If you wanted a clue what kind of a sensation Lance Armstrong would bring to Kona, his return to triathlon at the XTERRA USA Championships in Ogden, Utah after two decades of world-shaking cycling feats might give you some idea. When all the tumult and shouting were over, long-time XTERRA veteran champions Melanie McQuaid and Nico LeBrun prevailed. But the 40-year-old Armstrong combined a 4th-best swim, 4th best bike and a gutsy, not-his-best 23rd-best run to take 5th place just 1:55 behind 4-time XTERRA World Champion Conrad Stoltz.

To a man and woman, XTERRA stars were happy with the thousands who came to cheer Lance, wave his placards, get his autographs, and simply witness the remarkable strength and focus and quiet but palpable macho presence of the Texan who invaded and conquered cycling’s supreme gem an unmatched seven straight times. After they saw Armstrong, most of the XTERRA pros thought they would be impressed with the world of off road triathlon – and they were not wrong.

For most of the new fans who ventured away from the start and finish to watch the XTERRA athletes charge through the woods, the idea that rocky road triathlon was simply slower than the pavement variety was exploded as the ridiculous canard it is. Speed, as any astronaut can tell you, is relative. Spacemen may be traveling at 17,000 miles per hour floating peacefully in orbit. Standing in the woods as XTERRA racers blast precisely past an inch or two from immovable wood and sharp-edged, nasty rocks is an exquisitely adrenalized experience that defines speed.

While it is a life challenge to finish an Ironman, the guts and strength it takes to follow a swim with a 2,500-foot-plus climb from 4,900 feet to the finish is of a parallel order of magnitude. This to watch one armed Willie Stewart and cancer survivor Jamie Whitmore (in her return to competition after a vicious 2008 cancer that took away basically half her leg musculature) is a thrill not only based on endurance but also on crazy taqlernt and bravery.

Wrapping all the amazement is XTERRA’s warm and enthusiastic organizing family that makes their races one of the planet’s nicest experiences.

All photographs © Timothy Carlson

Zipping through the trees at warp speed.

Jamie Whitmore, 37-time XTERRA winner, has come back from devastating cancer to give birth to twins and now, return to her sport in the sprint category with the help of ingenious prosthetic support gear and an unquenchable will.

One-armed Willie Stewart has one very strong arm and a ton of talent, as Competitor Magazine’s Bob Babbitt can attest.

Lance bares his guns to get body marked.

Armstrong obliges a fan with a bushy blond curly wig by taking their portraits with a digital camera.

Ogden fans favored Lance over Caveman.

The elite swim start.

Although spotters were not absolutely sure, most thought this elite swimmer was the 7-time Tour de France champion – as Armstrong spent most of the swim near Christine Jeffrey (red fingernails, edge of frame).

Christine Jeffrey of Canada was 5th overall and first woman out of the swim in 21:32. She finished 6th in 2:53:43

Emma Garrard on her way to 5th place.

Armstrong’s laser-like concentration on display in one of Ogden’s wooded trails.

Two-time Ironman World Champion Tim DeBoom had a 4th-best 39:39 run but set a more relaxed pace on the bike on his way to 16th place.

Dan Hugo’s swim and bike out him in T2 in 1st, but Nico LeBrun’s 38:27 run took the lead from the South African at Mile 4 of the run.

Regulars call this 2005 World Champion and 2009 XTERRA USA champion Mountain Goat. Nico LeBrun’s form seen here is elegant and fast.

Josiah Middaugh of Vail, Colorado was near the lead on the bike until a cut tire left him legging his bike much of the last mile. His 37:58 run brought him home 3rd, 47 seconds behind Hugo.

Lance Armstrong powers through the high altitude run.

Nico had plenty of adrenaline left when he hit the tape.

Hands reaching out to touch Armstrong as he finished a tough run.

Carina Wasle finishes with Snowbasin’s mountains providing a beautiful backdrop.

Very tough cookie Shonny Vanlandingham, the reigning XTERRA World Champion, gutted out a 7th place finish thanks to a space-age leg brace which held her together five weeks after a painful ACL injury.