The story so far!
With just one race remaining in our 2026 Summer Adventure Race Series, the competition for podium spots is heating up! We’ve reviewed the scores so far and provided a summary of where things stand across all Masters categories — Open, Female, Vets Open, and Vets Female.
Questars Summer Series Championship – a reminder
The Questars Summer Series Championship covers our six summer races (including our two-day race which counts as two one-day races). Everyone’s top four results count towards their series score, with a minimum of four races required to be considered for prizes. Series points are calculated per individual participant / team member. If an individual’s team composition between races changes, their series points are unaffected. Individuals in teams with the same team members throughout the series will gain the same series points and ranking on the series leaderboard.
Race scores are converted into series points and series points from different races are added together for each person, to give their series score.
Series points are calculated by dividing an individual’s race score by the overall race winner’s score and multiplying by 1,000.
An example is shown below:
| Pos. | Race Score | Series Points | Calculation |
| 1st | 800 | 1,000 | (800/800)*1,000 |
| 28th | 400 | 500 | (400/800)*1,000 |
Calculating series points like this improves consistency throughout the series by minimising the impact of variable conditions between races which are beyond the course planner’s control e.g. the weather.
Vets Scoring – a reminder
Our Vets category starts at 50 and an individual’s score is adjusted above this age with individuals receiving a 1.5% increase for every year that they are over 50. How this works is set out below:
| Age | Score | Vets | Calculation |
| 50 | 500 | 508 | 500+(500*(1*1.5%)) |
| 55 | 500 | 545 | 500+(500*(6*1.5%)) |
All team members take the age of their oldest team member and ages are taken as of 1 March each year.
Racers are only eligible for one podium spot, so if a racer finishes on the podium in both the Vets and non-Vets categories then their higher (or non-Vets) placing takes precedence.
The state of play with one race to go
After four wins from the four races he has taken part in, Campbell Walsh has sewn up another very well-deserved Series victory in the Open category, congratulations Campbell!
In the other three categories — it’s wide open! With several racers just a whisker away from the top in their respective categories, we’re set for thrilling finishes across the board.
We’ve analyzed not just the current standings, but also projected the leaderboard based on each racer’s three best results so far — since a racer’s best four scores count, this is what can be added to at the weekend.
There’s still everything to play for in the South Downs on Saturday, and it promises to be a gripping conclusion! Click here to view the full leaderboard. Below, we’ve broken down the standings across each of the categories.
Masters Female
Taking four races, Emma Gill leads the way with 3,231 followed by Pollie Boyle and Ellie Caple & Serena Howell.
| Pos. | Name | Overall Score |
| 1 | Emma Gill | 3231 |
| 2 | Pollie Boyle | 3053 |
| 3 | Ellie Caple | 2993 |
| 3= | Serena Howell | 2993 |
| 4 | Sarah Russell | 2822 |
| 5 | Mandy Hibberd | 2811 |
| 6 | Vanessa Fisher | 2729 |
The leaderboard after the best-three races shows a potential of seven racers who could still make the podium. Bonnie van Wilgenburg is in the driving seat and takes a 213-point lead into the final race with Emma Gill next best placed.
| Pos. | Name | Top-3 Score |
| 1 | Bonnie van Wilgenburg | 2683 |
| 2 | Emma Gill | 2470 |
| 3 | Pollie Boyle | 2333 |
| 4 | Jen Hunt | 2323 |
| 5 | Ellie Caple | 2270 |
| 5= | Serena Howell | 2270 |
| 6 | Mandy Hibberd | 2175 |
| 7 | Sarah Russell | 2123 |
Masters Open
With four wins, Campbell Walsh has been crowned our Series champion! Behind him, Ben Hawkins and Gary Davies make up the podium.
| Pos. | Name | Overall Score |
| 1 | Campbell Walsh | 4000 |
| 2 | Ben Hawkins | 3841 |
| 3 | Gary Davies | 3789 |
| 4 | Steve Burnham | 3708 |
| 5 | Kevin Stephens | 3693 |
The leaderboard after three races shows seven racers within a race win of the podium spots and a good race from any one of them will result in some rejigging of the podium spots.
| Pos. | Name | Top-3 Score |
| 1 | Campbell Walsh | 3000 |
| 2 | Tom Gibbs | 2991 |
| 3 | Ben Hawkins | 2898 |
| 4 | Gary Davies | 2892 |
| 5 | Tom Davies | 2890 |
| 6 | Kevin Stephens | 2858 |
| 7 | Steve Burnham | 2817 |
| 8 | Daniel Thorby | 2814 |
Masters Female Vets
Taking four races into account, Emma Gill leads the way with an adjusted Series score of 3376 points from Pollie Boyle and Maggie Salter & Liz Jones.
| Pos. | Name | Overall Score |
| 1 | Emma Gill | 3376 |
| 2 | Pollie Boyle | 3192 |
| 3 | Maggie Salter | 3183 |
| 4 | Liz Jones | 3183 |
| 5 | Ella Pyman | 3092 |
| 6 | Sarah Russell | 2989 |
The leaderboard taking the top-three results shows Emma taking what looks like an insurmountable lead into the final race, however Emma is also in the running for the non-Vets win. Should she win this then she will drop out of the running for the Vets category which would lead to a really close fight between Pollie Boyle and Maggie Salter & Liz Jones and leave the battle for the podium wide open.
| Pos. | Name | Top-3 Score |
| 1 | Emma Gill | 2581 |
| 2 | Pollie Boyle | 2439 |
| 3 | Maggie Salter | 2410 |
| 4 | Liz Jones | 2410 |
| 5 | Ella Pyman | 2336 |
| 6 | June Kingsbury | 2335 |
| 7 | Carmen Elphick | 2275 |
| 8 | Sarah Russell | 2248 |
Masters Open Vets
Taking four races, Kevin Stephens leads the way from Nick Gracie and Steve Burnham.
| Pos. | Name | Overall Score |
| 1 | Kevin Stephens | 4026 |
| 2 | Nick Gracie | 3921 |
| 3 | Steve Burnham | 3874 |
| 4 | David Salter | 3529 |
The leaderboard after the best-three races shows a potential of seven racers who could still make the podium. Tom Gibbs is in the driving seat and takes a 115-point lead into the final race with Kevin Stephens next best placed. Nick Gracie can still overhaul Kevin with a final-day race win.
| Pos. | Name | Top-3 Score |
| 1 | Tom Gibbs | 3231 |
| 2 | Kevin Stephens | 3116 |
| 3 | Nick Gracie | 2952 |
| 4 | Mark Chryssanthou | 2945 |
| 5 | Steve Burnham | 2943 |
| 6 | Carl Silver | 2821 |
| 7 | David Salter | 2778 |
