For the 2022 rankings year, an athlete must complete three (3) triathlon to be nationally ranked and two (2) of all other sports (Triathlon Off-Road, Duathlon, Aquabike & Aquathlon).

 

Questions? Contact rankings@usatriathlon.org. 

 

The USA Triathlon National Rankings are one of the many benefits you receive as a USA Triathlon annual member. Rankings allow you to see how you stack up against friends, family, co-workers and others in your age group across the country. Simply race at least three (3) triathlons or duathlons, or two (2) races in any other multisport discipline (aquabike, aquathlon or off-road triathlon); and you must be a current USA Triathlon annual member on December 31 of the current year. The top 10 percent of each age group earn All-American status and are listed each year in the spring issue of USA Triathlon Magazine. In addition, a complete list of all member rankings is posted right here. Don’t miss out on being nationally ranked; become an annual member today!

Given the importance and popularity of the rankings program, USA Triathlon, the Age Group Committee, and members from several other advisory groups including the Women’s Commission and the Senior Task Force have created a program that is as accurate and fair as possible in determining how athletes rank across the country.

Click the section links below to jump to the area that corresponds to your question.

Definitions

What races are ranked by USA Triathlon?

How do I determine my race age or age group?

How are race scores calculated? (*pdf)

How are overall scores calculated? (*pdf)

Commonly Used Terms

Pacesetter: any athlete who completed three or more triathlons the previous year (two or more of any other sport). Beginning in 2014 membership status will not affect whether or not one is a pacesetter.

Par Time: estimated fastest time possible by an amateur athlete and determined by the pacesetters in the race. Note: Par time is specific to the course and will change from year to year based on who is racing.

Calculated Time: A pacesetter’s time – ((time in race*(overall score/100))

Original Score: initial comparison of athlete time against par time (athlete time / par time)

Race Score: Score in the race (an inverse of the Original Score) * 100

Overall Score: An average of the top three original scores in on-road triathlon or duathlon (top two of all other sports - aquathlon, aquabike, off-road triathlon). For annual members, the overall score is used to determine one’s National Ranking each year

National Ranking: an athlete’s placement among other athletes of the same gender and in the same age group.  The athlete with the best score will ranked number 1.

Age Group: There are 18 age groups: 15 and under, 16-17, 18-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90+

Race rules

  1. Races must be sanctioned by USAT
  2. Races must be distance-based and not time-based. Any race that is time-based cannot be accurately scored as athletes will travel different distances in the allotted time. (USATri60 events are not ranked due to these guidelines.)
  3. Athletes participating as part of Team USA at ITU World Championship races will receive a ranking for these races
  4. A race must have more than one finisher in order to be ranked
  5. Race type must be one of the following: On-Road Triathlon, Off-Road Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathlon, or Aquabike. As of 2016, adult age group amateur draft legal races will be included with On-Road Triathlon rankings. Junior elite and youth elite development races will be ranked in 2020.  (Due to the limited number of Off-Road Duathlon, Aquathlon, and Aquabike races, off-road and on-road races are ranked together in these sports.)
  6. Each multisport discipline is ranked separately
  7. Only Adult races are ranked (youth athletes participating in an adult race will be ranked)
  8. Clinics and Youth races are not ranked by USA Triathlon
  9. The race must have a multi-sport component. (Single sport events cannot be ranked by our system.) At a minimum, two disciplines are required for a race to be ranked.
  10. 2020 rule change: If a leg is cancelled or changed before the start of the race, the race will be ranked as it was originally sanctioned. (For example: A triathlon (Swim/Bike/Run) has the swim cancelled the morning of the race, or the swim is substituted with an extra run, it will be ranked as a triathlon.) This rule change is now in effect for 2020. Regardless of when a leg cancellation is made by the race organizer, the event will be ranked as the race type it was intended to be.
  11. Everyone in the race must have traveled the same distance in the event. Occasionally we sanction events that are based on how far a person can travel in a set amount of time (vs. how fast someone can travel a specific distance)  these types of races are not ranked 

Athlete rules

  1. Race age is determined by one’s age on 12/31 of the race year
  2. Race Age determines the age group you race under
  3. To be included in the Final Rankings, an athlete must have an active membership on 12/31 of the race year
  4. Athletes who do not finish the race or are disqualified will not be ranked
  5. Women receive a 10% gender grade bonus in each race
  6. Athletes who hold an elite license in Triathlon (excluding Collegiate Elite license holders) will appear in the results but will not qualify for a national ranking in any sport.  Elite Duathlete and Off-Road Triathletes are eligible for age group rankings in any discipline other than that in which they hold an elite license.
  7. National ranking scores are calculated using each athlete’s top two to three scores depending on discipline. (On-Road Triathlon = 3, Duathlon = 3, Aquabike = 2, Aquathlon = 2, Off-Road Triathlon = 2)
  8. All Athletes who receive an overall score will be used as pacesetters for the next season
  9. If you discover an error in your rankings, you must notify the rankings department by midnight Mountain Time on January 31 of the following race year.  Request for corrections received after this date will be denied.
  10. Top 10% of each age group receive All-American Honor

        *USAT reserves the right to update rules in order to ensure a fair and equitable ranking*

Rankings FAQs

Have questions about your ranking or about how the rankings scoring is calculated? Check out these frequently asked questions to see if your concern is addressed.

Please review your rankings as the season progresses for accuracy. If you feel that there is an error in your rankings submit a rankings inquiry. All rankings inquiries must be submitted by January 31 in order to have your correct ranking appear in the spring issue of USA Triathlon magazine.  Please note: requests received after January 31st for the previous season's results will not be made. Rankings are finalized beginning 2/1 following the race season.

Just a reminder: to be ranked, your membership must be active on 12/31 (December 31) of the race year.
 
How do I look up my results for this year?
Visit the rankings page. This page defaults to the "Race Results" page which allows you to look up a specific race. 

To view your national ranking, click on the words "National Rankings" at the top of the ranking page. Here you can look up athlete national rankings based on year, sport, gender, and age group. You can also see how you are doing compared elite athletes in your age group by checking the box next to "Show Unranked."

Finally, you can look at all your race scores, dating back to 2009, by clicking on the words "Athlete Results" at the top of the ranking page.  In order to view your scores you will need to enter either your USA Triathlon member number or your name.  All your results should show under one search.  To report any missing results, please email our membership staff.  Please provide the race name, race date, and race discipline (Triathlon, Duathlon, Aquathlon, Aquabike or Off-Road Triathlon) - this information will aid us in tracking down the missing results.

How was scoring calculated?
All athletes that complete the minimum required number of races will be used as pacesetters in the following season.  The significance of the pacesetter system is to provide us with a “par” time for each event in the current season.  The “par” time is the projected time in which the fastest amateur athlete could finish the race.

What is the equation?
The “par” time is calculated by taking each pacesetter’s finish time in the race multiplied by the pacesetter’s previous year's overall ranking divided by 100.  We then drop the top and bottom 20 percent of the calculated times and average the middle 60 percent in order to create a“par” time.  Now that the par time has been calculated, it can be used to calculate a ranking for every participant. This is done by taking the member’s finishing time divided by the “par” time in minutes, inverting it, and then multiplying the inverted number by 100.

If you have general questions regarding the rankings program, please visit our Rankings Criteria page or email Membership. 

What if a leg of the race is cancelled such as the swim?
Beginning in 2020, all races will be ranked as they were originally intended. If a swim is cancelled (regardless of time before race) the race will still be ranked as a triathlon. However, for a race to be ranked a minimum of two disciplines must be completed. Example: If an aquabike (swim - bike) race cancels the swim and only a run takes place, this race cannot be ranked due to only one discipline being completed by athletes.


When I search for my rankings using the Rankings Search option, one or more of my races are not included. How do I have that corrected?  Before submitting an inquiry, please go through the steps below. If after reading through those you feel there is an error, please contact Membership.

  • Check the Event Calendar to ensure the event was sanctioned.  If an event is not listed on the calendar, then it was not a sanctioned event and therefore, will not be included in the National Rankings. 
  • Did you compete in a relay?  You must have competed as an individual rather than a relay team member in order to be included in the rankings.
  • Search for your race on the "Race Results" page.  Once the race is pulled up you can then search by your name.  If you find your name on the "Race Results" page but the race does not appear on the "Athlete Results" page when you search by your member number then the results were not linked to your membership account.  Although you are asked to submit your annual membership number to all sanctioned races, sometimes results are submitted to USA Triathlon without them.  This can cause results to not be linked to your member number.
  • If you are searching using your name, did you enter the race using a nickname? If so, try search under that name.  If you results appear, please contact Membership and provide the name one your membership card and the name under which you raced. Your name must match your membership card exactly in order for the search engine to work appropriately. To prevent issues, the name on your USA Triathlon membership card should match the name you register with and what is on your photo ID.

How were All-Americans chosen from the rankings? 
All-American honors are given to the top 10 percent in each age group.

When will I receive my All-American packet?
All-American packets will arrive in the mail (US residents only) at the beginning of April.

How many races did I need to compete in to be included in the annual rankings?
You must have competed in a minimum of three triathlons or duathlons or two of any other multisport discipline (aquathlon, aquabike, or off-road triathlon ) in order to be ranked. Please note that each discipline is scored separately.  If you competed in more than the minimum number of required events, the average of your top three scores will be used to calculate your final ranking within the triathlon and duathlon division and your top two scores within the aquathlon, aquabike and off-road triathlon divisions.

I competed in an event with a canoe leg; why does it not appear in my rankings?
Events with special disciplines (canoe, horseback, skiing, rafting, etc.) are not included in the rankings. 

I competed on a relay team at an event; why did that not count towards my ranking?
Relays are not ranked because of all of the different variances that occur within teams.  Also, the ranking system is designed to evaluate individual performances in multisport races only.

I finished first in my age group at an event; why did I not receive a score of 100?
All calculations were based on the “par” time. Calculations were based on a mathematical formula that computed the score based on information supplied by the race director. To find out more on how rankings are calculated, please visit the Rankings Criteria page. 

There is an error in one of my ranking scores, how do I get that remedied?
Please contact Membership as soon as you notice an error and no later than January 31st of the following race year. Please note: race directors have 3 weeks from the day of the event to submit results.  It then takes approximately 3-5 business for the results to be posted online (depending on the time of the season.)

How are the final scores tabulated?
Final scores will be determined by averaging your top three scores (triathlon and duathlon) or top two scores (aquathlon, aquabike, & off-road triathlon)Triathlon scores are determined by inverting the top three scores, creating an average of those three inversions, reinverting the average and finally multiplying by 100. Your overall score is not a simple average of the top three scores. Top three scores of 97, 100, and 103 will not average 100, but will instead be 99.940. The average inversion of the top three scores would be 1.00060054 and would then be reinverted (1/1.00060054) x 100.

What happens if a race is comprised of all new competitors?
If no pacesetters are available, the alternative ranking method uses the 2005 rankings model which looks at the number of race participants, distance and level of the race to determine a percentage of the lead amateur athlete's time to use as par time for the race. Everyone is then compare against this par time.

The name I used when I registered for races is different than what I used when I became a USA Triathlon annual member. Is that why some of my races did not appear?
Yes. Please contact Membership to have the correct name appear in your results. Commas and periods can mean a non-match in the system. If you used names in competition different than what appears on your membership card, this probably caused the results to not post under your account. Name matches have to be used since many races do not submit membership numbers on race results. Also, if you had a name change during the season, please log into your account and update your information. You will be able to print a temporary card to use until it is time to renew your membership, or you can order a new card online. 

Who created the mathematical formula that was used to calculate the rankings?
The rankings formula was determined by the USA Triathlon Membership Services Department, the Age Group Commission, and members from several other advisory groups including the Women’s Commission, and the Senior Task Force.

Review your rankings.