So, how does my ranking get calculated?

Short answer: a lot of math.

Now for the longer answer.

USA Triathlon’s rankings system is based on pacesetters in the race who determine the par time. Each athlete is then compared against that par time and issued a score. Because each race is unique, you may receive a higher score in one race even if you consider your finish time in another race to be better.

What are pacesetters?

Athletes who completed three or more triathlons (2 or more for all other sports) in 2022 were used as pacesetters for 2023.

How do pacesetters set par time?

For each pacesetter we multiply their race time by their 2022 overall score/100.

This means that if John is a pacesetter, he finishes a race in 1:30:00 (90 minutes), and his overall score from last year was 95.234 (.95234) his calculated time would be 85.7 minutes: 90 minutes x .95234 = 85.7106. This is their “calculated time.”

We do this for all pacesetters and then use the middle 60% to determine par time.

After calculating each pacesetter’s calculated time, we order the pacesetters by it and then drop the top and bottom 20 percent of pacesetters. We then average the remaining middle 60%.

How many pacesetters are there?

Some races may only have one; some may have 400 or more! (it is based on who in the race meets pacesetter qualifications).

How do I get a score for my race?

Your race score is determined by the par time, which is the average calculated time of the middle 60 percent of the pacesetters.

Whew! Easy right?! Ok – a few more details.

If the par time of John’s race is 87 minutes, and he finished in 90 minutes, his score would be 96.667 (87 / 90 = .9667 * 100 =96.667).

How is my national ranking score calculated?

It depends on the sport you are racing (each is ranked separately).

• For triathlon rankings, your top three scores are averaged to create your final ranking.

• For duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike or off-road triathlon rankings, your top two scores are averaged for your final ranking.

The only other requirement to get a national ranking: Be a USA Triathlon annual member! To be ranked in 2023, you must have a membership that is active as of 12/31/2023.

New for 2024

Beginning in 2024, USA Triathlon has removed the 10% gender grade bonus from the female category. When viewing rankings, athletes are ranked by gender and age group. Since scores are not compared between gender categories, it is not necessary to add this gender grade bonus. This removal will not impact ranking for those competing in the female category. However, your score may appear lower than previous years due to this removal. We are in the process of updating our elite license qualification race score criteria for both men and women to reflect this change. USA Triathlon is committed to ensuring fair treatment and equal access within the multisport community for both athletes and industry professionals. This removal continues to align with our commitment to equality as we begin the ranking process for 2024.

How are All-Americans selected?

All-American honors are awarded to the top 10% in each age-group. All-Americans are recognized annually in the spring issue of USA Triathlon Magazine. The print edition of the spring 2024 USA Triathlon Magazine will be delivered to Gold and Platinum members at the end of April.

Want to receive the print version of USA Triathlon Magazine?

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