McPherson and Kingsford Claim Victory at 9th Xterra Québec

Why it matters: Kieran McPherson and Samantha Kingsford, both from New Zealand, have won the 9th annual Xterra Québec off-road triathlon, adding to their already impressive career wins.

Setting the pace The athletes faced off at Manoir du Lac Delage in the French-speaking region of eastern Canada, with Sam Osborne initially leading the men's race and Kingsford consistently setting the pace in the women's event.

What they're saying:

• "Edmond put me under pressure on the first lap," said Osborne.
• "I got a time split saying that I was maybe three minutes back going into T2 so I knew I had to run pretty aggressively," shared McPherson.
• "I spent the last three days on the phone with Air Canada trying to find my bags," McPherson joked.
• "It was pretty wet out there but still an epic course," said Kingsford.

By the numbers:

• McPherson secured his sixth career Xterra World Tour win.
• Kingsford marked her 10th big win.
• McPherson finished the race 45 seconds ahead of fellow Kiwi, Sam Osborne.
• Kingsford won with a lead of more than 12 minutes ahead of the first-year elite Maude Plouffe from Canada.

Between transition: There was an unexpected element of drama as both McPherson and Osborne had troubles with their gear being misplaced by Air Canada, with McPherson retrieving his gear late the night before the race.

Through Time: For McPherson, this win comes in succession to his victory at Xterra Victoria in British Columbia, Canada the previous week. Kingsford too, has proven her consistency in the sport with her 10th win.

Top 5 Elite Men
XWR - Name, NAT (Time)
1 - Kieran McPherson, NZL (2:56:11)
2 - Sam Osborne, NZL (2:56:57)
3 - Edmond Roy, CAN (2:58:11)
4 - Xavier Plouffe, CAN (3:05:38)
5 - Steve Croucher, USA (3:13:09)

Top 5 Women
XWR - Name, NAT (Time)
1 - Samantha Kingsford, NZL (3:37:57)
2 - Maude Plouffe, CAN (3:50:34)
3 - Leya Masson, CAN* (4:03:20)
4 - Amanda Presgraves, USA (4:07:59)
5 - Courtney Kaup, USA* (4:08:07)