The joining of forces between the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA to produce the 2012 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships in Pelham, Alabama, on 19 May 2012, has been hailed a success.
“ITU was thrilled to team up with TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA for the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships in Shelby County, Alabama,” said Leslie Buchanan, the onsite ITU Team Leader. “The race organization was very professional and the venue at Oak Mountain State Park was spectacular.”
Four hundred triathletes from 20 countries and 38 US States took to the trails for a day of competition that started at 07:30 with the juniors and finished a little past 18:00 when Conrad ‘the Caveman’ Stoltz took the tape to win his second straight ITU Cross World title.
“We had a great field of athletes and a fantastic week of racing,” said Dave Nicholas, the Managing Director of the XTERRA World Tour. “Everyone who came was thrilled with the venue, the trails, the lake and forests, and the good old southern hospitality. We are thrilled to have been able to work with the ITU to bring the Cross Tri World Championships to America and push the sport of off-road/cross triathlon/XTERRA to greater heights.”
All agreed that the people and the venue were world-class, and provided the ultimate arena for age group and professional athletes alike to perform their best.
“The people of Shelby County were very welcoming and we would very much like to come back to Alabama in the future,” added ITU’s Buchanan. “The day of racing was extremely exciting as the world’s best cross triathletes gave us incredible performances. The age group athletes did very well on a very demanding course.”
