For athletes not satisfied with the basic swim, bike and run routine of triathlon, XTERRA off-road triathlons have been providing the thrills for nearly two decades.
The off-road excursions consist of roughly a 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) open water swim, a 30.4-kilometer (18.89- mile) mountain bike and a 9.5-kilometer (5.9-mile) trail run. Athletes encounter surf, treacherous trails, mud and steep climbs, which can sometimes make the course vary in length.
The races became so notorious for tough conditions that it inspired Nissan to name its sport utility vehicle, the Xterra, after the race (yes, the car was named after the race and not the other way around).
Last month at the XTERRA Freedom Fest on Oahu (1K swim, 20K mountain bike, 10K trail run), five Big Island athletes qualified for the XTERRA World Championship on Nov. 1 in Maui.
Janet Higa-Miller, Grant Miller, Wendy Minor, Bruce Wacker and William McMahon all won their age groups at the Oahu event to earn a spot at the 20th edition of the world championship race. They will be among a capacity field of 800 athletes from 28 countries and 42 states.
All the Big Island qualifiers are over 50 and have experience with traditional and off-road triathlon. The veteran group agrees — XTERRA is a different beast.
“You have to be one with the course,” Higa-Miller said. “You become so focused, time is almost irrelevant. You are living the experience.”
That is the beauty of the off-road race. While treacherous, it takes athletes who are daring enough through views and thrills most can only imagine.
But while the payoff is great, getting there is the problem.
“It’s not just mindlessly plodding along,” Grant Miller said. “There is definitely a different aspect to it than normal triathlon. You have to pay attention to everything in front of you. There is also a very fine line between going too hard and too easy and still being able to monitor yourself on the trail.”
The course can become even more precarious when Mother Nature becomes involved. This year at the Freedom Fest, the swim nearly doubled in length because of conditions. If it rains, the bike and run courses becomes muddy and even tougher.
However, a side effect of those conditions is that a strong camaraderie is built between the competitors who are all dealing with the same issues.
“It’s not pushing elbows and forcing your way in,” said Wacker. “It’s like a big family out on the course.”
Young at heart
Minor is the most seasoned of the Big Island athletes. She will be one of the first women to compete at the world championships in the newly created 70-74 female age group. Charlotte Mahan, of Tennessee, is currently the only other member of that age group registered to race at worlds, according to the XTERRA website.
“It’s just good fun,” said Minor, who took home her most recent of seven XTERRA age group world titles in 2013. “You are off the pavement, on mountain bikes, going over all kinds of terrain. There is nothing better. It keeps you young.”
Race against time
Higa-Miller will be racing against her ghost of 20 years ago. She raced at the inaugural event back in 1996 — when it was called AquaTerra — and wants to beat that time.
She was inspired to complete the feat by her husband, Grant Miller. He beat his two-decade old time at the IRONMAN World Championships in 2014.
“Grant threw the gauntlet down,” Higa-Miller said. “They are totally different courses now, but it is a form of motivation for me. I don’t know if it is even comparable, but it’s definitely more psychological than anything.”
Growing the group
While the Big Island may be home to the most recognizable triathlon in the world in IRONMAN, the off-road tri craze has yet to hit. A big part of that could be because of the lack of places to do it, especially mountain biking.
“The Big Island is way behind in promoting mountain biking,” Wacker said.
Group training rides usually range from six to ten people and it’s a real grassroots movement.
“There is a core group of mountain bikers that go out and we cut out own routes,” Higa-Miller said.
The primary places to mountain bike are Kaloko, Kalopa, Mana Road and Kulani Trails. None of those venues are very welcoming to beginners.
“The Big Island is a pretty tough place to start a lot of sports,” Miller said. “There are no introductory places to ride. Most of the trails we have here are intimating, technical trails.”
XTERRA currently holds nearly 100 off-road triathlon races in 16 countries and 30-plus states during the year.
Higa-Miller and Miller are the co-owners of Bike Works and host the small scale off-road race “Goatman” in Kona. The duo believe a large scale off-road triathlon could eventually call the Big Island home, but that dream is contingent on finding a venue.
“It has grown all over the world, so why not here,” Miller said. “If someone with a suitable venue was open to hosting an event, it would grow.”
