The XTERRA UK off-road triathlon extravaganza takes place this weekend, bringing lake swim/mountain bike/trail running action to the Vale of Neath in South Wales. The main event is the XTERRA UK Championship (1,500m swim, 32km MTB, 10km run), while there’s also a team relay event over the same course and a half-distance triathlon for the less committed.

There’s always the possibility that the novelty value of added swimming and running won’t grab the imagination of some mountain bikers (although it’s always good to try something new), so the organisers are also running two MTB enduro events over the weekend. They’re proper races, too, so you’ll be able to test yourself against top riders like Sam Gardner, Philip Cooper and Gary Foord. There looks set to be a bit of a duel in the women’s race, with US Marathon Champion Melissa Thomas racing against UK Marathon Champion Jenny Copnall. They’re all racing in the 75km event, featuring 2,500m of climbing and a variety of terrain. There’s a £2,500 cash prize up for grabs, with product prizes across all categories and age groups. And if 75km sounds a bit keen, there’s a 28km enduro too.

The organisers promise a fun atmosphere to the races and there’ll be four aid/feed stations on the course. Camping is available on site for Saturday night and there’ll be plenty of family activities over the weekend including mini-duathlons for children. Plus there’ll be a trade expo area with a variety of multisport and bike manufacturers and suppliers showing their wares.

The triathlon events are now full, but you’ll be able to enter the MTB enduros on site from 12 noon on Friday 1 September.