Norseman Xtreme launches “horrible” gravel sister race
The Xtri World Tour has plans to introduce a brutal gravel triathlon in Scotland in 2025
The Xtri World Tour is known for races that take the already challenging sport of triathlon and make it significantly harder. Some of Xtri’s races include the Norseman Xtreme triathlon—a “scenic but gruelling” iron-distance race in Norway—and the Canadaman—Canada’s “ultimate long-distance triathlon” in Quebec. In 2025, the Xtri World Tour is adding a new race to the calendar: The Restless, an extreme gravel triathlon through the Scottish highlands. The race’s inaugural running is set for Aug. 23, 2025.
“It’s going to be horrible”
There is already one Xtri event in Scotland—the Celtman, a race in which athletes must “endure cold water, strong winds, driving rain, and difficult conditions.” The Celtman will celebrate its 13th year of action in 2025, and after so much success with this race, Xtri organizers decided to add another to the mix.
The Restless course will be much shorter than the Celtman’s 3.4-kilometre swim, 200-kilometre bike, and 42-kilometre run, but it is sure to be intense and demanding all the same. Athletes will start on the shores of an ancient castle with a 1.8-kilometre swim in a “deep and dark loch.” This will likely be the easiest part of the day for everyone involved (although water temperatures could dip as low as 10 C, so “easy” might not be the best way to describe it), because it’s the bike leg of the race that earns The Restless its “extreme” labelling.
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The bike is 50 kilometres, and it takes competitors through the Arrochar Alps. The scenery will be remarkable, but racers might be too focused (or in too much pain) to truly appreciate it. The ride features close to 2,000m of climbing, as well as the Glen Gruel, a five-kilometre stretch of “pure hell.” While most of the ride will be follow gravel roads, the Glen Gruel takes athletes off road and is very technical.
After the brutal bike leg, all that’s left is a 25-kilometre trail run. Athletes will climb 1,200m over the course of the run, headed for the finish line atop Ben Donnich, an 870m peak in the Arrochar Alps. As organizers say on the race website, “It’s going to be horrible.” That, of course, is what anyone is looking for in an Xtri event—a race that is “horrible” while you’re in it, but wildly rewarding once you’ve made it to the end.
To learn more about The Restless, click here.