He might be the South African Xterra Champion but Sunday’s World Championships at Maui is all about having fun for Richard Murray.
Murray won the Totalsports Xterra SA Champs at Grabouw in February. On the day he surprised firm favourites Conrad Stoltz and Dan Hugo. Being a lover of mountain biking and a firm believer in always having fun no matter what, Murray feels no pressure and has no definite expectations for Maui.
“I’m not hundred percent sure what to expect in Maui. I will probably have to swim medium-fast, bike at an insane pace and go into survival mode for the run with broken legs. After doing one non-draft triathlon and the Totalsports Xterra South African Championships at the start of the year, I have noticed that these events are usually won and lost on the bike. I think the bike leg and the last 5km of the run will be where the positions are won or lost. I know that the swim will not be the same as at an ITU event, but there will be some good swimmers in the field this year so I will need to watch out.”
This will be Murray’s first time at Xterra Maui. “Xterra World Champs has been a dream race of mine for years. I love off-road events, and to be able to take part in the World Champs means a lot to me. Every season I stay up late at night due to the time zones difference and wait in anticipation for the Tweets from people at the event to come through. I am a big fan of mountain biking and I can’t wait to go up against some of these guys who are really strong on the bike and have some fun.”
Man oh man - xterra Maui is so on my bucketlist.
Now I just have to learn to swim....