The best off-road triathlons to do this year

Triathlete running along a clifftop in Devon at the Croyde Ocean Triathlon — Triathlete running along a clifftop in Devon

The escapism. The sense of adventure. The muddy fun. There are few more exciting, exhilarating and enjoyable experiences than venturing off road in multisport.

These races can have a road-based bike leg before things venture to the trails on the run, with examples of this coming in the Croyde Ocean Triathlon (2 July and owner of arguably UK triathlon’s greatest view at Saunton Sands), the venture into the otherworldly Dinorwig quarries of The Slateman (10-11 June) and Outlaw Half X’s (23-24 Sept) forestry excursion in the Robin Hood country of Nottinghamshire.

Traffic-free triathlons

For a fully off-road experience entirely free of motorised traffic, there are plenty of gems to discover in the UK. These can come in the form of off-road duathlons, which boast a mountain bike leg sandwiched by two trail runs.

Dorset’s Rempstone Roast (23 Jan), The TrailX Duathlon (26 Mar/30 Apr) in the Home Counties and Escape to Afan (25 Nov) in South Wales all come heartily recommended.

Off-road triathlons don’t hog the calendar, but the Scottish duo of the Aviemore (17 Sept) and Craggy Island Triathlons (1-2 Oct) from the aptly-named Durty Events are wonderful ways to push your limits in some of the UK’s greatest scenery.

The former kicks-off with a bracing lake swim in Loch Morlich before bike and run legs deep into the mighty Cairngorms National Park.

The latter, surely the world’s only tri influenced by Father Ted, tasks athletes with swimming from the mainland to unspoilt and car-free Isle of Kerrera from the coastal town of Oban before off-road bike and run legs that traverse the island.

Xterra returns to the UK

There’s also the matter of the world’s premier trail triathlon series from Xterra finally returning to the UK in 2023, with Weston Park in Shropshire set to host Xterra UK’s sprint, full-distance, ebike and duathlon races on 13 May 2023 courtesy of the reliably-brilliant organisation of Always Aim High Events (see the Slateman).

The above means that there’s never been a better time to give off-road multisport a blast. But if you need further convincing, we’ll hand you over to Jon Heasman, a guaranteed presence at any UK off-road triathlon.

“Xterra brings adventure and triathlon together in a chilled-out way. With Xterra, what you get is what you don’t normally see. It’s off the beaten track, it follows the path least travelled and takes you to incredible places, often mountainous regions and areas where the wildlife outnumbers the humans.”

That’s good enough for us.

3 of the best UK off-road triathlons

Xterra UK, 13 May 2023
xterraplanet.com

Xterra returns to the UK in 2023, at Weston Park, Shropshire, on 13 May. (Credit: Carel du Plessis)

Aviemore Triathlon, 17 September 2023
durtyevents.com

Athletes at the Aviemore Triathlon start with a bracing lake swim in Loch Morlich before bike and run legs deep into the mighty Cairngorms National Park. (Credit: Andy Upton)

Craggy Island Triathlon, 1-2 October 2023
durtyevents.com

Craggy Island Triathlon tasks its athletes with a swim from the coastal town of Oban to the unspoilt and car-free Isle of Kerrera before off-road bike and run legs that traverse the island. (Credit: Andy Upton)

Top image credit: Croyde Ocean Triathlon

About

Matt is a regular contributor to 220 Triathlon, having joined the magazine in 2008. He’s raced everything from super-sprint to Ironman, duathlons and off-road triathlons, and can regularly be seen on the roads and trails around Bristol. Matt is the author of Triathlon! from Aurum Press and is now the editor of Cycling Plus magazine.