The Sport · Multisport
Cross Triathlon
Open water, mountain bikes and trail dust — triathlon taken off-road and into the wild.
Typical distances
1km
Open-water swim
20–30km
Mountain bike
6–10km
Trail run
Indicative only — every off-road course is shaped by its terrain.
What is cross triathlon?
Cross triathlon — or X-tri — is an off-road triathlon discipline that typically takes place over a 1 km swim, 20–30 km mountain bike and 6–10 km trail run. It first emerged in 1996 at a race in Maui, Hawaii, before evolving into the world-renowned XTERRA series.
Swapping tarmac for singletrack means no two courses are alike: terrain, altitude and technicality shape every race far more than in road triathlon.
Swim. Mountain bike. Trail run.
Cross triathlon takes racing off-road: an open-water swim into mountain biking and trail running over rugged, ever-changing terrain. Born at a 1996 race on Maui, the discipline earned its own World Championships in 2011 in Extremadura - and its champions have included Flora Duffy, Ruben Ruzafa and Arthur Serrieres.
Born on Maui
The first off-road triathlon world event was held on Maui in 1996 under the name “Aquaterra”, with 123 athletes on the start line — it soon became XTERRA, long regarded as the spiritual home of off-road triathlon.
The discipline's stars cross over with the very best in the sport: Bermuda's Flora Duffy, Olympic triathlon champion, is also a six-time XTERRA world champion and a World Triathlon cross triathlon world champion.
World titles since 2011
After four years of continental championships, the first Cross Triathlon World Championship was held in April 2011 in Extremadura, Spain. Since then the titles have travelled the world — Penticton 2017 (Francisco Serrano and Melanie McQuaid), Ibiza 2023 (Felix Forissier and Sandra Mairhofer), Townsville 2024 and Pontevedra 2025.
Abu Dhabi 2026 brings an off-road double-header: cross triathlon and cross duathlon.
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Where to watch
Stream World Triathlon championship racing live and on demand with TriathlonLIVE, and catch international television coverage produced with Infront across the world's biggest sports broadcasters.
Frequently asked questions
An off-road version of triathlon (also called X-tri): an open-water swim followed by a mountain bike leg and a trail run.
Typically a 1 km swim, 20–30 km mountain bike and 6–10 km trail run — adapted to each venue's terrain.
The discipline emerged from a 1996 off-road race in Maui, Hawaii that grew into the XTERRA series; World Triathlon's own Cross Triathlon World Championships have run since 2011.
April 2011, in Extremadura, Spain, after four years of continental championships.
Flora Duffy (Bermuda), Francisco Serrano (Mexico) and Melanie McQuaid (Canada) — Penticton 2017 winners — and Felix Forissier (France) and Sandra Mairhofer (Italy), champions in Ibiza 2023.
Cross triathlon and cross duathlon are both on the 2026 World Multisport Championships programme in Abu Dhabi, 13–22 November 2026.
Take it off-road
Find a cross triathlon near you and trade tarmac for trail.