Rowlands Crowned Cross Duathlon World Champion

Local MTB rider and athlete Kristen Rowlands has won the 2024 World Triathlon Cross Duathlon Championship held in Townsville over the weekend.

Kristen, competing in the 18-19 Female category, emerged victorious in this demanding event.

For those unfamiliar, a Cross Duathlon is a challenging multi-sport event that combines trail running and mountain biking, typically set on rugged, off-road terrain. Participants kick off with a trail run, transition to a mountain bike segment, and conclude with another trail run. In Kristen’s case, the event involved a 6km trail run, a 20km mountain bike ride, and a final 3.2km trail run along the scenic coastline of Pallarenda in Townsville. Kristen completed this gruelling course in an impressive 2 hours and 37 minutes.

“This was one of the toughest events I have ever done,” Kristen shared. “The training was intense, and the competition even tougher, but my determination and dedication paid off. I can now proudly say I am a World Champion!”

A significant part of Kristen’s preparation took place on the trails of Finch Hatton MTB, which opened in April and quickly became a cornerstone of her training routine.

“The trails at Finch Hatton have become one of my go-to training grounds,” Kristen explained. “The climb to the top is hard work, but the exhilarating ride down makes it all worthwhile. It’s the perfect place to prepare both my body and mind for an event like this.”

Training so close to home not only helped Kristen fine-tune her fitness on the bike but also allowed her to have fun while practicing her descending skills.

The win automatically qualifies Kristen into the Australian team for 2025 World Champs to be held in Pontevedra, Spain.

Keep an eye out for this World Champ on the trails. Congrats Kristen!