Well Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s here, and this is how it’s going to roll.

For those of you who didn’t join us for last weekend’s event or are taking part for the first time, a virtual race is completed on your own wherever you are in the world. Ultra X set the distance, start date and rules, and you get it done and record evidence of your time. As Sergei the meerkat would say: simples.

The Ultra X Virtual Race World Series will encompass three qualifying races and a grand final. The dates of these are below. Get ’em in your diary now, if you still keep one (bonus points for working out what the total distance of the three qualifying rounds equates to…)

Qualifier 1 – Saturday 2nd May – 8km
Qualifier 2 – Saturday 16th May – 15km
Qualifier 3 – Saturday 30th May – 19km

Grand Final – Saturday 13th June – distance to be announced the day before the race at 1200 BST (12th June).

Entry to each race is £5 and Ultra X will be donating half of every entry fee to the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 appeal.

You can purchase entry to all three qualifiers at once for £12, of which half will also go to charity.

If you make it there, entry to the final is free!

Oh, and did we mention? This time round, there will be prize money. Lots of prize money.

Points and global standings

On the Monday after each race, the results will be published online, and the global standings updated. Will you earn enough points to make the final? That is the question.

Points are awarded based on two factors: the number of races completed and your speed. We don’t want to bore you with our complicated points structure in this article but in short, if you are VERY fast you may or may not have to do every qualifier to reach the final. However, if you are slower, you will probably have to complete all three qualifiers to make the big day. And even then, it’s not guaranteed (sad face emoji).

Categories and prize money

Prize money will be awarded to overall and age group podium finishers of the grand final on Saturday 13th June as below:

• Overall male 1st, 2nd, 3rd (£200, £100, £50)
• Overall female 1st, 2nd, 3rd (£200, £100, £50)

• Male 18-25 (£100, £75 and £30)
• Female 18-25 (£100, £75 and £30)

• Male 26-39 (£100, £75 and £30)
• Female 26-39 (£100, £75 and £30)

• Male 40+ (£100, £75 and £30)
• Female 40+ (£100, £75 and £30)

Wildcard qualification

Now, this is where our awesomeness really shines through. As well as the 100 places available for the highest points earners from the qualifiers, there will be a further 10 wildcard places available for the final. These wildcard spots will be reserved for anyone who has participated in at least two qualifying races and will be selected by a random number generator. As such, anyone has a chance to make it to the grand final.

And now for the finale. Drum roll please…

We will be selecting one lucky winner (using a random number generator) from everyone that completes the final, to win £1,000 CASH!!!!! That’s right, if you thought furlough was good now, you just wait until you have another grand in the bank! All you have to do to be eligible is make it to the final and finish the race.

Medals

Everyone who participates in a race will be able to purchase a medal. Medals will be distributed at the end of the Virtual Race World Series. Depending on how many races you do, you will get a different colour ribbon.

Number of qualifying races completed:

1 – White ribbon
2 – Bronze ribbon
3 – Silver ribbon 

Final – Gold ribbon

Right, that is enough for now. REGISTRATIONS OPEN ON SATURDAY PEOPLE!!!

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