Posted: January 19, 2005

Triathlon: XTERRA 2005 Season Visits 31 States with 53 races

The Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series is presented by Paul Mitchell & XTERRA Gear

XTERRA granny-gears up for another season of off-road multisport racing in the U.S. The 2005 Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series schedule (attached) boasts 53 races in 31 states, plus events in Puerto Rico and Saipan. It marks the ninth consecutive year of expansion for the sport of XTERRA, and the fifth year of racing in the Nissan Xterra USA Championship Series.

Athletes can now register for championship events in Saipan, Temecula, Richmond, Milwaukee, Keystone, Nevada, and throw their hat in the ring for one of the elusive at-large spots into Maui. Registration fees for Milwaukee and Keystone are on sale for $99 until March 31, 2005.

The “crown jewel” of the XTERRA series, this far-off island in the middle of the Western Pacific Ocean offers a truly unique experience for adventure travelers and a one-of-a-kind way for racers to start their season. The swim takes place in warm turquoise waters, the mountain bike traverses coral roads and single-track trails to the highest point on the island (and back down), and the run travels through lush tropical jungle, secret caves used during WWII, and soft sand along the ocean. This is the 4th annual XTERRA Saipan Championship (April 9th) and some of the world’s best athletes, including defending champions Olivier Marceau and Jamie Whitmore, are set to take part in the fun.

Schedule At A Glance

Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about this year’s schedule is the addition of the Nissan Xterra Midwest Championship in Milwaukee. Reminiscent of the James River course in Richmond, the scene for late July will be the sparkling city of Milwaukee. Veterans Park will be the compound, transition, and finish site with the swim in Lake Michigan at McKinley beach about 300-meters away. The bike trail ventures down a long surrendered railway bed that literally bisects the city as it travels parallel to the Milwaukee River.

Other changes on the schedule include the Nissan Xterra West Championship venue change from Big Bear to Temecula, and date change from August to May. Temecula will be a brilliant venue for the outdoors enthusiast, offering an ideal camp-and-race setting in Southern California.

There is a treat in store for the Richmond race faithful as well with the event joining the July 4th weekend celebrations of the city.

In the Rockies, the annual Keystone event got a new title “Nissan Xterra Mountain Championship” and moved its date from mid-July to mid-August.

Look for more details on all the events, and a rundown of how the Series works in the weeks to come.

XTERRA On Television

The one-hour Nissan Xterra USA Championship show documenting the 2004 race continues its run in national syndication with airings in these cities on Saturday:

City - Date, Time, Station (Affiliation) 
Dayton, OH - Jan. 22, 1:00-2:00 pm, UPN17 (UPN)
Springfield, IL - Jan. 22, 2:30-3:30 pm, WRSP (FOX)
Little Rock, AR - Jan. 22, 4:00-5:00 pm, KLRT (FOX) 

The XTERRA website is at: XTERRAPlanet.com.

DATE Race Location Region
April 3 REAL Mountain Bike Triathlon Granite Bay, California SW
April 9 Big Blue Off-Road Triathlon Castaic, California SW
April 9 XTERRA Saipan Championship Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands SW
April 24 Puerto Rico Off-Road Triathlon Rincon, Puerto Rico SE
April 24 Arizona Xtreme Desert Triathlon Mesa, Arizona SW
May 14 Cane Creek Off-Road Triathlon Waxhaw, North Carolina SE
May 14 Gator Terra Off-Road Triathlon Ruston, Louisiana SC
May 14-15 Nissan Xterra West Championship Temecula, California SW
May 15 Odyssey Off-Road Triathlon Waynesboro, Virginia MA
May 21 Moab Steelbender Off-Road Triathlon Moab, Utah MT
May 22 King Of The Hill Off-Road Triathlon Lebanon, New Jersey MA
May 22 The Dirty Triathlon Canyon Lakes, Texas SC
May 22 Deuces Wild Fat Tire Triathlon Show Low, Arizona SW
June 5 Midwest Mudder Off-Road Triathlon Lawrence, Kansas SC
June 11 Rattlesnake Racing Off-Road Triathlon Quanah, Texas SC
June 12 Garnet Hill Off-Road Triathlon North River, New York NE
June 12 ACE Big Canyon Off-Road Triathlon Oak Hill, West Virginia MA
June 12 Iron Will XC Triathlon Jonesboro, Arkansas SC
June 18 Dauset Trails Off-Road Triathlon Jackson, Georgia SE
June 18 Buffalo Creek Off-Road Triathlon Buffalo Creek, Colorado MT
June 18 Solstice Triathlon La Grande, Oregon NW
June 25 Ogden Off-Road Triathlon Ogden, Utah MT
June 26 Torn Shirt Trail Triathlon Brighton, Michigan NC
July 2-3 Nissan Xterra East Championship Richmond, Virginia MA
July 10 Infiterra Sports Adventure Triathlon Shelby Township, Michigan NC
July 10 Lock 4 Off-Road Triathlon Challenge Gallatin, Tennessee SE
July 10 Vashon Island Off-Road Triathlon Vashon Island, Washington NW
July 16 Ironcreek Off-Road Triathlon Spearfish, South Dakota MT
July 17 Capitol City DIRT Triathlon Hartford, Connecticut NE
July 17 EMS Off-Road Triathlon Flintstone, Maryland MA
July 23 Dawg Dayz Off-Road Triathlon North Little Rock, Arkansas SC
July 23 Kincaid Hammerman Triathlon Anchorage, Alaska NW
July 23 Kirkwood Meadows Off-Road Triathlon Kirkwood, California SW
July 23-24 Nissan Xterra Midwest Championship Milwaukee, Wisconsin NC
July 24 First Coast Off-Road Triathlon Jacksonville, Florida SE
July 24 Moonlight Basin Off-Road Triathlon Big Sky, Montana MT
July 30 DINO Adventure Triathlon Logansport, Indiana NC
July 31 Crested Butte Bank Trails Triathlon Crested Butte, Colorado MT
Aug. 7 Grafton Lakes Off-Road Triathlon Grafton, New York NE
Aug. 7 Afton Ambush Off-Road Triathlon Hastings, Minnesota NC
Aug. 7 Ozark Off-Road Challenge Osage Beach, Missouri SC
Aug. 7 Snow Valley Off-Road Triathlon Running Springs, California SW
Aug. 13 Florida Off-Road Triathlon North Miami, Florida SE
Aug. 13-14 Nissan Xterra Mountain Championship Keystone, Colorado MT
Aug. 14 General Butler Off-Road Triathlon Carrollton, Kentucky NC
Aug. 14 Jamba Juice MountainMan Triathlon Kaaawa, Hawaii (Oahu) SW
Aug. 21 Farmington Valley Off-Road Triathlon Farmington, Connecticut NE
Aug. 21 Sisters High Cascade Off-Road Triathlon Sisters, Oregon NW
Aug. 27 Charlottesville Off-Road Triathlon Charlottesville, Virginia MA
Aug. 28 Schiff Scout Mountain Bike Triathlon Wading River, New York NE
Aug. 28 Lake Sonoma Off-Road Triathlon Geyserville, California SW
Sept. 4 Iron Range Off-Road Triathlon Biwabik, Minnesota NC
Oct. 1 XTERRA Nevada Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Oct. 1-2 Nissan Xterra USA Championship Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Oct. 22 Nissan Xterra World Championship Wailea, Hawaii (Maui)

Nissan Xterra Points Series Races (NXPS) / Nissan Xterra Championship Series Races (NXCS)

Schedule subject to change. No. 11, as of 1/17/05. Info: www.xterraplanet.com/race or call toll-free to 877-751-8880.