With the test event happening last weekend I figured this is as good a time as any to start this. Did anyone race? Notes from the course? Who is going/hoping to go? Hoping the community hasn’t been hit too hard by the recent flooding.
I managed to grab a spot a few weeks ago; I’ve got this event penciled in as my A race for next year.
How many Xterra races are in North America?
Not all that many. The Xterra site has 19 triathlons listed with the “Americas” filter on (handful of those are in South America and one is in PR).
I grew up in Ruidoso and trained for other XTERRA events on these trails, so it was really fun to watch this come to reality. I didn’t race the event sadly, but hope to qualify for worlds next year so I can. It looks like the test event went really well (or at least the marketing was on point).
Course insights:
The water level in the lake was on the low side. I believe this is because some infrastructure that pulled water into the lake was damaged from the fire/flooding. It sounds like the community is hoping to remedy this and the water level will (fingers crossed) be better next year.
I saw some pictures from the bike course. The local trail group did a lot of work re-vitalizing that trail system and it looked like it was in great shape in the event video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzvaYL4xa_Y
The course maps are online (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/xterra-ruidoso-bike-739cf54) and (https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/xterra-ruidoso-run-21ce689?) but unsure if the course will change or not when they run worlds.
The bike runs counter clockwise around the lake and then climbs a jeep/double track climb up to the mesa. It’s not the most fun way to get up the mountain but serves to thin out the field. Once you’re on the mesa, its twisty turny with a rock garden or two to navigate. Not scary technical, but enough to give an advantage to racers who have good mtb skills. The down can be fast but will benefit riders who can generate speed due to some hairpin turns, rocky sections, and areas where you need to pedal.
The run is mostly singletrack with rocky sections until you break out onto community roads back into town to finish. Lots of ups and down – definitely not easy.
Brandon Rakita had a good recap on his Insta: https://www.instagram.com/btrakita/
Flooding concerns:
The flash flooding will likely continue to be an issue for a couple more years, but is mostly isolated to summer months when monsoon moisture comes in the form of afternoon storms that dump heavy rain. The village is struggling to manage this challenge. It might affect some lodging options and getting around town, but the race venue is largely not impacted because its removed from the burn scars. With Worlds occurring in October, the monsoon moisture is largely finished and flooding will likely be less of a concern.
Vibes:
The vibes looked high with lots of bands and community events going on. Definitely missed being at home.
Weather:
October is ideal temps for Ruidoso. Trees will be changing colors and Fall will be in full force. Expect chilly morning/evenings and cool water temps. I’d guess the high temps will be in the mid 60s to mid 70s, so perfect for riding and running. Still a change for moisture, unlikely to get snow that early but late season rain and or winds could ruin a perfect fall day.