TEAM Unlimited, the Hawaii-based owners of the XTERRA brand and worldwide series of off-road triathlon and trail running races, has taken ownership of the XTERRA England Championship event.
The XTERRA England event (which got back in business in March, following the cessation in trading of former local organiser Brave Events) will be held on 24 August 2014 at Vachary Estate in the Surrey Hills near Cranleigh.
Having previously formed a partnership with Limelight Sports in the UK to run XTERRA England, the event organisation has now been brought in-house, and this marks the first-time TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA has taken on production of an XTERRA European Tour Championship race.
President of TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA, Janet Clark clarified the situation on the XTERRA England event…
“We greatly appreciated Limelight stepping in with the best intentions to perpetuate XTERRA England in light of Brave Events’ bankruptcy and impending cancellation of the event,” Clark said. “Unfortunately, Limelight felt it could not move forward with the event as planned.”
She continued, “With hundreds of competitors committed to participate in XTERRA England, and supported by a robust network of XTERRA events in Europe, we have elected to take on the operation of the event for the benefit of these fine athletes and the good of the sport. We look forward to hosting a fabulous gathering of the XTERRA Tribe at Vachery Estate on 24 August.”
All entries for the full or sprint distance off-road triathlons taken by previous local organisers Brave Events or Limelight will be honoured by TEAM Unlimited/XTERRA. New registrations for individuals and relay teams are also available at www.xterraengland.com.
“We’re excited to establish our own production in Europe where the sport is growing by leaps and bounds,” added XTERRA Managing Director Dave Nicholas. “We feel England can become one of the premier destinations for XTERRA. By organizing this event we’re putting the England race in a position to make that dream come true.”
The XTERRA England Championship is the tenth of 11 events on the European Tour, which awards points and prize money to professionals as well as points and qualifying spots into the XTERRA World Championship for amateurs.
The main event consists of a 1.5K swim, 30K bike ride, and 10K trail run. There is also a shorter distance Sprint race on offer (750m swim / 15K bike / 5K trail run) and both races can be contested as part of a relay team.
The race will be held just one week after the XTERRA Germany Championship race, which is doubling as the ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships, enticing international elites and amateurs to extend their stay and race in both events.
In addition, the XTERRA Denmark Championship will be held a week later in Tisvilde, offering another appealing two-race vacation travel opportunity.
The location for the event is noteworthy – secreted away in the beautiful ancient wooded countryside of the Surrey Hills at a private family home steeped in history.
“It’s a great course in the south of England just about an hour from Heathrow airport and 30 minutes from Gatwick,” explained Dave Nicholas. “In the heart of Surrey and West Sussex this area is a postcard of England. Great pubs and B&Bs everywhere, country estates, small villages and even golf courses. Be prepared for typical British weather… Not cold but not warm, a bit of rain here and there and the friendliest folks you will find anywhere. It’s an absolute classic British experience and one to be planned for.”
