XTERRA Weston Park brought international off-road racing back to the UK for its third edition on May 3-4, stepping into the spotlight as stop 3 of the 2025 XTERRA World Cup series. The 1,000-acre, traffic-free country estate delivered world-class racing surrounded by a festival environment filled with family and friends. With air temperatures at 18°C and water temperatures at 19°C, athletes were met with cool, fast conditions across a course defined by flow, rhythm, and sustained effort.
Felix Forissier (FRA) claimed another decisive win, crossing the line in 2:27:05, while Alizée Paties (FRA) remained unbeaten in 2025 with a dominant 2:45:22 performance. The French duo completed a second consecutive weekend sweep, following their victories in Greece just one week earlier. Local heroes Will Draper (GBR) and Isla Hedley (GBR) also energized the crowd with podium finishes.
Saturday’s XTERRA Youth Tour events added to the momentum, with Oliver Goodman and Shauna Hamilton taking top honors in the Youth A division (14–15), while Finlay Goodman and Rebecca Van Aardt topped the Youth B races (16–17). With Iwan Froley winning the Junior men’s title (18–19), all five future stars now prepare to represent Great Britain at the XTERRA Youth World Championship later this year.
Sunday’s Full Distance Triathlon also welcomed a passionate field of age group athletes who pushed their limits and chased personal bests on one of the UK’s most celebrated off-road courses. With seven races on the program, Weston Park was nothing short of a high-energy weekend brought to life by community support, and a full lineup of outdoor activities.
Lay of the Land
Located near Weston-under-Lizard on the Staffordshire–Shropshire border, the 17th-century estate, with its wide-open parkland and wooded trails, combined natural beauty with all-out efficiency. Managed by the Weston Park Foundation, the estate’s preserved grounds allowed athletes and spectators to stay immersed in the action from start to finish. The 2025 edition expanded to include the XTERRA World Cup, giving the world’s best off-road triathletes a chance to compete for a €15,000 prize purse. Supported by Always Aim High Events and Eventrex UK, the community-driven atmosphere also featured mountain bike clinics, kids’ events, and camping under open skies.
Saturday’s World Cup race featured a 1.5K two-lap swim with an Aussie exit in a calm private lake, followed by a 37.5K mountain bike course designed for speed and flow. New for 2025, the route replaced longer grass sections with tighter singletrack and quicker transitions through gravel paths, offering a more refined rhythm and improved riding experience. The age group off-road triathlon on Sunday followed the same swim and run format, with a slightly shorter 28K bike course.
The final leg brought athletes onto a flat and fast 10K run, split into two laps that looped past the estate’s lake and alongside its historic red-brick Manor House. While elevation was minimal, the open terrain required precise pacing and left little room for error. With spectators lining key sections of the course, a star-studded field brought unmistakable energy that everyone could feel.
Men’s World Cup Recap
From the start, the men’s Elite race at XTERRA Weston Park was a blistering battle. Rory Strachan (GBR) set the early pace, posting the fastest swim split of 17:55, closely followed by Elliot Labourdette (FRA) just four seconds behind. Eventual winner Felix Forissier kept contact at 18:01, setting up a tense fight from the opening transition. Onto the 37.5K bike leg, Will Draper (GBR) emerged from a strong swim in 18:59 and impressively bridged to the leaders. “I had a really good swim, which set me up well,” Draper said. “Surprisingly, I bridged to the front group quickly. XTERRA races are tough—on and off, not constant effort—and my legs felt like jelly after the first run lap, but I settled into my rhythm.”
Arthur Forissier (FRA), Felix’s older brother, had ground to make up after a challenging 20:05 swim. He stormed the bike course with the fastest split of the day (1:28:40), teaming briefly with Ben Forbes (AUS). “My swim feeling wasn’t great, but I felt good on the bike and hoped to catch second place,” Arthur explained. “Working together with Ben helped.” Felix stayed patient and steady, reaching T2 among the leaders. “The bike was difficult—the guys were strong,” Felix said. “I knew the run was my chance. It was so fast, and that’s where I made my move.”
The decisive moment came early on the 10K run. Felix unleashed unmatched speed, recording the day’s best run split at 36:31, and surged ahead to win comfortably in 2:27:05. Draper, despite his strong effort, couldn’t hold Felix’s pace but secured second in 2:29:01, marking a breakthrough performance. “Felix extended the gap quickly,” Draper noted, “but this result gives me confidence for a possible attempt at the XTERRA World Championship.”
Arthur, powering through on the run, completed the podium in third place at 2:29:48, capping a remarkable chase from behind and a proud family double on the podium. With consistent podium results throughout all three Full Distance races in the series, Arthur Forissier now sits at the top of XTERRA World Cup table.
Women’s World Cup Recap
The women’s Elite race at XTERRA Weston Park was intense out of the calm estate lake with Isla Hedley (GBR) leading the field in 18:29, followed closely by Aneta Grabmüller (CZE) at 18:32. “It was a really tough swim,” said Grabmüller. “I struggled behind Isla’s feet, but I was happy to have some company. Once I saw I couldn’t drop her, I stayed tucked in to conserve energy.”
Alizée Paties exited the water in 20:54—over two minutes back—but began immediately chipping away at the deficit. “This one was tough,” she said. “I had to make up a lot of time between myself and Aneta and Isla. I just focused on my own race and tried to manage my effort.” On the 37.5K bike, Grabmüller led through transition and rode solo up front. “The bike was very playful—I loved it,” she said. “You had to pay attention the whole time. I was really happy with some climbing because I could mentally relax a little.” Paties, meanwhile, set the fastest bike split of the day in 1:38:58, closing the gap and entering T2 just 34 seconds behind Aneta, who rode a 1:40:46.
From there, the run changed everything. Paties overtook Grabmüller early and pushed through to clock a 44:26 split—the fastest of the day—and take the win in 2:45:22. “I wanted to run fast, so I managed the bike carefully to save energy,” she said. Grabmüller finished second in 2:49:03. “I was hoping to be more of a challenge for Alizée on the run, but she was just much faster. Still, it was absolutely epic—I think this was one of the best races of the season.”
Isla Hedley rounded out the podium in 2:51:15. “The swim went really well, and the water was super flat,” she said. “The bike needed a lot of power and the turns made it technical. The first part of the run was tough, but I managed to pick it up and finish strong.”
