In just a little more than two months, America’s best off-road triathletes and trail runners will unite in Utah for the XTERRA USA Championship races. It’s the seventh straight year Ogden, Utah, will play host to the big event, and the 12th year of racing overall in the Wasatch range.
Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell was the founder of the first XTERRA race in Ogden back in 2004, and still one of its biggest supporters. “XTERRA is a unique event for our community that has grown and progressed over the past decade into a truly world-class event. It is a huge part of our community’s DNA,” said Caldwell before last year’s race.
He added, “These athletes and race organizers have become part of our family providing an opportunity for us to form lasting friendships with people from all over the world. Not only do I enjoy the homecoming feel the event brings, it also has great economic impact for Ogden. Our hotels sell-out and our restaurants fill up.
“I love XTERRA. It is the perfect fit for Ogden, and I look forward to this weekend every year knowing this year will be the best yet.”
As the last of five races in the XTERRA US Pro Series elites race for US$80,000 in prize money while dozens of cameramen position themselves around Wheeler Canyon and the Wasatch Range to capture all the action for a nationally syndicated one-hour TV show.
For amateurs it’s the last of more than 100 races in the XTERRA America Tour of triathlons and trail runs and more than one-thousand XTERRA racers from nearly every state in the US travel to Utah in pursuit of their dreams to race for an XTERRA National Championship.
The Off-Road Triathlon Nationals race is Saturday 19 September, along with full and half-distance XTERRA Utah races open to everyone. The XTERRA Trail Run Nationals half-marathon is Sunday 20 September, accompanied by 5K and 10K trail runs.
In addition to the races, XTERRA will host an expo in downtown Ogden on Friday with free kids races, vendor booths, a Paul Mitchell hair cut-a-thon for charity, and evening dinner parties.
Then on Saturday from 08:00 to 22:00 the streets shut down for a community wide block party as Ogden hosts its 14th annual Harvest Moon Celebration with a wealth of family-friendly activities including live music, a farmer’s market, kid’s activities, arm wrestling, pumpkin decorating, downtown crit races, and fare from Historic 25th Street’s restaurants.
