With the 2008 XTERRA World Championships in Maui now just a few days away, here is a gallery of images of the 2008 US XTERRA Championships in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

All images © Nils Nilsen/XTERRA

Chrissie Wellington, the new Empress of Kona, shrugs off a flat, smashes the field, and weeps with joy.

Not if you’re Chrissie W, who might still be standing on the side of a wind-blasted Kona Coast road but for Rebecca Keat. Here’s Andy Potts’ tale of camaraderie.

Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), that growing aggregation of premier endurance brands powered by private equity, will temporarily shrink by one brand.

The 2008 Ford Ironman World Championships are now in the books and here are a few images from the exciting day.

The rematch between “Macca” and “Crowie” fizzled, and Wellington’s duel with the 8:45 and 8:47 Iron record setters was made briefly interesting by ten interminable roadside minutes.

Injuries left the most reliable racer at Kona (2nd, 5th, 4th from 2003 through 2005) off the map. While virtually nobody knows it, Rutger is back and he’s dangerous

Outguessing Madame Pele on Ironman Day is a fool’s errand. But here we go again.

The athletes had 5 hours today to check in their bikes into the bike pen on the pier. Slowtwitch was there to capture some images of the athletes and their bikes.

Last year, Chrissie Wellington was an unkown dark horse and her shocking victory was the biggest upset in Kona history. hius year, it will be the biggest upset in Kona history if she doesn’t win.

With only 2 days left until the Ironman World Championships you can surely feel the anticipation getting bigger. The racers of course are maybe a bit more nervous and those who get to watch the event appear super excited.

Presaging the global cooling that will follow centuries of global warming, mild temperatures caused by airborne volcanic ash blocking the sun’s rays greeted parade participants.

Photos of random apres-parade rendezvous with notables and others are also displayed herein.