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Cross triathlon

Cross triathlon is an off-road multisport event of swimming, mountain biking and cross-country/trail running. Unlike classic road triathlon, the bike and run sections are technical, hilly and terrain-dependent; the water segment is one of three disciplines.

LevelVariant FamilyTriathlon Family CategoryMultisport

AI-generated illustration: Cross triathlon — AI-generated illustration

Classification

Category Multisport

Family Triathlon Family

Level Variant

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung Cross triathlon is an off-road multisport event of swimming, mountain biking and cross-country/trail running.

Geeignet für Fits if you like triathlon but find trails and MTB more interesting, you want to combine swimming, bike handling and run strength, you can handle open water and technical ground.

Cost A triathlon/MTB club or beginner event with safe swim course is sensible. High: mountain bike, helmet, swim gear, trail-running shoes, repair kit, entry fees and training. Triathlon club, MTB group, XTERRA/cross event, multisport federation. Train MTB handling and open-water conditions separately.

First progress Endurance base helps immediately; MTB handling and transitions need focused training.

Fitness level high

Was du brauchst

Swim gear, mountain bike, helmet, trail/running shoes, transition setup, repair kit, approved course and weather/safety plan.

First steps

Start separately: safe swim session, short MTB skills loop, trail run and then a mini brick from bike to run.
Look for cross/off-road triathlons, XTERRA-adjacent events, triathlon clubs with MTB groups or USA Triathlon/World Triathlon multisport programmes.

Look for cross/off-road triathlons, XTERRA-adjacent events, triathlon clubs with MTB groups or USA Triathlon/World Triathlon multisport programmes.

Start only in the appropriate source-described context and follow local rules.

Weitere Angaben

Tags outdoor, cross-triathlon, mehrkampf, triathlon-familie, cross-triathlon-offroad-triathlon, multisport, cross-triathlon-off-road-triathlon

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

Complete swim, mountain bike and cross/trail run in the required order as fast and legally as possible.

Teilnehmer

Individual, relay by event.

Teamgröße

Individual or relay.

Spielfeld

Swim course, MTB trail, cross/trail run, transition area.

Dauer

Depends on format and event.

Wertung

Total time plus penalties.

Gewinnbedingung

Best valid time, placing or score in the announced format.

Ausrüstung

swim gear
mountain bike
helmet
trail-running shoes
repair kit

Wichtige Regelpunkte

transition error
equipment breach
outside assistance
course/MTB rule breach
safety breach

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

Federations

World Triathlon
World Triathlon (WT)

Cross Triathlon World Triathlon · federation · high
World Triathlon Competition Rules 2025 World Triathlon · rulebook · high
Off-road triathlon: what is it and how to get involved 220 Triathlon · beginner-guide · medium