We Noticed: XTERRA World Cup Wraps, Shark Sightings Mean No Swim in Noosa and More
In the end the XTERRA World Cup men’s title came down to a single point – while France’s Maxim Chané took both the short track and full-distance races at this weekend’s XTERRA World Cup finale in Suzhou, China on the weekend, but another Frenchman, Arthur Serriéres, would overcome a flat tire to hang on for fourth and take the overall XTERRA World Cup title by a single point.
For the women it would be France’s Alizée Patiès who would take both the races in China, but Marta Menditto would take second, which was more than enough to nail her second XTERRA World Cup title in a row. The Italian becomes the first woman to win back-to-back titles.
The long-course finale included a 1.5 km swim in Lake TAihu, a 30 km mountain bike through Yuyang Mountain and a 10 km trail run. Chané was out of the water 30 seconds behind the leaders, with Forissiér even further behind, but appeared on track to join the lead group before he started to feel his rear tire losing pressure on the climb up the mountain. Chané would post the day’s fastest bike split, then hang tough to take the win in 2:17:40. Italy’s Michele Bonacina (2:18:04) and France’s Nicolas Duré (2:18:38) would round out the podium.
Patiès was just shy of two minutes behind swim leader Isla Hedley (GBR), with Menditto more than three minutes back. Patiès would put together the day’s fastest bike split to surge into the lead. After Hedley fell, Menditto would move into second. The Frenchwoman would start the run almost six minutes ahead and cruise to the win in 2:38:48, with Menditto taking second in 2:46:15 and Hedly handing on for third in 2:49:57.
Men’s Full Distance Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time | Swim | Bike | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxim Chane | FRA | 2:17:40 | 18:36 | 1:22:51 | 35:02 |
| 2 | Michele Bonacina | ITA | 2:18:04 | 18:13 | 1:23:15 | 35:33 |
| 3 | Nicolas Dure | FRA | 2:18:38 | 21:05 | 1:23:12 | 33:14 |
| 4 | Arthur Forissier | FRA | 2:20:38 | 19:27 | 1:23:26 | 36:38 |
| 5 | Federico Spinazze | ITA | 2:21:22 | 18:18 | 1:23:09 | 38:43 |
Women’s Full Distance Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time | Swim | Bike | Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alizee Paties | FRA | 2:38:48 | 21:01 | 1:34:42 | 41:30 |
| 2 | Marta Menditto | ITA | 2:46:15 | 22:47 | 1:38:53 | 43:10 |
| 3 | Isla Hedley | GBR | 2:49:57 | 19:16 | 1:44:01 | 45:23 |
| 4 | Astrid Tardy | FRA | 2:50:42 | 21:45 | 1:45:23 | 42:03 |
| 5 | Hannah Lee Young | AUS | 2:51:25 | 22:52 | 1:44:48 | 42:30 |
2026 XTERRA World Cup Standings
Men’s
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arthur Forissier | FRA | 830 |
| 2 | Maxim Chane | FRA | 829 |
| 3 | Michele Bonacina | ITA | 787 |
| 4 | Nicolas Dure | FRA | 783 |
| 5 | Federico Spinazze | ITA | 661 |
| 6 | Elliot Labourdette | FRA | 531 |
Women’s
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marta Menditto | ITA | 931 |
| 2 | Isla Hedley | GBR | 818 |
| 3 | Emma Ducreux | FRA | 789 |
| 4 | Hannah Lee Young | AUS | 686 |
| 5 | Alizee Paties | FRA | 647 |
| 6 | Romy Spoelder | NED | 590 |
Hauser and Van Coevorden Nail Swim-Less Noosa
Multiple shark sightings (or, as the press release put it: “the presence of marine life on the swim course”) meant the swim had to be cancelled at the prestigious Noosa Triathlon on the weekend. The Noosa race is the largest Olympic-distance race in the world with 8,500 competitors. After sharks were sighted on Saturday morning, organizers modified the swim to a 1 km course designed to keep athletes in shallower water, but sharks were again sighted at first light on Sunday morning. According to ABC News, lifeguards deemed it unsafe to enter the water. It’s the first time the swim has had to be cancelled in the race’s 43-year history, although there have been modifications made to the swim course in the past.
Instead athletes started off with a 5 km run before completing the regular 40 km bike and 10 km run. Aussie Matthew Hauser made it two in a row (the first man to do that since Aaron Royle managed the feat in 2013 and 2014), while Natalie Van Coevorden won her first Noosa Triathlon.
While Hauser crossed the line over three minutes up on Luke Willian, things were considerably tighter in the women’s race. Richele Hill would lead the way into T1 by over 30 seconds, only to be passed by Lotte Wilms on the bike. On the run, though, it quickly became a race between Van Coevorden and Hill. Van Coevorden would pull clear in the final few kilometres for a close, 15-second win over Hill, who was runner-up last year as well.
Garmin Noosa Triathlon – Elite Men’s Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Hauser | AUS | 1:39:34 |
| 2 | Luke Willian | AUS | 1:42:59 |
| 3 | John Reed | USA | 1:43:53 |
| 4 | Brandon Copeland | AUS | 1:46:09 |
| 5 | John Fothergill | AUS | 1:47:32 |
| 6 | Rohan Hickey | AUS | 1:48:55 |
| 7 | Valentino Agnelli | ARG | 1:50:24 |
| 8 | Oscar Wootton | AUS | 1:51:17 |
| 9 | Angus Argent-Smith | AUS | 1:51:51 |
| 10 | Roland Crantock | AUS | 1:52:24 |
Garmin Noosa Triathlon – Elite Women’s Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natalie Van Coevorden | AUS | 1:58:11 |
| 2 | Richelle Hill | AUS | 1:58:26 |
| 3 | Milan Agnew | AUS | 2:00:26 |
| 4 | Lotte Wilms | NED | 2:01:09 |
| 5 | Kira Hedgeland | AUS | 2:02:23 |
| 6 | Charlotte McShane | AUS | 2:03:14 |
| 7 | Hannah Pollock | AUS | 2:06:09 |
| 8 | Sian Munks | AUS | 2:07:10 |
| 9 | Emily Donker | AUS | 2:11:33 |
| 10 | Jenna Horner | AUS | 2:11:55 |
IRONMAN Adds Another Race in Vietnam
IRONMAN 70.3 Ha Long Bay will take place on March 21, 2027. The event takes place in the area that was named part of UNESCO’s World Heritgage list in 1994. The course certainly promises to be quite spectacular, including a swim from Hòn Gai Beach followed by a bike ride on a coastal road overlooking limestone islands. The run rounds things out along the waterfront and “past seaside parks and the striking black-glass Quàng Ninh Museum and Library complex.”
Race weekend will also include a 5150 triathlon, sprint-distance triathlon and IRONKIDS events. General registration opens on November 4, 2026. More information and registration will be available here as of Nov. 3, 2026.
Marathon Rookie Takes NYC Marathon
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren ran 2:06:01 in his marathon debut to win the New York City Marathon, pulling away from Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa in the final mile to win by 13 seconds. Third want to Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo, who finished just ahead of defending champion Benson Kipruto.
In the women’s race, Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui took her second New York title in three years in 2:24:36, pulling ahead of defending champion Hellen Obiri in the last few kilometres of the race. The real excitement in the women’s race came in a dramatic sprint for the finish line that saw American Jess McClain get by Obiri on the line.
The race had 61,062 finishers, which would set a new record for the event. Full results are available here.
Elite Men’s Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andreas Almgren | SWE | 2:06:01 |
| 2 | Yemaneberhan Crippa | ITA | 2:06:14 |
| 3 | Kamohelo Mofolo | LES | 2:06:26 |
| 4 | Benson Kipruto | KEN | 2:06:27 |
| 5 | Haftu Strintzos | AUS | 2:06:34 |
Elite Women’s Results
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheila Chepkirui | KEN | 2:24:36 |
| 2 | Jess McClain | USA | 2:24:42 |
| 3 | Hellen Obiri | KEN | 2:24:43 |
| 4 | Edna Kiplagat | KEN | 2:25:42 |
| 5 | Mercy Chelangat | KEN | 2:25:46 |
Blummenfelt and Iden Tops in Taiwan
We knew that Kristian Blummenfelt and Gustav Iden would be competing at Challenge Xiamen next weekend, but the pair competing at IRONMAN 70.3 Kenting in Taiwan came as a bit of a surprise. Based on Blummenfelt’s recent Instagram post, the pair were in Taiwan to visit the Giant Bicycles HQ. Somehow that also turned into a day of racing at the 70.3 race, with the pair topping the overall podium – Blummenfelt in 3:56:08 and Iden in 4:11:10.
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