XTERRA World Championships: Alizée Patiès and Sullivan Middaugh crowned in Ruidoso

Alizée Patiès and Sullivan Middaugh broke new ground in New Mexico this weekend, winning their first “Full Distance” world titles at the 30th edition of the XTERRA World Championship.

Middaugh beat Spain’s Nacho Gálvez by almost six minutes, while Denmark’s Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen took third. Alizée Patiès finished ahead of Italy’s Marta Menditto, with Australia’s Maeve Kennedy completing the podium.

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The water temperature at Grindstone Lake was 18.1°C when the field set off for the 1,500m swim, before taking on a rocky singletrack in a 27km mountain bike loop. The final 10km of relatively flat running took the athletes through the village streets and forest trails, returning via Wingfield Park between the two laps before heading to the finish line.

Nacho Gálvez was first out of Grindstone Lake, closely followed by brothers Sullivan and Porter Middaugh. Two of the leaders crashed early on the bike. Gálvez went down at the first corner, while Sullivan Middaugh crashed at the third and lost his bike computer.

“ I think not having any power data may have been a blessing in disguise,” he said afterwards. “ I had to ride by feel and gave it everything I had throughout the race.”

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Posting the fastest bike split of the day in 1:07:18, Sullivan Middaugh maintained his lead on the run and also recorded the fastest split on that leg, in 39 minutes. “I knew that at altitude I could run uphill as fast as anyone else,” he said. “So I gave it everything on every climb and let it go on every descent.”.

Gálvez kept fighting after his crash and held second place throughout the run. “I never lost hope,” he admitted at the finish, delighted with his runner-up spot.

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Sloth Nielsen started the bike leg in 13th, then worked his way through the field to make the podium, praising the two athletes ahead of him. “Sullivan and Nacho probably prepared better than I did, spending more time training at altitude.”

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The Frenchman Arthur Serrières, a three-time world champion, had to settle for the worst place just off the podium, fourth, ahead of compatriot Maxim Chané.

Josiah Middaugh finished sixth at 48, with his other son, Porter Middaugh, seventh. An incredible family showing in the top 10. “It means everything to us. This is how we grew up: watching our dad and joining him at races,” Sullivan said of his father Josiah, the 2015 world champion.

While the French men missed out on the podium, the tricolour still flew high at these world championships thanks to Alizée Patiès, who claimed the first world title of her career. She finished more than six minutes ahead of Italy’s Marta Menditto, while Australia’s Maeve Kennedy completed the women’s podium.

Costa Rica’s Raquel Solis was first out of the water alongside France’s Emma Ducreux. Ducreux took the lead through the transition, while Patiès began the bike leg in third.

“The swim was pretty difficult for me,” Patiès explained. “ I struggled to position myself as I usually do, so I preferred to let the front group go and find my own rhythm. I knew the title wouldn’t be decided in the swim.”

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Patiès reached the first checkpoint on the bike course in front and continued to extend her lead. With the fastest bike split of the day in 1:20:45, she could afford to manage the final 10km of running.

“ The run was very difficult, especially the second lap. Everything hurt. I think I had really given it everything on the bike,” the new world champion admitted.

It’s the dream of a lifetime. I’m finding it a little hard to take it all in right now. I held on and kept believing. Now that I’ve achieved it, I’m truly happy.

Behind her, Marta Menditto passed Emma Ducreux on the second lap of the run. Her 50:42 split was the fastest on foot. Maeve Kennedy also overtook Ducreux to secure third place.

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