Watch the 2026 XTERRA World Championship Race Replay
Alizée Patiès and Sullivan Middaugh earn their first Full Distance world titles as XTERRA’s 30th World Championship brings athletes, families and friends to New Mexico, continuing a journey that began in Maui in 1996.
France’s Alizée Patiès and the United States’ Sullivan Middaugh won the Full Distance XTERRA World Championship in Ruidoso, New Mexico, on Saturday, October 10. Age group champions also earned their world titles, with athletes and families from 41 countries gathering in the new host village.
After Maui and Molveno, Italy, Ruidoso became the third home of XTERRA Worlds. The elevation and pine-covered terrain offered a new challenge, while finish-line conversations returned to the welcome, the wildlife and the space to explore.
At Grindstone Lake, the water temperature was 64.6°F (18.1°C), while the air temperature was 53.2°F (11.8°C) an hour before the start. At Wingfield Park, morning temperatures were around 59°F (15°C), with a high near 70°F (21°C).
The course began with a 1.5K swim before climbing into rocky singletrack on a single 27K mountain-bike lap. Riders crossed the high terrain around Grindstone Mesa before descending toward the village. The final 10K run took athletes through village streets and forest trails, returning through Wingfield Park between the two laps and into the finish.
View complete results on the event page
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Middaugh Wins with Family on the Course
Middaugh won in 2:06:50, finishing five minutes and 56 seconds ahead of Spain’s Nacho Gálvez. Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen took third.
Gálvez led out of Grindstone Lake in 18:21, followed closely by Sullivan and Porter Middaugh. Sullivan felt comfortable in the water and wanted to reach the singletrack first, knowing Sloth Nielsen would be chasing from behind.
Both leaders described falls early on the bike. Gálvez crashed on the first corner, while Middaugh fell on the third and lost his bike computer.
“I think it was maybe a blessing in disguise not to have power data,” Middaugh said. “I just rode how I was feeling and rode as hard as I could the whole time.”
His 1:07:18 bike split was the fastest in the elite men’s field. He carried his advantage into the run and added another leading split of 39:00.
“I knew that at altitude I could run uphill just as fast as anyone else,” he said. “So I pushed every climb, let it roll on every descent, and just gave it everything I could.”
Gálvez kept chasing after his fall and held second through the run. “But I never lost faith,” he said. “On the run, I gave everything I had, and I was able to finish second. I’m super happy.”
Sloth Nielsen worked forward from thirteenth at bike start to complete the podium, crediting the preparation of the two athletes ahead of him. “Sullivan and Nacho must have just prepared better,” he said. “They’ve been at altitude for longer.”
Arthur Serrières finished fourth, followed by Maxim Chané. Josiah Middaugh placed sixth and Porter seventh, putting all three Middaughs inside the top ten.
“Just a proud day,” Josiah said. “Really happy for Sullivan. Start to finish, he just put it together.”
Porter finished after a heavy bike crash and described racing alongside his father as both inspiring and helpful in getting him through the course.
XTERRA had been part of childhood for the Middaugh brothers before it became a championship ambition.
“It means everything. It’s how we grew up, watching our dad and going to races with him,” Sullivan said.
He also remembered Arthur Serrières encouraging him after his first Worlds in Maui in 2021. “I remember Arthur telling me at the dinner afterwards to stick with it,” he said. “At that point, he was already a world champion, so that meant a lot.
Patiès Takes Her First Title
Patiès finished in 2:36:19, six minutes and 14 seconds ahead of Italy’s Marta Menditto, with Australia’s Maeve Kennedy completing the podium.
Costa Rica’s Raquel Solis led the women out of the water, with France’s Emma Ducreux recording the same swim time of 20:38. Ducreux moved ahead through transition, while Patiès began the bike in third.
“The swim was quite difficult for me,” Patiès said. “I struggled to start the way I normally do, so I preferred to let the lead group go ahead and settle into my own pace. I knew the race wasn’t going to be decided in the swim.”
Patiès reached the opening bike checkpoint in front and continued to extend her advantage. Her bike split of 1:20:45 was the fastest in the elite women’s field, giving her room to manage a difficult run.
“The run was really hard, especially the second lap, because I was hurting everywhere,” she said. “I think I had pushed really hard on the bike. I really gave everything. I never gave up.”
Behind her, Menditto began the run in third and passed Ducreux on the second lap. Her 50:42 was the fastest elite women’s run split. Kennedy also moved past Ducreux later on that lap to secure third.
Menditto had spent several weeks training in New Mexico and found a run course she enjoyed despite its difficulty. “It’s fun. It’s hard, but it’s technical too, so you can enjoy it,” she said.
Kennedy, who lives in Wānaka, New Zealand, described a long journey and a race in which she struggled to find the power and running legs she expected.
“It takes a family and it takes a community to get someone to achieve their goals like this,” she said, thanking her husband, family, training friends and the people at home who kept checking in.
“It’s a lifelong dream. It’s a little difficult to take it all in right now,” Patiès said. “I held on and kept believing. Now I’ve done it, so I’m super happy.”
Age Group Titles and Journeys
France’s Simon Gourgues and Inès de Sousa recorded the fastest men’s and women’s age-group times, respectively. Both led their 20–24 divisions. Brazil’s Maria Paula Mesquita Rodarte won women’s 30–34, with her family following from home in Minas Gerais. She hoped to return to Ruidoso with them, but her reason for racing went beyond the title. “XTERRA changed my life,” she said. “Because I love to train. I train every day, and this is good for my whole life.”
Sharon McDowell-Larsen of Grand Junction, Colorado, won women’s 65–69, while Caroline Colonna of Taos, New Mexico, won 60–64 after qualifying in Portland and beginning her preparation in August. McDowell-Larsen’s first visit to Ruidoso surprised her with its high mountains, pine forests and lakes. Asked what XTERRA meant to her, she spoke about the atmosphere that keeps her coming back: “It means a very close-knit community. It’s just a little bit chill and relaxed. It’s so much less stress.”
In women’s 40–44, Wānaka’s Arna Craig finished second after New Caledonia’s Caroline Favier passed her on the second run lap. Craig was delighted with her race and grateful to the people who made the trip possible. “My family believed in me. They gave me the chance to come,” she said. “I couldn’t have done it without the support at home.” Each race had given her another reason to return: “The XTERRA family just keeps growing and growing, and it keeps drawing me in more and more. I mean, there’s no better place.”
Tahiti’s Thomas Lubin placed second in men’s 35–39, balancing training with family life and his work as a sports physiotherapist. “For me, it’s about being in nature and experiencing beautiful, natural places around the world,” he said. “Traveling like this is an unbelievable experience.” Namibia’s Mark Spath, ninth in men’s 45–49, had come back after a difficult Worlds experience in 2025 and loved what he found in Ruidoso. “The people are incredible here. Super friendly. I’ll give it 15 out of 10,” he said. His explanation of XTERRA was just as enthusiastic: “It’s all-out adventure, having fun, being in the outdoors.”
Fred Smith of Knoxville, Tennessee, finished third in men’s 50–54 in his first race since a back injury following the 2012 Cross Triathlon World Championships. He had returned “to prove I could still do it,” but the appeal was also personal. “It’s the family, the community, the passion that this place brings. It’s unmatched,” he said. Casey Fannin of Hoover, Alabama, placed fourth in men’s 65–69 and described the pleasure of simply taking part. “It was just beautiful. I just rejoiced being here,” he said. “Instead of competing, I was participating. And that was awesome.”
Steve Wade offered a reminder that belonged alongside the titles and finishing times: “That’s why I like it. You can’t take it too seriously, or you miss the fun.”
The Welcome in Ruidoso
The global gathering began well before race morning. Community rides, runs, swims and hikes introduced visitors to the trails and to the people who live here. Ceremonies, music and time in the village gave athletes and families opportunities to experience this part of New Mexico together.
Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford saw the impact across the village. “It’s a big event. They’ve taken over the whole community, and we were ready to welcome them.”
For Eddie Ryan, Ruidoso’s Manager of Events and Strategic Partnerships, the connection with outdoor sport was already part of the village’s identity. “Outdoor recreation has always been a big part of who we are.”
Hannah-Lee Young, who finished sixth in the elite women’s race, found something familiar in the village. “I walk down the street now and everyone says hello,” she said. “It has that beautiful small-town feel that I grew up with, so it reminds me a lot of home.”
Mescalero Apache Tribal member Sonny Kadayso spoke about traditions passed through families and grandmothers.
“We’re all here to come together, to celebrate and to share our traditions and culture so you can get to know who we are,” Kadayso said. “That is why we’re here today to sing some more of our songs and offer a blessing to all of you.”
Thirty Editions, with More Stories to Come
The 30-Year Living Archive brings together the memories behind XTERRA Worlds, from the people who were there in Maui to those finding their place in Ruidoso.
J-D Cousens, XTERRA’s Vice President of Operations and Global Marketing, thanked athletes for the work and circumstances behind their arrival.
“I know it isn’t easy getting here,” he said. “The road involves the travel, the training and the sacrifices along the way.”
The afternoon’s finish-line celebrations continue into an evening of awards, dinner and performances, with the Full Distance awards gathering at the Ruidoso Convention Center.
More Fiercely Human stories will follow on XTERRAPlanet.com, celebrating the people brought together by 30 years of XTERRA Worlds, including the athletes we followed on the journey to Ruidoso.
Another Day in Nature Together
The weekend continues Sunday with the Youth World Championship, live on YouTube.
Athletes aged 14–19 will race across Youth A, Youth B and Junior divisions on Super Sprint and Sprint courses. Young athletes from Europe, North America and beyond will take their turn in the lake, on the trails and through the village, bringing the next generation into the gathering.
Youth A coverage begins at 9:50 a.m. MDT, followed by Youth B and Junior coverage at 11:20 a.m. MDT.
Special Thanks
XTERRA thanks the Village of Ruidoso, Mayor Lynn Crawford, the Village Council, the State of New Mexico, Eddie Ryan and the local event teams, Mescalero Apache participants and the Inn of the Mountain Gods, volunteers, residents and businesses, and the athletes, families and crews who made the week possible.
“We couldn’t be here without the support of Mayor Crawford, the Village Council and the state of New Mexico,” said Steve Andrus, XTERRA’s Director of Americas and Global Event Strategy. “We’re truly grateful to be here.”
Watch Live 2026 XTERRA World Championship Full Distance Race in Ruidoso, USA
Photo/video courtesy of XTERRA
