Kristian Grue defends Norseman Xtreme Triathlon title as Alistair Brownlee finishes second

Norwegian long‑distance triathlete Kristian Grue won his second consecutive Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, completing the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and mountain marathon in 9 hours 53 minutes 45 seconds. The race, held from Eidfjord to the summit of Gaustatoppen in Norway, featured challenging currents in the Hardangerfjord and headwinds on the bike leg.

Two‑time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee of Great Britain finished second in 10 hours 18 minutes 19 seconds, staying with Grue for much of the race before being overtaken on the final ascent. Hans Christian Tungesvik took third place. In the women’s race, Slovakian Nikola Čorbová won, while Spain’s Sonia Tomegros claimed a historic third‑place podium finish, the first Spanish woman to do so. German runner Julia Skala won the overall women’s title.

Youngest female finisher Mia Walsøe Lehn, 23, completed the race in 18th place and earned the black shirt awarded to the 160 fastest runners on the final marathon segment.