Athletes from 38 nations will be ready to do the iconic jump from the ferry to participate in Zalaris Norseman Xtreme Triathlon and XTRI World Championship on the 2nd of August 2025.
The official start list for the Zalaris Norseman Xtreme Triathlon 2025 has now been published. The interest in participating in the world's toughest triathlon reached an all-time high when the lottery for the 2025 edition opened in October 2024. A total of 6,304 athletes from 96 countries applied for a coveted spot.
"Norseman has become a mecca for triathlon. This year's start list includes 293 athletes who are now preparing for race day. Based on previous years, we know that some will have to withdraw before the event, so we expect around 250 participants to jump from the ferry into the – often - freezing Hardangerfjord on Saturday 2nd of August", says race director Fredrik Mandt.
This year's athletes represent a wide array of backgrounds and nationalities. The participants are from 38 different countries, underscoring Norseman's global appeal. Of the 293 athletes, 88 are from Norway—roughly 30 per cent of the field.
Will the women's course record from 2018 be challenged?
In 2018, the Norwegian athlete Mette Pettersen Moe set a new course record at the Zalaris Norseman Xtreme Triathlon with an impressive time of 11 hours, 16 minutes, and 10 seconds.
Last year, the female champion Laura Zimmermann was close, finishing just 14 minutes behind Pettersen Moe's record from 2018.
- We believe the female course record can be challenged this year, but we never know what challenges Mother Nature will bring on race day, says Mandt.
- The women’s field is strong this year, and it will be exciting to see how it develops, Mandt adds.
Julia Skala from Germany just earned a P4 in the PRO field at Ironman Lanzarote on May 17 and is among the favourites despite being a debutant at Norseman. Many athletes have strong results and experience from the course, including Flora Colledge (P1 in 2023 and several Norseman podiums), Claire Weller (P2 in 2024), and Heini Hartikainen (P2 in 2018). Laura Kessler from Switzerland is also making her debut at Norseman, and could challenge the podium too, earning a P15 at Ironman 70.3 Pays d'Aix.
In the men's field, two Norwegian Norseman veterans are the favourites. Kristian Grue came second in 2021 and 2022 and earned a P16 in the PRO field at Ironman Lanzarote this year, while Hans Christian Tungesvik won the race in 2019.