“The triathlon and multisport family is extensive and far reaching and ITU is delighted to form a partnership with XTERRA for our 2012 Cross Triathlon World Championships. We are confident the strong race organization and dynamic course will continue to push Cross Triathlon to a new level,” said Marisol Casado, ITU President & IOC Member. 

 

It is the first time the event will be held in the United States.  ITU hosted the inaugural Cross Tri World Championships last year in Extremadura, Spain, where four-time XTERRA World Champion Conrad Stoltz from South Africa and three-time XTERRA World Champion Melanie McQuaid from Canada won the elite titles.

 

The ITU Cross Tri World Championships will be held in conjunction with the seventh-annual XTERRA Southeast Championship race with local support from Shelby County, City of Pelham, City of Hoover, Oak Mountain State Park and the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers (BUMP).

 

“Oak Mountain State Park is amazing, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we love racing there,” said Stoltz, who has won the last five Southeast Championship races. “It’s a true XTERRA course with a nice warm water swim in a beautiful lake, a real mountain biker’s course with climbing, technical sections, and fun corners, and a tough but scenic run.”

 

The event will feature $20,000 USD in prize money for elite athletes, who will compete over a 1.5km swim, 30km mountain bike and 10km trail run.  Under-23, junior, age-group and paratriathlon races will also be contested in Pelham. 

 

“We are excited about bringing the ITU Cross Tri World Championships to the U.S.,” said XTERRA managing director Dave Nicholas, who served as the Team USA Manager at the ITU Championships in Spain last year.  

 

“By combining the XTERRA series with ITU we are reaching new heights in cooperation between directors and the federations, and the venue at Oak Mountain and Shelby County are perfect for this event."

 

Oak Mountain State Park was honored as one of America’s best trail destinations in the Spring 2011 edition of Runner’s World Magazine, where the twisting, rolling trails made the “Crown Jewels - 25 best trail runs in America” list. BUMP, the local trails advocacy group, has spent more than 100,000 hours in design and construction of new trails over the past 20 years.