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The 28th XTERRA World Championships wrapped up Saturday in the village of Molveno in Trentino, Italy with the long-course race and an Eagle-Vail trio posted a pair of top-10 finishes.

Josiah Middaugh was the top American in the off-road triathlon, placing fifth overall. The 46-year-old finished the 750-meter swim, 32-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer trail run in a time of 2 hours, 36 minutes and 48 seconds. He finished two minutes in front of his oldest son, Sullivan in seventh as the youngest member of the family, Porter (2:49:43), placed 23rd.

“Mud was really tough for me. I didn’t quite have the technical skills to stay on the bike as much as I needed to,” Porter Middaugh told XTERRA. “Always a good thing to finish. I was really trying to fight to the end, stay mentally in it. Try not to give in to the tough conditions.”

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France’s Arthur Serrieres (2:26:31) won his third-straight long-course title, pulling away from countryman Felix Forissier (2:27:45) early in the run. Jens Emil Sloth Nielsen of Denmark (2:31:06) rounded out the podium.

“The race was spectacular,” Serrieres told XTERRA. “On the run, I knew I had a little gap and still had some energy left. I caught Felix quickly and pushed hard to drop him…It’s a pleasure to race here — three in a row. Hopefully, there’s a chance next year for four, but I think Felix deserves to have a title.”

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“The bike was okay — I tried to push Arthur to the limit on the climbs and downhills, but he’s just incredible on the run, and I couldn’t keep up,” said Forissier, who claimed the overall World Cup season title.

“It was my first objective of the season — and I’m really happy about it,” he stated. “But I’m a bit disappointed because I came here to win the World Championship. That’s the game, though; Arthur was stronger today.”

Roughly 1,000 athletes from 52 countries qualified for the world championships, which were held in Italy for the third year in a row after spending a quarter century in Maui, Hawaii. Fifty-one men and 31 women battled for a 100,000 euros prize purse.

Sullivan Middaugh — who won the short-track title on Wednesday — came through the swim (which was cut in half from its standard distance because of cold water and air temperature) in 10th place, just 24 seconds off the pace of leader Jens Roth. He closed the gap early on the bike, forming a breakaway trio with Serrieres and Forissier. But on the cobblestone section of the first lap, the 2022 Battle Mountain graduate took a hard fall and lost connection for good.

“It kind of affected his second lap a lot,” said Josiah Middaugh, who was in 14th place at the time. After the race, Sullivan Middaugh was being treated for cuts and bruises and wasn’t available for comment.

As the French teammates pulled away, Josiah and Sullivan worked together in fifth and sixth place during the second lap.

“I think we’re a team out there,” Josiah Middaugh said. “One of us is having a tough day and I think the other one needs to take up the slack. I tried to motivate him and get him going again. It was nice to have him in the second lap to keep me going.”

On the women’s side, France’s Solenne Billouin used a dominant bike leg to claim her third-straight long-course title as well.

“I stuck to my plan, checking my watts and stayed consistent, especially in the technical parts. On the run, I knew I was good. I was alone but had to believe in myself, and I did,” Billouin told XTERRA. “We’ve worked a lot on the mental aspect with my coach. Three times consecutive and 2024 double champ — it’s why it’s very emotional for me, and I’m very happy.”