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Race Formats

This document section outlines the various race formats supported by our platform for Hike & Fly competitions.

Standard Format

It is a plceholder for the FAI Official H&F Race

Adventure Format

The Adventure format represents the purest form of Hike & Fly racing. Key characteristics:

  • Athletes complete a course autonomously, designing their own route while passing through mandatory waypoints set by organizers
  • All waypoints must be reached in the specified sequence
  • Competitors can validate waypoints either:
  • On the ground (through GPS position or physical validation)
  • In the air (by flying through a cylinder around the waypoint)
  • Athletes must carry all their flying equipment throughout the entire course
  • No transportation means are allowed except paragliding
  • When moving on foot, only trail running/trekking poles are permitted as aids
  • The winner is the first athlete to cross the finish line having validated all waypoints in the correct sequence
  • For athletes not completing the full course, ranking is determined by:
  • Number of waypoints reached
  • Distance to the next unvalidated waypoint
  • Total remaining distance to goal through remaining waypoints

Vertical Format

The Vertical format combines hiking speed with flying precision. Key characteristics:

  • Athletes start from a designated point and hike up to takeoff following a marked trail
  • All flying equipment must be carried during the ascent
  • After reaching takeoff, pilots can fly without time constraints (within the task deadline)
  • The flight ends with a precision landing at the official landing zone
  • Scoring combines hiking performance and landing accuracy

Carambola Format

The Carambola format combines flight quality with hiking. Key characteristics: - Athletes start from a designated point and hike up to takeoff following a marked trail - All flying equipment must be carried during the ascent - After reaching takeoff, pilots can fly without time constraints and try to maximize the XC score as calculated by Xcontest - The flight ends with a landing at the official landing zone - Scoring combines the need of hitting all the waypoints ranked by the XC Score - XC Scoring functionality must be enabled alt text

Out and Return Format

The Out and Return format is a distance race over a certain period of time. Key characteristics: - Athletes start from a designated point and try to reach a point as far as possible - All flying equipment must be carried during the ascent - Multiple takeoffs can be made; pilots can fly to maximize the maximum distance and then return - The flight ends with a landing at the official landing zone. If not, a penalty is defined in terms of missing distance - Scoring combines the need of hitting all the waypoints ranked by the Max Distance

Two Points Format

The Two Points format is a distance race over a certain period of time. Key characteristics:

  • Athletes start from a designated point and try to reach a point as far as possible
  • All flying equipment must be carried during the ascent
  • Multiple takeoffs can be made; pilots can fly to maximize the maximum distance between the two furthest points in the track
  • The flight ends with a landing at the official landing zone
  • A 1-hour grace period after the task closing is allowed, with each minute incurring a 500-meter penalty
  • Scoring combines the need of hitting all waypoints ranked by the Max Distance
  • XC Scoring functionality must be enabled

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Scoring System

1. Hike Score (PH)

The hiking score is calculated using: 

PH = (TM - TI) / THS × 100

Where:
THS = Estimated Hiking Time
TM = Maximum Time (THS × 3)
TI = Individual Time used by the participant

2. Landing Accuracy Bonus (BC)

Landing accuracy provides a percentage bonus on the Hike Score: - Center: +10% of Hike Score - Within 1m: +8% of Hike Score - Within 2m: +6% of Hike Score - Within 3m: +4% of Hike Score - Within 4m: +2% of Hike Score - Within 5m: +1% of Hike Score - Beyond 5m: No bonus

3. Total Score (PT)

PT = PH + BC

Where:
PH = Hike Score
BC = Landing Accuracy Bonus

The winner is the athlete with the highest total score (PT).

Notes: - Landing must be executed on feet - Falling during landing results in maximum distance penalty - The landing approach must follow all safety regulations

Note: Additional race formats will be added to this documentation as they become supported by the platform.