Previewing the XTERRA Mountain Championship

Of all the places in the world XTERRA travels few dish out a challenge against Mother Nature as tough as the XTERRA Mountain Championship at Beaver Creek Resort in the town of Avon, Colorado.

Consider this, in a state that is home to the U.S. Olympic Complex – the flagship training center for the U.S. Olympic Committee – and 15 other member organizations, as well as two international sports federations and a wealth of the country’s greatest endurance athletes and events…XTERRA stands out.

“Of the plethora of endurance events on this state’s summer sports calendar, perhaps none screams “Colorado” as much as the XTERRA Mountain Championship triathlon,” wrote Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post after last year’s race.  “You know, just a quick dip in a mountain lake, a mountain bike ride up a ski hill – with 3,600 feet of climbing – and nearly six miles of running on dirt trails through aspen and pine trees.”

The challenge attracts a rare breed of athlete, one unafraid to push the limits of their physical capabilities in the most primal of settings.  They also seem to have a unique quality of character – humble, helpful, persistent, dedicated – all those traits that exemplify the XTERRA spirit of “Live More”.

TRACK THE PROS LIVE : Saturday July 14 @ 9 am MST
XTERRA is equipping the pros with a GPS tracking device that will allow followers to see their every movement and watch the race unfold live.

The “myathletelive.com” device reports location, speed, distance, and elevation. Fans can use any web enabled cell phone or handheld device such as an iPhone or Droid. Home viewers can do the same from their computer.   Just go to www.xterralive.com and follow the various links.

Note that the pros can’t swim with the device, but the race clock will start right at 9am MST (8am PST, 11am EST).  Viewers can expect the “shadows” – nickname for the GPS device – to start to move around 9:20am or so.   Also note that the course profile was created prior to construction changes that re-routed a few areas so it might look like they’re going off-course, but they’re not.

Use the drop down category menu to see just the group you want to see.  By selecting a category such as F-Pro it will show all the female pros in the race based on the data the devices are getting.

UPDATED PRO START LIST FOR THE XTERRA MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIPS TOMORROW

Pro Men : Rank – Name – Age, Hometown
1 – Conrad Stoltz – 38, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2 – Josiah Middaugh – 33, Vail, Colorado
3 – Craig Evans – 34, Hendersonville, Tennessee
4 – Branden Rakita – 31, Manitou Springs, Colorado
5 – David Henestrosa – 35, Clearfield, Utah (Spain)
7 – Will Kelsay – 30, Boulder, Colorado
8 – Cody Waite – 33, Lakewood, Colorado
10 – Adam Wirth – 33, Boise, Idaho
14 – Damian Gonzalez – 35, Stockton, California
16 – Bradley Weiss – 23, Cape Town, South Africa
22 – Gered Dunne – 31, White River Junction, Vermont
29 – Patrick Valentine – 26, Colorado Springs, Colorado
NR - Ben Hoffman – 29, Boulder, Colorado
NR - Ryan Ignatz – 33, Boulder, Colorado
NR - Travis Macy – 29, Evergreen, Colorado
NR – Brian Smith – 37, Gunnison, Colorado
NR – John Klish – 30, Eagle, Colorado

Pro Women : Rank – Name – Age, Hometown
2 – Melanie McQuaid – 38, Victoria, B.C., Canada
3 – Renata Bucher – 34, Lucerne, Switzerland
4 – Danelle Kabush – 36, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
5 – Suzie Snyder – 29, Fredericksburg, Virginia
6 – Shonny Vanlandingham – 43, Durango, Colorado
8 – Heather Holmes – 31, Pocatello, Idaho
9 – Sara Tarkington – 31, Boulder, Colorado
10 – Tamara Donelson – 36, Edwards, Colorado
12 – Caroline Colonna – 46, Taos, New Mexico
22 – Kim Baugh – 32, Colorado Springs, Colorado
NR – Rebecca Dussault – 31, Crested Butte, Colorado