Sugarloaf will host the 14th XTERRA Trail Run World Championships from Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, 2023, XTERRA announced on Tuesday.
There are 30 qualifying XTERRA races across 20 countries that lead up to September’s World Championships, and 1,000 runners are anticipated to participate in the race at Sugarloaf. Top performers will earn $10,000 in prize money, and world titles will be given to age group division winners as well as teams in the half and full marathon distance races.
The trail running world championship is the latest of a growing number of off-season events to be held at Sugarloaf, which in 2022 hosted the Enduro World Series mountain biking race. The mountain resort, known primarily as a ski destination, has in recent years been growing its trail network to become a mountain biking destination.
The four race distances of 5K, 10K, 21K and 41K are open to athletes of all ages and skill levels, while only runners and racing duos who earn a qualifying slot through the XTERRA Trail Run World Series are eligible to compete for world titles, prize money and segment challenge awards.
There will be live music, food, and shorter distance races as well as races for kids at the World Championships.
“We are truly excited to host the global XTERRA community here at Sugarloaf in 2023,” Sugarloaf General Manager Karl Strand said. “Carrabassett Valley’s natural landscape and challenging terrain make it ideally suited to host this event, and we can’t wait to watch the world’s best trail runners take on the challenge this summer.”
