Comox Valley triathletes Ryan Parton, Tyler McCallan and Derek Vinge battled ocean swells, 36-degree temperatures and a course affectionately known as ‘the toughest cross triathlon course on the planet’ at the XTERRA World Championship in Maui, Oct. 29.
The event featured racers from 52 countries competing in a 1.5-kilometre ocean swim, a 33-km mountain bike and a 10-km trail run.
Vinge cracked the top 10 in his age category, finishing in seventh place with a time of 3:09, while Parton and McCallan also achieved their respective goals for this challenging race.
“Just qualifying for the XTERRA World Championship is an accomplishment, let alone finishing that course,” says Parton. “For my part, I did what I could physically and mentally to prepare for the elements, and the guys at Trail Bicycles made sure my bike was up for the challenge as well. All in all it was an incredible experience in a stunning part of the world.”
Parton, McCallan and Vinge qualified by winning their respective age categories at XTERRA Victoria last July.