maui 2009 press guide - Xterra

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Maui’s XTERRA course is legendary, and conditions change radically from year-to-year, diminishing the advantage to
repeat competitors and perpetuating the course's stature as the most intimidating in the series. Hawaii’s natural
obstacles are unlike anywhere else on earth and for the 500+ athletes racing in Maui – the XTERRA World
Championship is a truly unique experience. The victor will traverse this rugged terrain in roughly two and half hours
(although Conrad Stoltz broke the record by almost two minutes when he crossed in 2:22:55 in 2002), with the lead
woman 30-minutes behind. Age groupers must reach the bike/run transition by 1:00pm (race starts at 9am), or their
quest for the finish will be cut short. NOTE: Course records mean little as the route has changed through the years.
SWIM
Distance: 1.5-kilometers (0.93 miles)
Location: Maluaka Beach right in front of the host hotel
Access: Open to the public
The rough water swim is two laps of a 750-meter triangular course, with a 50-yard beach
shuffle between laps to get the blood pumping in a totally different direction. The first
male & female age groupers out of the water win an XTERRA Velocity++ Speedsuit!
SWIM RECORD:
Gender Name Time Year
Male Glenn Wachtel (HI) 18:10 2000
Female Raeleigh Tennant (AUS) 18:31 2000
Swim to Bike (T1), and Bike to Run (T2) Transition
Location: Located at the lobby level of the Makena Beach & Golf Resort in a big grassy area
Access: The swim/bike transition area is for competitors only, however, spectators may view the change-over
from any position around the boundary.
MOUNTAIN BIKE
Distance:
Location:
Access:
10
32 Kilometers (20 miles)
The slopes of the mighty Haleakala Volcano
Closed to the public
Competitors are not permitted to pre-ride the XTERRA World
Championship course. For newcomers, it is read and react.
For veterans, the experience might allow them to remember
portions but more often than not it instills a solid feeling of
respect for the Old Lady of XTERRA.
Every year competitors say, “XYZ course is tougher than
Maui”. Every year around noon on Championship Sunday,
the look – the eyes pointing down and the head shaking side
to side – tells you that there is nothing like Haleakala.
Climbing from sea level to 1,200 feet then down and back up to 1,400 feet with a final portion called “the plunge” of 8-
kilometers back to sea level, this track has everything. Full of rock strewn paths, gnarly golf ball sized gravel, short
steep and long go forever climbs, hard packed lava, and sometimes, depending on conditions, deep, dusty silt.
Over 3,000 total feet of climbing.