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Masters Challenge

Standings

masters challenge logo

The Master’s Challenge consists of two fun and challenging season-long race series that identify Far West’s most consistently fast Senior and Master racers (age 20 and above). In the Age-Group Competition, men and women compete against other skiers in their same age group. In the Age-Handicapped Competition, all women compete against each other in one giant competition, and similarly for men.

Racers must be Far West Nordic members to be eligible for these competitions. Members are automatically signed up when they join or renew their memberships. We prefer you join early in the season but, if you join late, we are likely to be merciful and count your earlier races. 

Important: please use the exact same name when you join Far West and when you register for races since, otherwise, you will confuse our feeble computer!

For purposes of these competitions, a skier’s age does not change during the season. Their age on December 31 during the season is used as their age for the entire season.

Contact masters@farwestnordic.org with questions, comments, and result corrections.

  • For men and for women, there is a 10-year Senior age group (20 – 29) and there are 5-year age groups for Masters (30 and above).
  • For each Master’s Challenge race, the top finisher in each gender and age group is awarded 5 points, the second is awarded 4 points, and so on down to 1 point for the fifth place finisher. Beyond the fifth place finisher, racers get no points but get credit for finishing the race.
  • To be eligible for prizes, a racer must complete at least five Master’s Challenge races, including at least one classic race.
  • After the last race, each racer’s points from their best five races are added and ranked against the other racers in their gender and age group. In the event of ties, the sixth, seventh, etc., races are compared.
  • The top three men and top three women in each age group are awarded prizes.

Below is a concise version of the rules. For a more thorough explanation, click here.

  • For each Master’s Challenge race, each racer receives points according to the formula:

10 + Y * (N – 0.5) / N + 45 * (N – P + 0.5) / N

where N is the number of skiers of the same gender in the race, including Far West members and non-members; P is the racer’s finishing place among all skiers of the same gender in the race; and Y is the number of years that the skier’s age exceeds 34. For example, for a first place finisher, P = 1; for second place, P = 2; for a 20-year old or 34-year old, Y = 0; for a 35-year old, Y = 1; for an 80-year old, Y = 46. The formula balances the points awarded for placing well, which usually favor younger skiers, with points awarded for age, which favor older skiers.

  • To be eligible for prizes, a racer must complete at least five Master’s Challenge races.
  • A season total is computed for each racer by adding the points from their best five races and then adding 10 points for each race they complete beyond their first five. Racers are ranked using these totals against other racers in their gender.
  • The top three men and top three women are awarded prizes.

Note: The Age-Handicapped Competition used to be part of the Sierra Ski Chase but was moved to the Master’s Challenge for the 2017-18 season.

Master’s Challenge Qualifying Races

Many race days include races of several distances. Generally, the longest race is the only one that is scored for the Master’s Challenge. There are exceptions for the California Gold Rush and the Mammoth Marathon. Men and women in any age group will be scored in the Master’s Challenge if they race the Gold Rush or the Mammoth full marathon.  In addition, W1+ (meaning women in the W1 age group or older) and M7+ will be scored if they race the Silver Rush.  W9+ and M9+ will be scored if they race the Bronze Rush. W7+ and M9+ will be scored if they race the Mammoth half marathon.

If there is a citizen’s race and a separate USSS-sanctioned race of the same distance, then only the citizen’s race will be scored.

Age Groups
Seniors 20-29 M/W 6 55-59
M/W 1 30-34 M/W 7 60-64
M/W 2 35-39 M/W 8 65-69
M/W 3 40-44 M/W 9 70-74
M/W 4 45-49 M/W 10 75-79
M/W 5 50-54 … and so forth