Wilderman Full (Wilderman Offroad Triathlon)
Walhalla (Pembina Gorge), United States · July · END Racing (Extreme North Dakota)
Latest edition: Held 2014-2019, 2021, 2024. Cancelled 2020 (COVID), 2022 (trail/road damage), 2023 (low numbers). 2026 date was 18 Jul (TrainerDay says 19 Jul); organizer page header also shows 'July 2028' (conflict); no 2025/2026 results or reports found. Full is only held if 10 full entrants register by 1 Jun; otherwise only the half runs.
Why people love it
- Wild gravel, ATV and mountain-bike course of 113.4 mi (182.5 km (113 mi)) with river crossings and a bushwhacking trail run
- Small cult field; calls itself harder than an Ironman
Watch out for
- Very small field; race cancelled in 3 of the last 7 years
- Full only held if 10 full entrants register by 1 June
- No chip timing, sparse aid, navigation required
- Dates on the organiser page conflict (2026 vs 2028); currently on hiatus
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.8
Two glowing reports from a cult field, though the numbers are tiny and several years were cancelled. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate2.8
No chip timing, sparse aid and split locations. Cancelled in 2020, 2022 and 2023. The full needs 10 full entrants by 1 June. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyExperts only1.0
Navigation, self-sufficiency and no chip timing. Finish rates were about 50-65% in most years. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialVery slow1.0
Winning times of 16:45 (men) and 22:21 (women) make personal bests a non-issue. · High confidence
- Course easeExtreme1.0
113.4 mi (182.5 km (113 mi)) of gravel, ATV trail and river wades, then a 26.7 mi (43 km (26.7 mi)) bushwhacking trail run. The hardest in this group. · High confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip3.0
One data point from 2017: mid-70s °F (about 24 °C (75 °F) / 75 °F), right at the 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) limit. Expect a coin flip. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.7
About 24 °C (75 °F) in 2017, slightly warm compared with the comfortable 19-23 °C (66-73 °F). One data point. · Low confidence
- Calm waterSome chop3.0
In 2017 the water was calm on the way out, with chop building on the return leg of a narrow lake. · Medium confidence
- Swim easeEasy3.8
An out-and-back lake swim. The 2017 winner swam about 75 minutes for 2.4 mi (3.9 km (2.4 mi)). · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceFine2.8
A narrow lake with a simple start. A 2016 half report mentions algae, and there is little other commentary. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceRough1.1
About 10 mi (16 km (9.9 mi)) paved, 34 mi (55 km (34.2 mi)) of ATV trail and 68 mi (109 km (67.7 mi)) of gravel, with mud ditches. · High confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.5
Remote farm roads and trails with low traffic. Not formally closed. · Low confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful3.9
Barley, canola and flax fields, wildlife and gorge trails were praised in 2017. · Medium confidence
- WindSome wind2.8
A forum post cites a steady 14 mph (22 km/h (13.7 mph)) wind across open farm fields. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedVery slow1.0
The 2017 winner took 9:25 for about 112 mi (180 km (112 mi)) over gravel, ATV trails and river crossings. · High confidence
- Bike flatnessRolling3.3
Elevation is not published. Pembina Gorge ATV trails and farm roads suggest rolling terrain. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicityTechnical1.5
Banked 5 ft (1.5 m (4.9 ft)) ATV trails, mud ditches and two waist-deep Pembina River crossings. · Medium confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportLonely1.0
Remote trail and creek beds with only a handful of volunteers. · High confidence
- Aid stationsThin1.5
In 2017 aid was sparse with drop bags, plus a remote farmhouse T2 with water and bananas. · Medium confidence
- Run sceneryPleasant3.4
Gorge trail and creek bed. Little commentary. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsBrutal1.0
Only about 7 mi (11 km (6.8 mi)) of the 26.7 mi (43 km (26.7 mi)) is truly runnable, the rest is bushwhacking. The 2017 winner's run took 8:14. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessRolling2.8
Steep gorge trail sections. Gain is not published. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.0
Mid-July North Dakota highs often reach 27-30 °C (81-86 °F), with a thunderstorm risk. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityUnsettled2.0
Rain changes the creek beds within hours. Damage cancelled 2022, and mud shortened a 2016 half bike by 4 mi (6 km (3.7 mi)). · Medium confidence
- Venue beautyLovely3.5
Pembina Gorge is a wooded landscape in an otherwise flat state. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyHard to watch1.0
Separate T1, T2 and finish in a remote area. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.4
Pembina Gorge sits at about 300-450 m (980-1,480 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilitySells out early2.0
Only one hotel in Walhalla per a 2017 report, though the field is capped near 40. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.0
No pricing data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityMostly driving2.0
T1, T2 and the finish at Walhalla Country Club are separate. · Low confidence
- Travel easeAwkward1.6
Remote north-east North Dakota near Canada. Grand Forks airport is roughly 1.5-2 hours away, about 150 km (93 mi) (unverified). · Medium confidence
- LogisticsComplex1.0
T1, T2 and the finish are in different places, with drop bags and GPX navigation. · High confidence
- Town and foodLimited1.8
A very small town. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Walhalla (Pembina Gorge), North Dakota, United States
- Typical month
- July
- Latest or next date
- 18 July 2026
- Organiser
- END Racing (Extreme North Dakota)
- Field size
- About 40 athletes
- Entry fee
- About $310
- First held
- 2014
- Distances
- 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike, 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Lake near Walhalla (Pembina Gorge) (lake)
- Water temperature
- 24 °C (75 °F)
- Swim start
- mass
- Bike laps
- 2
- Nearest airport
- Grand Forks (GFK) (approx, unverified)
- Where to stay
- Walhalla
- Booking
- 2017 report: only hotel in Walhalla; HQ Walhalla Country Club.
What racers and reviewers say
- Slowtwitch: Wilderman: A Love StoryRaced 2017 · article · Positive
Race winner's account of the 2017 full. Warm lake swim with a windy return; bike was mostly gravel farm road and ATV trails with two river wades. The run was mostly bushwhacking through creek beds and overgrown trail, with sparse aid and drop bags. Calls it nutty but loved it; split T1/T2/finish and no chip timing.
“the difficulty makes the lows a bit lower and the highs even higher”
- Slowtwitch forum: Wilderman Half is nearly fullRaced 2018 · forum · Positive
Returning racer says the event is everything the sport should be and best viewed as swim-bike-adventure race. Advises gravel bike (hardtail if wet), warns of route-finding on run and a steady wind of about 14 mph (22 km/h (13.7 mph)). Notes surprising gorge terrain; field capped at 40 per distance.
“everything this sport should be”
- BibRave: Wilderman Triathlon reviews (Half-Wilderman)Raced 2016 · aggregator · Mixed
Half-distance review (not the full), seen only through a search snippet; page returned 404 on fetch. Mentions an out-and-back lake swim around a buoy and a bike shortened from 66 mi (106 km (65.9 mi)) to 62 mi (100 km (62.1 mi)) because of mud. Included for course-character evidence only.
Radio feature quoting the organizer's description (2.4 mi / 3.9 km (2.4 mi) swim, 113.4 mi / 182.5 km (113 mi) gravel/MTB, 26.7 mi / 43 km (26.7 mi) trail run) and director Joel Larson urging entrants to research before signing up. Page could not be fetched (rate limited), so only the search snippet was used.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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