"Xterra is more fun," said the 29-year-old Llanos, who finished fifth at the Ironman race in Kona on the Big Island.

Although the Xterra race is much shorter, the bike ride is harder, he said.

The two-time winner of the Maui race is among about 40 triathletes who completed the tough Ironman race and will challenge themselves again eight days later.

More than 570 triathletes, including 90 professionals, from 36 states and 22 countries are registered for the 9 a.m. (HST) race in the Makena area of South Maui.

While the Ironman course covered a distance of 140.6 miles, the Xterra course is about 27 miles. It includes a 1.5 kilometer rough water ocean swim; a 32 kilometer bike ride over rocky mountain trails to a height of 1,400 feet on the slopes of Haleakala, a dormant volcano; and a 10 kilometer trail run over sand and lava fields and through a section of thick brush and thorny kiawe. The swim also includes a 150-meter beach sprint between the two laps of the triangular course.

Last Saturday's race was only Llanos' third Ironman race and his first in Hawai'i, he said.

"So fifth place was good, but I would like to improve," he said.

"I'm feeling OK but not fully recovered," he said. He expects to be in good shape for Sunday's race "but not at 100 percent."

This will be his last race of the season before taking time off to rest. He plans to do another Ironman race before returning to Hawai'i next October, and also plans more races in the Xterra series.

Among the other professionals in the Maui race are defending champions Nicolas Lebrun of France and Melanie McQuaid of Canada, and two-time winner Conrad Stoltz of South Africa. Also competing is Llanos' older brother, Hektor, who completed he Ironman race as well.

Stoltz and McQuaid hold the course records — he in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds in 2002, and she in 2:57:08 in 2003.