For years we’ve always talked about how valuable a spot at the Ironman World Championship in Kona is, but the Norseman Xtreme event in Norway is enjoying a huge surge in popularity these days. Endurance Biz is reporting that since registration opened for next year’s race – the 22nd running of the Norseman and it’s fifth time serving as the Xtri World Championship – 6,304 athletes from 96 countries have registered for the lottery to compete in the race. The race is limited to 250 athletes, with 125 slots available through the lottery.
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Just like the Ironman, the Norseman race consists of a 3.8-km swim, 180-km bike and a 42.2-km run. The day begins with the 250 athletes jumping off a ferry into the Hardangerfjord in Eidfjord. The point to point course then features a bike ride with 3,000 m of climbing that’s described as “scenic but gruelling” by race organizers. The first half of the marathon runs along Lake Tinnsjoen, while the second half takes athletes up Mount Gaustatoppen. The first 160 competitors to reach the 37 km point get to finish the climb up the mountain to receive a black finisher’s T-shirt. The rest are directed to a “lower course” and finish the marathon and get a white T-shirt. Next year’s race is slated for August 2.
In case you’re thinking that you’d like to try and get a spot for the lottery, entries were only open for a week. There is another way to enter the race, though, by earning X-Points, which are “participation points from Xtri races and products to allow you to enter our over-subscribed races (including Norseman).” The top 100 athletes in the X-points standings who apply to the race are also awarded a slot for the race. Slots are also awarded to the top two male and female finishers from the other full-distance Xtri events in the series.
In North America there are two Xtri races – the CanadaMan/Woman Xtri held in Lac Megantic, Quebec and the Starvation Xtri in Utah.
“Our race challenges athletes to push beyond their limits in the stunning landscapes of Norway,” the race website proclaims. “It’s not just an ordinary race; Norseman is a journey through fjords, mountains, and valleys. All athletes and their support teams face Mother Earth during 226 kilometres of raw nature.”
It would appear that lots of multisport athletes are looking to take on just that challenge.
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