A First Time for Everything for Eric Lagerstrom

After 20 years in triathlon, Eric Lagerstrom finally found XTERRA. And what a debut it was.

On May 8, 2021, at XTERRA Oak Mountain in Shelby County, Alabama, Lagerstrom dominated early by swimming away from the entire field.

He took a commanding 40-second lead out of the water and on to the trails, twisting and turning his way through single track all by himself for the first few miles before XTERRA master Sam Osborne caught up and the cat-and-mouse began.

Surprisingly, for both Lagerstrom and Osborne, the XTERRA rookie was hangin’ on.

“I was having a killer day,” said Lagerstrom after the race. “I was able to hang with Sam until 9K or so, but I slammed my back wheel hard into a sharp rock in a river crossing and couldn’t seal it with a plug. I was feeling so good, and was so stoked on not just instantly getting dropped by Sam.”

A dreaded double-flat took him out of contention, but didn’t dampen his spirits for the sport.

“I wish there was another race soon so I could go for some redemption,” he added. “I absolutely loved the event and the vibe, such a rad community! I think I just need a bit more time riding fast through technical stuff to get better at picking lines with a high heart rate.”

Eric’s Quick Facts:

Age: 31
Years racing: 20
Best Finish: St Anthony’s Champion and course record holder
Favorite Course: Escape from Alcatraz
Bike: Argon 18 (road)
Wetsuit: BlueSeventy
Shoes: Adidas
Helmet: Lazer or POC
Tires: Continental for road, Maxxis for off-road
Hometown: We just moved to Bend a month ago and the trails are starting to dry up, so I’ll be spending at least a couple rides a week on the trails.
Why did it take you so long to race XTERRA? I’ve always wanted to do XTERRA, but it’s been very challenging to fit it into my schedule, at first when I was chasing the Olympics, and more recently focusing on 70.3.
Were you a BMX kid before you were a triathlete? Haha 100% yes. I grew up on a BMX bike and if there had been a race track near my house I’m sure I’d be doing that, not triathlon right now. At least I would have tried!