XTrem AlpsMan by The Stone 2026: the full results

On June 27, AlpsMan opened a new chapter in Italy with the return of The Stone, the legendary extreme triathlon born in 2016. More than a simple name change, it’s a fresh adventure for the event, true to the AlpsMan DNA: uncompromising, demanding, human, and deeply rooted in the mountains. The scenery shifts, the spirit doesn’t, in the image of the original AlpsMan on Lake Annecy.

A day like no other in the mountains of Lombardy

Lake Iseo, an alpine gem set at the foot of Lombardy’s mountains, became the stage for a truly extraordinary day. The start takes place in the water, out in the middle of the lake, after jumping from a boat, with 3.8 km of swimming right off the bat. Then comes a brutal bike course mixing long climbs and jaw-dropping scenery: 180 km and 4,100 m of elevation gain.

The run, true to the AlpsMan spirit, pushes athletes to the limit: it starts in the heart of Ponte di Legno, with a “turning point” at km 20 to become a “Stone Finisher” or a “Legno Finisher”. Those who make the cut get the iconic finale: a last climb to the top of Passo Paradiso at 2,600 m, after 38.5 km and 2,200 m of elevation gain.

A French win in the men’s race

For its first edition under the AlpsMan label, the race delivered 93 finishers (out of 200 registered) last June: 60 on the Xtrem distance and 33 on the Half.

It’s 6:12 pm when the “stone triathletes” of AlpsMan Ponte di Legno by The Stone begin to cross the mythical finish line at 2,600 m on Passo Paradiso, welcomed by the towering Presena glacier. They complete an incredible triple-effort journey that began at 4:00 am on the shores of Lake Iseo, in a silence still wrapped in darkness.

At the front of the Xtrem finishers, all celebrated as winners with the traditional Stone, France’s Issam Idjerouidene (Club des Nageurs de Paris) posted the fastest men’s time in 14:12:13: “The race was simply fantastic. It’s the first time I’ve done a straight-line swim at night, guided only by the beam from a lighthouse. There was a lot of wind and current and, at one point, it got really tough. The bike was also fantastic, Passo Gavia a bit less so, especially given my build. The run, on the other hand, was a nightmare: running on that many rocks is really hard. But it’s still a completely crazy experience.” said the Paris-based triathlete.

In the women’s race, the top performance went to Switzerland’s Sandra Wolf (Swiss Triathlon), who won in 16:08:46: “The swim was difficult because there was a lot of wind. I could clearly see the light, but I was still too focused on myself. I tried to correct my line, but it didn’t work: I kept drifting off and the swim was really tough. I almost got seasick from how windy it was on the water. On the bike, everything went perfectly on the flat section: I didn’t push too hard early on because I knew the mountains were coming. The first climb was really beautiful, but then came a very long descent. I didn’t eat enough and I hit the bottom struggling. On the Gavia, it was hard in the forest section, where the gradient was very steep and it was impossible to take the corners. I’m very happy to have made it to the top.”

A breathtaking course

The flagship distance opened with a 3.8 km swim in Lake Iseo. Guided only by the lighthouse beam, triathletes crossed from one shore to the other to reach the first transition area in the town of Iseo, on the Brescia side, before the cut-off set at 6:20 am.

From T1 on the lakeshore, they rolled out for the 180 km bike leg, particularly demanding. On the roads of Val Camonica, athletes racked up more than 4,100 m of climbing, with three legendary ascents on the menu: Passo Aprica, Mortirolo and Gavia, the high point of the course at 2,652 m.

The race then entered its decisive phase with a 39 km run on the trails of upper Val Camonica. Starting from Ponte di Legno, athletes passed through Zoanno, Precasaglio, Villa Dalegno, Temù and Valbione, climbing almost the entire way.

The Ponte di Legno checkpoint at km 23 once again stood out as one of the day’s highlights. Competitors who reached it before 6:30 pm got to ring the iconic bell and continue their adventure toward Passo del Tonale. They then tackled the brutal final 7 km in high mountains, in Val Presena, with 800 m of elevation gain, to reach Paradiso.

Seventeen triathletes, however, failed to make the cut-off. They finished on an alternative, lower-altitude course, with the Wood Finish Line in Ponte di Legno.

Athletes racing the Xtrem Relay also felt the full intensity and emotion of the event. With teams of two or three, they split the different sections of the course, adding even more energy to a day of sport, endurance and passion in spectacular scenery.

A new “Half” format

Among the most appreciated additions this year, the Half Triathlon delivered an intense, spectacular experience on shorter distances than the Xtrem.

The shorter swim still kept all the magic of the lake’s night crossing.

The bike leg, 145 km with 2,790 m of climbing, followed much of the main course up to Ponte di Legno. Athletes notably had to take on two iconic local climbs: Passo Aprica and Mortirolo.

The run, 22 km with 850 m of elevation gain, unfolded around Ponte di Legno and along the valley floor, mixing fast sections with more technical stretches through some of the most emblematic landscapes of upper Val Camonica, before finishing in the heart of the village.

“It was tough,” said Matteo Andreini (Sportaction), from Bergamo, who clocked the fastest men’s time in 8:27:50.

The Stone, the trophy awarded to finishers

“Just because it’s a Half, you try to go a lot faster, but this race demands huge respect. And today the heat was absolutely brutal. It was great to take part for the third time, after doing the Full twice, and an honor to finish in front. Until three quarters of the bike, I was in second place, with a young athlete ahead of me. I gave everything I had, but nothing guaranteed it would be enough.”

“An extremely tough race,” said Cristina Nardin (TRI Alto Adige), from Bolzano, who posted the fastest women’s time in 10:19:58.

“On the bike, which I loved, I really pushed. The run was hard, I had nothing left in my legs. A beautiful journey from the lake up into the mountains. Being able to share it with the other participants was really moving.”

Full results