The XTERRA England off-road triathlon, to be held in Surrey on 7-8 September 2013, is now taking registrations. XTERRA England is the last of eight majors on the XTERRA European Tour and offers up to 40 qualifying spots to age group competitors who are interesting in racing at the XTERRA Worlds in Maui on 27 October.
Working with the organisers of the Vachery Triathlon Festival, the XTERRA England event combines a 1.5K swim, 30K mountain bike and 10K trail run. The swim will be held in Vachery Pond, one of Surrey’s best kept secrets and the jewel in the crown for the Vachery Triathlon Festival, which takes place earlier in the year on 21 July 2013.
The lake itself is a 12th century private spring fed lake almost 900m long and covering over 50 acres.
The bike course – designed by XTERRA Pro and Surrey legend Sam Gardner (former winner of XTERRA Guam, Saipan, and the Philippine Championship races) features two loops through woodland single-track, country trails and fast open off-road paths within the Vachery Estate.
“Sam has designed a route that encourages racing; he was determined to make sure his course design wasn’t a test of a racer’s hard-core mountain bike technical riding skills or insanity, with huge jumps and scary drop-offs. After all, it is a triathlon,” said Race Organizer Mark Davis.
The run features two 5K loops on tracks, trails and paths including The Downs Link – a disused railway line forming part of the 37 miles (59K) long-distance path linking St Martha’s Hill, near Guildford, to near Shoreham on the south coast.
Building on the festival feel of the Vachery Triathlon, the XTERRA England organisers will also stage MTB endurance racing, swim races, free kids races, camping and a festival experience with music, food and more.
