Race Mechanics

The mechanic is the format of a race (competitive event): how efforts must be performed, what counts as valid input, and how winners and standings are determined from verified results.

Mechanics impose both participation constraints (pace bands, distance bands, time windows, progression gates) and scoring rules. The active mechanic is always stated in the race brief.

Pace floors and league units. Some formats apply a minimum pace floor—the slowest pace still eligible, per unit distance, as stated in the brief. Sessions slower than that threshold cannot be published to the race; at publication, the system blocks the post—same posture as other mechanic mismatches, not Disqualification (DQ) unless integrity abuse is in play. When a format omits a floor, the brief shows that; otherwise assume a floor applies until you read the numbers.

Units depend on the league: Running uses min/km (or min/mi where the locale uses miles); Swimming uses min/100 m (pool) or as published for open water. Sport-specific examples, pace floors, and evidence notes live in the Running and Swimming appendices.

If an activity does not fit this race’s mechanic, publishing it to this event is blocked: at publication, the system will not allow this effort to be posted here. That is not Disqualification (DQ)—no enforcement action for merely picking the wrong event. You can publish a compliant effort to the same race, or publish the same underlying activity to another race whose mechanic it fits. Disqualification is reserved for integrity violations—intentional cheating, manipulation, forged evidence—not for choosing the wrong contest for a given workout.

URX uses these mechanic types (names are canonical):

• Multirun — fixed total distance completed across multiple activities; winner by best total time on the fixed distance
• Classic — single-attempt race on a fixed distance; winner by best time
• Open — maximum-distance format without a fixed-distance target; winner by maximum total distance published; any minimum pace floor still comes from the race brief when configured
• Pace Lock — only in-corridor activities can be published to this race; outside the corridor, publication here is blocked (not DQ); winner by maximum distance published within the corridor
• Distance Lock — only in-range activities can be published to this race; out of range, publication here is blocked (not DQ); winner by best time among in-range published results
• Endurance Window — only activities completed within the race time window are accepted; winner by maximum total distance
• Distance Ladder — progressive format where each new submission must exceed the previous distance; winner by total distance or best time (depends on configuration)
• Pace Ladder — progressive format where each new submission must improve the previous pace; winner by best pace or best time (depends on configuration)

Some mechanics require a minimum level to enter; eligibility always reads from the race and your profile state.

See also: Race lifecycle overview; Enforcement pipeline; Disqualification.