The XTERRA triathlon offers a much-needed break for troubled Ruidoso

The besieged village of Ruidoso has seen more than its share of trial and tribulation over the past year with a devastating fire and two summers of horrific floods, but despite all of that the much-anticipated XTERRA off-road triathlon is still a “go” for this weekend.

“Once the fires came, we did not want to really push the issue out of respect for the community and what they’ve been through,” said Steve Andrus, XTERRA Americas tour director. “After the fires, we were talking with the mayor and the village representatives and (Ruidoso tourism director) Eddie Ryan, and they told us they would still love to have this happen. It showed some light at the end of the tunnel, at the end of fire. They have so much resilience, so if they wanted us, we were coming.”

The weekend of events starts with Saturday’s full triathlon, with 58 qualifying slots to the 2025 XTERRA World Championship in Trentino, Italy, or the 2026 XTERRA World Championship in Ruidoso, up for grabs, as well as a $15,000 prize purse for the Elite division.

The Sprint Distance Triathlon serves as a Youth World Championship Qualifier for athletes in the Youth A (14-15), Youth B (16-17) and Junior (18-19) categories.

Sunday will feature a 10K Trail Run and a 1K Kids Sprint.

The event has surged past its originally estimated entry total of about 350, with more than 500 competitors already signed up, according to Andrus.

The course includes a 1.5K swim in the (aptly-named) Grindstone Lake, a rugged and technical 27K mountain bike segment that climbs to nearly 7,800 feet and finishes with a 10K trail run that covers tough terrain but glides down to a finish in the village’s Wingfield Park.

It is the type of event that absolutely captures the spirit of Ruidoso, said Mayor Lynn Crawford.

“This event is about rugged individualism, people pushing beyond boundaries and we can so very much appreciate that,” he said. “This is very important to us. We’ve had other groups cancel, but we’ve (also) had other groups here and everything has gone great.”

Recent clear skies have allowed the village to complete a significant amount of work on the upper canyon, which is a welcome change, Crawford said.

“When you get rain every day, and get alerts on your phone and radio, it starts messing with your attitude and psyche,” he said. “PTSD is a real thing and I see it every day. When it clouds up, people look different. It’s wearing them down.”

For competitors, attacking the course this weekend is a pretty big deal, especially since it’s the first time XTERRA has been to New Mexico.

Additionally, this is just a prelude to a three-year run of World Championships that will call Ruidoso home (2026-28).

Albuquerque resident James McIlroy has been participating in XTERRA events for 20 years and said the joy is not necessarily in the completed time, but in just crossing the tape.

“There is the element of competition, but I’m always happy to finish,” he said. “I’ve not had a DNF (did not finish). I had an injury once where I broke my ankle at the end of bike course, in Showlow, Arizona. I ended up limping over five miles.”

So to McIlroy, it’s all about doing something deeply personal that makes him feel good.

“I’m happy every time when I’m not the last person,” he said. “I’m an outdoor person, but trying to describe the attitude about it, well it feels like a community. It’s a wonderful time. The goal of it is good. An awesome thing to do. If one has never done an open water swim, it’s nothing like a pool swim. It’s terrifying. In a wetsuit in a mountain lake, it’s a beautiful environment. It’s otherworldly. ... It’s a crazy fun event. You start doing one thing then you transition. And now you’re doing something so strangely different.”