With one race of our 2024 Summer Adventure Race Series to go, the battle for podium places is really hotting up! We have looked at the scores to date and summarised the state of play below for all Masters categories (Open, Female, Vets Open, Vets Female) and relevant Novice categories.

Questars Summer Series Championship – a reminder

The Questars Summer Series Championship covers our five 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.

In the event of a tie at the top, head-to-head race results will be used to determine the series winner (i.e. who beat who in the races in which all the tied participants took part). If this is also tied (e.g. everyone beat each other once) then the combined times (only for these head-to-head races) will be used, with the person with the fastest cumulative time being the series champion.

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:

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:

All team members take the age of their oldest team member and ages are taken as of 1 March each year.

The state of play with one race to go

The only thing clear in reviewing the current leaderboard is that nothing is clear! We are set for exciting finishes across the board with a number of racers within touching distance of the top of the leaderboard within their respective categories.

I have looked not only at the current leaderboard but also the leaderboard taking each individual’s three best scores from the first four races (as the four best scores count giving each individual opportunity to add to this).

There is a lot to still be decided in Stroud on 14 September and it will be fascinating to see how it all plays out! Please click here to review the full leaderboard, we have looked at each of the Masters categories below.

Masters Female

Taking four races, Katherina Pedersen leads the way with 3,471 followed by Helen Chapman and Ella Pyman. To take the win, Helen would need a score of 968 points in the Cotswolds and hope that Katherina doesn’t add to her score. Helen had the race of her life last time we were in the Cotswolds back in February, another performance like that and she would be in with a shout.

The leaderboard after three races shows a close race with Emma Gill, Julia Kingsbury, Pollie Boyle and Vanessa Fisher all in with a shout of the podium.

Masters Open

Counting four races, Nick Gracie leads the way with 3,471 points ahead of Tom Hards and Rob Smart. To take the win, Tom would need a score of at least 853 and Rob would need a score of at least 876 to take over Nick’s current score.

The leaderboard after three races shows Carl Silver leading the way at the top and needing a score of 614 to overhaul Nick’s current score. James Lea-Cox, Phil Haycock, Eddie Winthorpe and Richard Gill are also all in with a shout of a place on the podium or better.

Novice

The leaderboard after three races shows an incredible tight race with Mark and Sarah Lowden leading the way with a score of 1784 points, just 22 points ahead of Graeme Blair with Graeme and Aidan Williams just 18 points further back. Stefan Douglas, Nick Hopewell and Nick Stafford make up the rest of the top-five and are well placed should they have a good final race.

Masters Female Vets

Taking four races into account, Ella Pyman leads the way with 3050 points from Nina Ingham.

The leaderboard taking the top-three results once again shows Ella Pyman leading the way with Pollie Boyle, Maggie Salter and Liz Jones all also in with a shout of the podium.

Masters Open Vets

Taking four races, Nick Gracie leads the way with an adjusted Series score of 3625 points ahead of Rob Smart and Eddie Winthorpe.

The leaderboard taking the top-three results shows Phil Haycock leading the way at the top and needing an adjusted score of 874 to overhaul Nick’s current score. David Salter and Andy Prince are both also in with a shout of a place on the podium.

Novice Vets

Graeme Blair leads the way after three races with a score of 1745 from Stefan Douglas and Nick Hopewell in second with 1499 and Nick Stafford in third with 1371.