The XTERRA leading off-road triathlon series is evolving and expanding with a new look 60+ event XTERRA America Tour in 2009.
Enter the XTERRA Cup Series, replacing the four-race regional championship format with an eight-stop nationwide Cup Series. Each of XTERRA’s eight regions in the US will host an XTERRA Cup championship race with US$10,000 (€7,350) in prize money for pros and 34 qualifying spots into the XTERRA World Championship for amateurs. Age group competitors will also earn more points at the Cup Series races in their pursuit of winning their region and qualifying for the XTERRA USA Championship.
The new format will open up 136 qualifying spots into Maui and provide age-groupers from across the US with a championship level XTERRA race experience close to where they live.
Confirmed XTERRA Cup locations include:
XTERRA West Cup – Lake Las Vegas (Henderson, NV)
XTERRA Midwest Cup – Fort Custer (Augusta, MI)
XTERRA Southeast Cup – Pelham (Pelham, AL)
XTERRA Northwest Cup – Coeur d’Alene (Athol, ID)
XTERRA Northeast Cup – Sugarbush (Sugarbush, VT)
XTERRA Mountain Cup – Beaver Creek (Avon, CO)
The XTERRA Southwest and Atlantic Cup locations are still pending.
The XTERRA USA Championship race will have a US$20,000 (€14,700) race purse, and will also award US$60,000 (€44,000) to the top overall points leaders in the Series. Combined with the US$105,000 (€77,000) purse awarded at the XTERRA World Championship, there will be more than a quarter of a million dollars up for grabs in the US next year.
Overall, there will be more than 60 XTERRA off-road triathlons in 35 states, the US Territory of Guam and Commonwealth of Saipan in 2009, marking the 13th consecutive year of expansion for the sport.
