Frigid temperatures, shin-deep muck and relentless rain couldn’t stop Roaring Fork Valley residents Michelle Smith and Kathryn Lee from earning impressive finishes at the 2025 XTERRA World Championships. Held in Trentino, Italy, Sept. 25 – 28, XTERRA rolled out the red carpet for top international athletes who competed in the grueling and competitive off-trail triathlon.
“International races are just so cool. You meet people from all over the world who also think this kind of thing is fun,” said Lee of Carbondale. “XTERRA does an impressive job putting on the race. They have fancy opening and closing ceremony dinners as well as lots of group practice clinics leading up to the race.”
Despite the unfavorable conditions, the women finished among the top U.S. performers in the 1.5 kilometer open-water swim, 32 kilometer mountain bike ride and 10 kilometer trail run. In the final results, Smith placed 10th in the 45-49 division and 67th overall, including elites. She was the third U.S. woman to cross the finish line with a time of four hours, 36 minutes, less than 10 minutes behind Amari Graber — the top U.S. woman from the elite division. Lee also saw success, finishing 13th in the 35-39 division and 104th overall. She was the sixth U.S. woman to cross the finish line, coming in at five hours, eight minutes.
“I really love how XTERRA does these races because even if you’re a 40-something year old, you still feel like an athlete and special,” said Smith, a filmmaker from Glenwood Springs. This year, the women’s 45-49 age group had more participants than any other division. “There’s something about this age group that wants to get back to center and kick ass,” she added.
Both women qualified for Worlds this past June at XTERRA Lory in Fort Collins. This was not their first time competing at Worlds, but this year’s conditions made the race a memorable experience.
“This year was wild,” said Lee, who works as the Sierra Club’s senior social media strategist. “Last year’s race had some rain and cold temperatures leading up to race day, but this time the mud was on another level. Every rider and bike was completely coated at the end of the day.”
Athletes were assured the courses would be dry, but one day before the race a consistent torrential downpour slashed any hope.
“At the pre-race meeting they said the course is a mess, but everyone has to do the same thing,” said Smith. “In Colorado, we’re not even allowed to bike [in those conditions] … The Canadians and a lot of the Europeans were used to it, but Kathryn and I were like, ‘I hope we don’t die!’”
Relying upon years of training and grit, the athletes set their worries aside to compete. Up first was the open swim in Lake Molveno, where athletes completed two 750-meter laps in 60-degree water. Lee, a former competitive swimmer at Colby College, kept pace with the elites and finished the swim in 24 minutes, 36 seconds. Smith split 31 minutes, 6 seconds.
“Open water swimming is just so fun and definitely my strongest discipline, so it’s super fun for me to kick off the race,” said Lee.
Following a quick transition, the athletes tackled the mountain bike course with over 3,600-feet of climbing. The mud was unforgiving. It caked backwheels and forced athletes to make frequent stops for removal. Smith said she employed a positive mindset to finish in 2 hours, 54 minutes.
“I just kept telling myself it was grippy mud, even though it wasn’t,” laughed Smith. “I was careful, but I was tricking my brain into thinking I wouldn’t slide out. On some of the rooty uphills, I just lifted my bike by its seatpost and pushed forward. It made all these weird noises, but I just told myself it was going to work out.”
Lee felt grateful for her Revel Ranger bike and navigated the challenging route in 3 hours, 25 minutes.
The 10-kilometer trail run was a blur for both Smith and Lee who finished in 1 hour, 6 minutes and 1 hour, 12 minutes, respectively. But the memories and friendships made will last for years to come.
“It was amazing racing alongside my friend, Michelle! Just knowing she was out there too made the experience even better,” said Lee. “It felt like having a teammate to chat through strategy about biking in the mud, plan practice times on the course and to have camaraderie.”
The athletes also expressed gratitude for their support systems and hope to inspire other competitors.
“This is my daily meditation,” said Smith, a mom of two who overcame recent surgeries to compete. “If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed by kids, work or whatever you have going on, it’s worth taking the 15 minutes or two hours to go after your goals.”
Lee concluded, “If you’re curious about an XTERRA triathlon, just give it a try (no pun intended). Don’t worry about being perfect or having all the right equipment. Focus on getting out there, enjoying the experience and letting the community inspire you.”