narrator: this is a battle against mother nature. against inner demons. and against your body. it is a chance to reach deep. where all the sacrifice finally pays off.

if it was easy, it would not be worth pursuing. this is the xterra usa championship. spectacular northern utah, home of the xterra usa championship. this is the culmination of the xterra america tour. yee-haw! today's race can make or break a season. a win here and you carry the title of national champion. underperform, and you must wait an entire year for this chance again. a stacked field of pro and amateur athletes will tow the start-line at pineview reservoir, just outside of ogden, utah. i'm ready to go, man!

(cannon firing) the pro field starts first. they get a 30-second head start on the amateurs. (cannon firing) a second cannon blast signals the start for the rest of the field. today's race includes a one-mile swim here in chilly pineview reservoir, an 18-mile mountain bike ride capped off with a six-mile trail run. all of this with the majestic wasatch mountains as the backdrop. approaching the first buoy, the lead pack begins to spread out.

out front, and it's no surprise, is ben allen, who grew up swimming and surfing in australia. yeah, for me, i like to try to break down the swim, so just keeping it simple, thinking about technique, good body posture in the water. nice and streamlined. high elbows, keeping your head down and every couple of strokes looking for sighting buoys, making sure you're swimming in the right direction. narrator: a simple enough strategy, but allen makes it look especially easy. so does women's leader, canadian christine jeffrey. jeffrey is a former all-american swimmer at arizona state. the challenge for her and ben allen is whether they can parlay their swimming prowess into success on the trails. chasing them is a hungry group of athletes

that are all too familiar with a well-known adage in triathlon, "you can't win the race in the swim, "but you can lose it." while it is the shortest of the three xterra disciplines, for many, the swim is the most feared part of the race. swimming in cold water at altitude can be a daunting task if you're not used to it. the top swimmers, including leader ben allen, round the second buoy. the swim leg here is made up of two laps around a triangular course. the xterra usa championship in stunning northern utah is underway. the xterra usa championship is presented by utah sports commission. utah, the state of sport. the new mitch, by paul mitchell. style isn't born, it's groomed.

and by avia. push on. we set out the make hair care products in the world. we never tested on animals. and we love the environment. our success makes us a target for counterfeiters. they copy our packaging, and basically sell you an inferior product. if you find our product in any drugstore or supermarket, it is either counterfeit, of gray market diverted product.

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narrator: leg one of the xterra usa championship in pineview reservoir, just outside of ogden, utah, has come to an end for race leader ben allen of australia. right behind him are american pros branden rakita and craig evans. but today's most impressive swim performance is turned in by chris jeffrey. she not only leads the women's race, but is the fourth overall swimmer out of the water.

after the 200-yard uphill sprint to transition, ben allen remains in the lead. he'll want to hurry, are exiting the water. allen has had a breakout season in only his second year of xterra racing. a win in a big race like this would validate the success he's had on the xterra global tour this year. the other top swimmers, like branden rakita, begin to leave transition. at this point, chris jeffrey has over two-and-a-half minutes on her closest female competition. she leaves t1 just behind american pro craig evans. stoltz makes the transition from swimmer to biker.

the south african holds a minute's lead over american pro josiah middaugh. middaugh is largely considered the best athlete to have not won this race before. he's had a strong swim, but the fact that stoltz is leaving transition already has to be disconcerting. middaugh is sporting a new beard. perhaps a sign that he's ready to exorcize his demons of the past. this is... this is it right here. you know, everything... this is... i'm feeling the best i've ever felt. um, last year i should have won this race. um, had some bad luck on the bike portion of it. i'm more fit this year than i was last year. so... this is the time to do it. narrator: on the women's side, britain's jacqui slack exits the water in second.

starting his bike ride is the defending champion on the men's side, france's nico lebrun. more of the top women have completed the swim. including american suzie snyder and four-time defending champion, melanie mcquaid of canada. not far behind is the defending xterra world champion, lesley paterson. last year mcquaid beat paterson by nearly three minutes. but paterson had a great swim today, which could be trouble for the other women. especially with lesley's ever improving biking skills.

yeah, i think this year it's really important for me to have a stronger bike. last year it was melanie who won and she had an incredible bike time. so i've really been working on my bike to try and keep that deficit to a minimum. so i can come off a lot more in touch for the run. so i think that will make the difference, but you can never tell. narrator: making their way around pineview reservoir, mcquaid and snyder try to get as far away from paterson as they can. up ahead in wheeler canyon, ben allen continues in first. the top swimmers like he and branden rakita have the trails all to themselves. but beginning to close the gap is conrad stoltz,

who is now in third, riding just ahead of american craig evans. mcquaid has already moved into second, passing jacqui slack on a short piece of asphalt before entering wheeler canyon. she's chasing chris jeffrey, who's still setting the pace in first. the 27-year-old ben allen is out to prove that he's much more than just a swimmer. coming on to the bike, i've worked throughout the whole year to maintain and improve my bike skills and bike fitness as well. i'm hoping i have the right, uh, mixture to be able to feature throughout the race. narrator: allen hopes to improve on his seventh place finish from last year.

the women's race heats up as snyder and mcquaid ride in second and third, trying to stay ahead of lesley paterson at the xterra usa championship. the state of utah is a year-round adventure lover's paradise. with countless outdoor possibilities and the greatest snow on earth, it's no wonder they call utah the state of sport.

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at the 2012 xterra usa championship, just outside of ogden, utah, race-leader ben allen is tearing up a piece of single track known as the east fork trail, part of the uinta-wasatch-cache national forest. not far behind, at the exit of wheeler canyon, are branden rakita and conrad stoltz. as usual, stoltz is putting his stamp on this race. and with a quick burst he moves into second. in fourth is the man who placed third here last year. colorado resident josiah middaugh. if he can avoid the mechanical problems that have plagued him in the past, middaugh is a serious contender.

on the women's side, chris jeffrey continues in first, but her lead is dwindling. in second is american suzie snyder, who enters this race fitter than she's ever been. and just behind her is the four-time defending champion, melanie mcquaid, who has great affinity for this course. i love this bike course. i... i love just crushing myself uphill. um, i love the grade of this bike course. i think this racecourse really suits my strengths. but at the end of the day, all i can do is try and control what i can, and try and come here as fast i can and throw down the best race that i can. and then whatever everyone else comes up with is sort of out of my control. so, i don't really look at winning and losing, i just come here to put on the best show i can.

narrator: in fourth and fifth, jacqui slack and lesley paterson. dan allen set himself up nicely with the fastest swim of the day. and he looks strong on the bike. but what he doesn't know is that the pack of stoltz, rakita and middaugh are closing in. middaugh looks like a man possessed, and he quickly dispatches of rakita, finding himself behind the man who's been his biggest nemesis, conrad stoltz. i do like the guy, but, i mean, i want to beat him more than anybody else. because he's the champion. because he's the best, he's got the biggest target on his back. uh, but at the same time, there's a ton of respect for him. you know, i would never badmouth somebody like that, that's been that consistent,

who's that good of a guy, and who's been on the top for that long. i mean, there's nothing to his game that is wrong. narrator: middaugh blows by stoltz in the trees, moving into second. but is he using up too much energy early on in the bike? miles back, hundreds of others battle the altitude and the elements as they negotiate this 18-mile bike course. wheeler canyon has already claimed at least one victim. the sad reality is that even the best preparation doesn't mean you're exempt from mechanical problems. (cameraman and woman conversing)

narrator: racer 421, maijaleena zucker, from littleton, colorado, is having trouble keeping air in her tires. melanie mcquaid and suzie snyder have caught and passed chris jeffrey. jeffrey's two-and-a-half minute lead over mcquaid after the swim is gone. in fourth, lesley paterson is tearing up the single track. she entered this race with the number one ranking in the us pro series, and seems to be on top of her game today.

sadly, maijaleena zucker reminds us all just how biting xterra can be. only a couple of miles into the bike ride, her day comes to an end. josiah middaugh has had his fair share of mechanical problems in the past. but so far today, nothing is slowing him down. he reels in ben allen and moves into the lead. the men's defending champion is nico lebrun, who always plans his season so he can peak here and at the xterra world championship on maui, the next stop on the xterra global tour. for me, i like to peak at the end of the season because it's more important and because i think i don't have enough energy to... to be strong all year-long, so i have to choose, and every year i try to be really strong at the end. i mean, it's really your choice.

narrator: the frenchman looks strong as he passes spain's david henestrosa in some tight single track. lebrun is always a factor in any xterra race he enters. conrad stoltz is always a factor when riding his bike downhill. he is the new race leader. not far behind are josiah middaugh and ben allen, who has now fallen to third. xterra is right at home in the city of ogden and at nearby snowbasin resort. ogden's mountain to metro personality features a vibrant downtown, with year-round access to heart-pounding outdoor recreation and the beauty of the wasatch mountain range. ogden truly makes visitors feel at home

while setting the stage for genuine adventure.

to compete at the xterra usa championship, each athlete had to qualify at one of the xterra races around the country. the qualifying events are as unique as the field itself. i qualified at the mountainman, at kualoa ranch, hawaii. i qualified at xterra puerto rico in san juan. big blue race in tahoe city. at rocky gap in cumberland, maryland. the lockford challenge in nashville, tennessee. i qualified at xterra mountain championships in beaver creek. the wild ride in mccall, idaho. i qualified at xterra wild horse creek. the xterra four corners race in farmington, new mexico. the age group championship race, i take it seriously. but again, in my age group, there are a lot of other priorities in life, so this is a hobby at the end of the day. in my age group, um, there are so few of us that i think the ones that are

still hanging in there are serious. but, um, mostly i want to have a good time, i don't want to take it too seriously. i have had maybe five rest days in the past three months of training. so i'm very serious about my training and about the race. i just got my driver's license about three months ago, and it's great to be able to drive because i can take myself to other places to train and my parents love it because they're not taking me everywhere to train and it just gives me a lot more opportunities to go and ride and run and swim at other places. (laughing) you know, i personally don't take it that seriously. i have a career, i have children... so i train when i can, but i... i train as hard as i can, and so, i just gut it out, race hard and it is what it is. (laughing)

narrator: in the men's pro race, conrad stoltz and josiah middaugh are riding together. they are just a few seconds ahead of third-place rider, aussie ben allen. the next challenge is the climb up sardine peak, and middaugh looks to set the pace as he's retaken the lead. a few miles back, melanie mcquaid remains the leader in the women's race. but she is only a few seconds ahead of suzie snyder, who is having her best racing day since becoming a pro just two years ago. navigating his way through the colorful fall foliage of northern utah,

josiah middaugh increases his lead. early race leader chris jeffrey is in third now. but lesley paterson is closing in. up ahead, middaugh is right at home on sardine peak. middaugh: i really do like the addition of sardine peak. um, it flows really well with the rest of the course. it's still a pretty gradual climb. um, you know, you're in the woods with lots of switchbacks, and it's a place on the course where you're away from many of the spectators, and it's really on you and that's where you... that's where the race is really won, when nobody's watching.

narrator: melanie mcquaid continues to lead as she reaches ranger rick bridge. but suzie snyder refuses to let her out of her sight. (rock music playing) at the top of sardine peak, even the haze caused by forest fires in nearby idaho can't hide the fact that josiah middaugh is increasing his lead. on the climb up sardine peak, ben allen managed to pass conrad stoltz, leaving the south african in third. also in third on the women's side is lesley paterson. she passed chris jeffrey on the single track,

which is all part of the uinta-wasatch-cache national forest. josiah middaugh is about to begin his descent towards the second transition area at snowbasin resort. he'll want to hurry, as ben allen is having a tremendous day on the bike. paul mitchell supports xterra by sponsoring xterra university racing clinics and cut-a-thons at the championship events. paul mitchell cut-a-thons raise funds for the challenged athletes foundation, benefitting athletes who race against tremendous odds and represent the true spirit of xterra.

it helps me stand out. the way i play volleyball, you'd see me run up the back, the long locks flowing. you'll see the jungle man swinging everywhere, sand flying, unbridled aggression, pure energy, no holding back. just pure passion. they'll say you're not good enough, you're not big enough, you're not strong enough. but what i've learned is that you can never measure heart.

narrator: at the xterra usa championship, race leader josiah middaugh has gone up and down sardine peak. he is now just a few minutes away from the bike to run transition. at the top of the mountain, conrad stoltz was in third, but it's no surprise that he's back in second. the caveman is known for his downhill biking expertise. that leaves ben allen in third, who took a little more conservative downhill approach than stoltz. on the nearly 1,500 foot climb up sardine peak, lesley paterson moved from third to first.

she is now descending and must be thrilled to have a lead at this point in the race. melanie mcquaid and suzie snyder riding together in second and third. middaugh tackles one last section of single track before arriving at transition. but not far back are stoltz and allen. (spectators clapping) (spectators cheering)

the amateur field at the xterra usa championship spans in ages from 15 to 75. but it's the older gentlemen that always seem to have the most fun. my name is james ravi. i'm 65 years old. my name is ron hill. i'm 75 years old. my name is dan rose. i'm 65. i'm from san juan, puerto rico and i'm the founder and conductor of the lake tahoe toccata symphony orchestra. i'm from fairfield, connecticut, and i'm a retired heart surgeon. from hayden, idaho, and i'm a retired electronic engineer. i just enjoy the challenge. i enjoy mountain biking, i enjoy the people. they're, uh... they're a lot of fun, they're very enjoyable and they're very supportive. my son thinks that doing this is a little crazy. putting all of this energy into sport that is sometimes even dangerous. conrad's got to get to 75 and do it in five hours to beat me. (laughs)

it's not that kind of competition when you get up to our age group. everybody hopes that everybody survives, lives well, and comes back to compete because we know each other and we're hoping to have some competition. but it's friendly competition and it motivates us to keep going and try to get better, even at advanced age. yeah, most of us have been doing xterra for a fair amount of time and we see each other. wives get to know each other and it's just a very collegial atmosphere. you see the younger guys and some of them, uh, you know, they're really out for blood. (interviewer speaking) (sighs) another 10 years. (laughs) (interviewer laughing) tell me, tell me. the lord will let me know when i have to quit! (laughs)

narrator: eighteen miles of mountain biking are in the books for race leader josiah middaugh, as he arrives at t2 at snowbasin resort. conrad stoltz rides in second. the question is, did middaugh go too hard on the bike, leaving him susceptible to the runners behind him? the first part of the six-mile trail run is straight uphill. so far, middaugh seems to have plenty left in the tank. ben allen reaches transition in third, mere seconds behind stoltz. allen is smaller and lighter than stoltz, which could be an advantage on this run course.

ben allen won four xterra world tour events this year. but a win here in utah would be the biggest victory in his young career. at the end of the sardine peak downhill, women's leader lesley paterson winds through this twisty meadow section, but she has company, four-time defending champion, melanie mcquaid is only seconds behind in second, while third place rider suzie snyder has them both in her sights.

the men's defending champ, nico lebrun, leaves transition in fourth. the only way to describe the early part of this run course is simply brutal. middaugh: that first three-quarters of a mile right off the bike is pretty much straight uphill, it's the steepest part of the course, and for me it's... my heart's up in my throat, and it's... you've just got to get through that pain and then it gets better from there. narrator: middaugh has survived the early climb unscathed. and with the spectacular utah scenery as the backdrop, you can say that it's gotten better for him. stoltz is losing ground to middaugh, and is only steps ahead of ben allen. the top three women are all within seconds of each other. it will come down to the run,

which favors lesley paterson, who has traditionally been one of the strongest runners in the sport. ben allen has moved into second. he looks energized after passing the xterra legend, stoltz. but catching middaugh will be tough as he is showing no signs of slowing down. snowbasin resort, just outside of ogden, utah, is a true playground in the wasatch mountains snowbasin offers outdoor activities throughout the year for people of all ages. of course, the ski slopes here are so spectacular that snowbasin hosted the downhill, super g and combined races of the 2002 winter olympics.

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to get pumped up for an xterra race, i like to listen to contemporary music. one of my favorites is lady gaga. it's a little old school, but nine inch nails and nirvana. florence and the machine. a radio station in pandora set to led zeppelin, definitely. pink floyd and the eagles. billy joel or michael jackson. the fray, and i love foster the people. to get pumped up for xterra, i actually listen to a lot of capoeira music. probably, uh, wolfmother. (laughing) i don't use music as a motivator. i don't have a headset at all. (laughs) (interviewer speaking) celine dion. interviewer: (laughing) she's great. i always listen to beethoven. i'm listening to beethoven right now. narrator: at the xterra usa championship, women's race leader lesley paterson arrives at the bike-to-run transition on the grounds of northern utah's snowbasin resort.

mere seconds behind her is the four-time defending champion, melanie mcquaid, as well as suzie snyder. paterson is a tremendous runner. but she's not used to leading the race going into the run. a quick shoe adjustment, and she's off. with a quick transition of her own, mcquaid is ready to run and so is suzie snyder. the top three women are within 30 seconds of each other. the men's race is not as close. josiah middaugh continues to build his lead and he's now coming down the home stretch.

ben allen is in second and his lead on conrad stoltz is widening. but behind them is defending champ nico lebrun, who's having the fastest run split of the day. any thoughts that lesley paterson may have gone too hard on the bike are quickly squashed. it's still early, but she looks strong on the run. suzie snyder has taken over second. melanie mcquaid drops to third, and she is laboring to get up the hill.

josiah middaugh has finished third at the xterra usa championship the last four years. that streak will end today. but even with a sizable lead, he leaves nothing to chance, looking back numerous times to see if anyone's coming. nearly two minutes back is the man who led this race coming out of the swim, ben allen. now in third is longtime xterra veteran nico lebrun. near the xterra finish line, it's a family celebration. he's worked so hard for so many years, and finally, it all came together for josiah middaugh, the first american to win the xterra usa championship

since 2006. middaugh: i put in a ton of hard work in the last eight weeks. and topped off my fitness level and, you know, finally... finally the absence of bad luck, maybe. but, you know, finally my fitness shone through and i finally had the day that i knew i could have. narrator: aussie ben allen had a tremendous start to his day in pineview reservoir. but today he proves that he's much more than a great swimmer. an exultant ben allen takes second. propelled by the fastest run split of the day, the defending champion, nico lebrun of france, secures third place. xterra legend conrad stoltz takes fourth. enough to win the us pro series crown for a record 10th time.

rounding out the top five is another american, colorado native branden rakita. with the men's race in the books, can lesley paterson hold off the other women to take her first ever xterra usa title? holding onto second is snyder, but she's losing ground to paterson. so is mcquaid, who seems to be struggling ever since she got off her bike. in fourth is canadian danelle kabush, who is running well, but is still over two minutes behind paterson. the avia endurance spotlight.

congratulations, xterra veteran josiah middaugh for taking the 2012 xterra usa championship. over thet decade, josiah has been a fixture on xterra podiums, and his win in utah adds to an already impressive resume of racing accomplishments. josiah not only excels at xterra, he is also one of the nation's most decorated winter endurance athletes. he holds multiple national titles in snowshoeing and is a usat winter triathlon national champion. whether on dirt or in the snow, josiah middaugh is always a formidable competitor. congratulations, josiah middaugh, our avia endurance spotlight. push on.

it helps me stand out. the way i play volleyball, you'd see me run up the back, the long locks flowing. you'll see the jungle man swinging everywhere, sand flying, unbridled aggression, pure energy, no holding back. just pure passion. they'll say you're not good enough, you're not big enough, you're not strong enough. but what i've learned is that you can never measure heart.

usa championship is presented by utah sports commission. utah, the state of sport. the new mitch, by paul mitchell. style isn't born, it's groomed. and by avia. push on. at the xterra usa championship, at utah's snowbasin resort, scotland's lesley paterson is on her way to taking her first xterra usa championship. american suzie snyder is giving her best to hold on to second place. melanie mcquaid struggles in third.

and just a few steps behind her is fellow canadian danelle kabush. no one has been able to keep pace with paterson today, including one of our xterra tv cameramen. she took the lead on the climb up sardine peak, and she never trailed again. she's already the reigning xterra world champion. and now she can add to her resume a new title. she finishes in just over two hours and 49 minutes. lesley paterson, xterra usa champion. i just kind of knuckled down and gradually built into that bike. and then i couldn't believe it when i caught melanie and suzie

towards the top of sardine peak. and so, of course, i know i'm a strong runner, so if i can be close to anyone on the bike, then that's great, so... and i came into t2 in the lead, and, you know, that's never happened to me before, so that was very exciting. narrator: suzie snyder was in the hunt all day and had the best race in her young xterra career. she holds on for a well-fought second place. danelle kabush had the second fastest run of the day behind paterson. kabush takes third for the second year in a row. after winning this race four years in a row, mcquaid finishes in fourth.

thanks to the fastest bike split of the day, switzerland's renata bucher takes fifth. a special congratulations to two 16-year-olds, neilson powless and hannah rae finchamp, for taking the overall amateur titles today. congratulations to all who competed in and completed the xterra usa championship. and a special salute goes to the newest crop

of xterra usa age group champions. (ode to joy playing)

(singing in german)

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