed to the Canmore Nordic Center, located about 60 miles west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, on Sept.  1-2.

“After presenting the Championship event in Whistler for the last two years, I am thrilled to be able to bring the National Championships into my own back yard,” said XTERRA Canada Race Director Tony Smith who is a Canmore resident, veteran triathlete and highly experienced local race director.

The Nordic Center was developed for the 1988 Olympic Games when it hosted biathlon and cross-country skiing events, and remains a world-class destination in the summer and winter.  Situated at the foot of Mount Rundle in the Canadian Rockies at an elevation of 4,600ft, the site hosts more than 100-kilometers of single and double track trails ideally suited for mountain biking and trail running.

On Saturday, September 1 there is a free kids 500m run and 5km, 10km and 20km trail running races.  On Sunday, in addition to the championship race, organizers are hosting another kids race, a half-distance sport race, as well as short and longer-course duathlon’s .  There are also relay team options, making it uber-friendly for first-timers to get involved.

The Championship race offers $10,000 in pro prize money and 40 qualifying spots into the XTERRA World Championship in Maui to the top finishers.  The race starts with a 3 loop - 1500m swim in spectacular Quarry Lake, followed with a 22km mountain bike and 10km trail run.

Learn more and register at www.xterracanada.ca