Qualification & Registration
Important updates All registrations for competitive start waves require qualification Qualification period: 1 May 2022 – 30 April 2023 Competition rules: International New: First edition with start waves for Para Athletes! Registration for the OCR100 or for the National Team is only possible through your National Federation. OCREC23 will also have a Kids Race!
QUALIFICATION PERIOD
1 May 2022 – 30 April 2023
Eligibility to compete
The Guideline for eligibility to compete at European or World-level International competitions sanctioned or approved by EOSF/World Obstacle is available for download here. For more information, please contact your National Federation.
Rules applied at the European Championships
International: 3 wristband + 1 try at suspension obstacles + penalty loop system
SHORT & STANDARD COURSE DIVISIONS
The Short and the Standard course events are separated into the following start waves: Elite | Age Group | Para | Open.
ELITE DIVISION
Qualification through your National Federation is necessary prior to registration. The categories for Elite are: male and female.
AGE GROUP DIVISION
Qualification through your National Federation is necessary prior to registration. The age categories for Age Groups are:
- SHORT COURSE
- AGE (Male / Female)
- 12-13 years
- 14-15 years
- 16-17 years
- 18-19 years
- 20-24 years
- 25-29 years
- 30-34 years
- 35-39 years
- 40-44 years
- 45-49 years
- 50-54 years
- 55-59 years
- 60+ years (divided in 5-year categories up to the age of the oldest competitor)
- Para – Male / Female (All ages and categories)
- STANDARD COURSE
- AGE (Male / Female)
- –
- –
- 15-16-17 years
- 18-19 years
- 20-24 years
- 25-29 years
- 30-34 years
- 35-39 years
- 40-44 years
- 45-49 years
- 50-54 years
- 55-59 years
- 60+ years (divided in 5-year categories up to the age of the oldest competitor)
- Para – Male / Female (All ages and categories)
General rule:
- Please note that your age on the 31st of December 2023 (of the year in which the race takes place) determines your age group category.
Exception to the above general rule:
- Minimum Age for Standard course: 15 years on race day*
- Minimum Age for Short course: 12 years on race day*
*the age limit applies throughout all the divisions (Elite, Age Group, Para, and Open).
Other aspects related to AG:
- Special awards go to the oldest and youngest racer
- Athletes will be automatically registered for the age group division that they belong in on the 31st of December 2023, even if it is not the same age group that they have qualified in.
OPEN DIVISION
No qualification required for the Open start waves.
OCR100
Qualification is necessary. The minimum age for registration is 15. The registration for the OCR100 is managed by the National Federation of each Country. Please contact your National Governing Body for more information.
For the 100 meter course event, there is a maximum of 400 available slots (e.g. 400 racers may register – each racer has 2 tries). Each country may register 12 athletes (6 male and 6 female, including juniors and masters) with the special registration codes, awarded only to the NFs. The NF of a country may, in its sole discretion, change the ratio of male / female athletes if necessary. The available spots not used by a country may be filled up by other countries’ athletes. If a country has remaining spots, it should be reported to the following e-mail address info@ocreuropeanchampionships.org at the latest by 31st of March, 2023. The remaining spots, if any, shall also be filled up by the countries, based on the decision of EOSF. Countries may apply for the remaining spots at the following e-mail address info@ocreuropeanchampionships.org at the latest by 31 March 2023, indicating the number of slots needed.
The OCR100 race makes no distinction amongst Elite or Age Group athletes. All the athletes run for the title. The event is organized based on absolute ranking. In order to make it to the top 16 athletes, the time result counts (each racer has 2 tries). The top 16 athletes are competing with each other in a direct elimination system (2 athletes / wave, number 1 races with number 16, number 2 with number 15, etc.). Top 3 men and 3 women will be on the podium in absolute.
The best junior athletes (being maximum of 19 years old as of 31 December 2023) and the best master athletes (being minimum of 40 years old as of 31 December 2023) will be awarded . The top 4 athletes based on time results in junior and master category are competing with each other in a direct elimination system (2 athletes / wave, number 1 races with number 4, number 2 with number 3). Top 3 men and 3 women will be on the podium in junior and master categories.
The event organizer will announce until the 30th of April 2023 , if a trial period for OCR100 will be available for non-qualified athletes present at OCREC.
TEAM RACE
Qualification is necessary. The minimum age for registration is 15.
Two types of team races will be organized:
National Team Race – The registration for the National Team Race is managed by the National Federation of each Country. Please contact your National Governing Body for more information. Each National Federation can indicate one team for each category to represent the country. It means that altogether 3 national teams may be set up by a country: 1 Female team, 1 Male team, 1 Mixed team. The Athletes competing in the National Team Race can only start with the official technical equipment of the National Federation. Only athletes with ELITE qualification will be allowed to sign up for the National Team Race (note: ELITE qualification is necessary to become a member of a national team. However, the athlete may race individually in ELITE or Age Group category in short or standard course at OCREC).
Competitive Team Race – Any qualified athletes (qualified in Age Group or Elite category) may form a team.
The Team Race is a relay race event. The Team Race consists of 4 x 3 km circle, the 1-2-3. circle shall be completed by 1-2-3. racers respectively, while circle 4 shall be completed by all the three racers cooperatively.
There are three types of teams:
- Female team – 3 women
- Male team – 3 men
- Mixed team – 1 man and 2 women OR 2 men and 1 woman
The National Team Race will start in different waves than the Competitive Team Race. First, the waves of National Team Race (female male and mix) will start, and then the waves of the Competitive Team Race (female, male and mix) will follow.
For the Competitive Team Race, the racers are completely free on how they form a Female / Male / Mixed team (whether they are Elite or Age Group racers, or from the same or different countries, etc.)
Two different podiums will be facilitated for the National Team Race and for the Competitive Team Race.
No open category team race will be organized.
GENERAL RULES
Tickets for registration are non-deferrable to another event and non-refundable. The registration can be to another racer within the category of the previously registered racer (Elite registration to Elite, Age Group registration to Age Group, Open registration to Open) until April 30, 2023, after which it is not possible to transfer. There is also no possibility of on-site transfer of registration. The transfer fee for each entry/athlete (Short Course, Standard Course, etc.) is 10 euros plus the payment processing fees of the e-nevezes.hu registration platform. The fee represents the administration and handling fee for the transfer. The athlete who requests the transfer will also need to pay the difference between the registration fee of their initial category and the category they are transferring to. Only the previously registered competitors can initiate the transfer. Only team members of registered teams may be replaced on-site, and only for medical reasons (injuries). The replacement athlete must meet the same conditions as the previously registered competitor (e.g. if qualification is required, only a qualified racer can be the competitor receiving the entry!)
In order to race, athletes must have a valid ticket / registration. Any infringement of this will result in a claim in the amount of the ticket (registration) price as well as a fee of 1.000 Euro and if necessary, legal prosecution.
Racers with Elite qualification may choose to race in Elite or Age Group category in OCREC. However, racers with Age Group qualification may only race in Age Group category.
Gender changed men to women are not eligible to race in the women category.
Each athlete (Elite / Age Group / Para / Open category) must present a medical certificate. To be valid for race day, the certificate must have been generated within the preceding 12 months. Professional athletes can obtain their certificate from their official medical association with whom they are subscribed. Other athletes can take the visit from any sports medicine doctor.
If a person applies for registration to Elite or Age Group category, however, is not able to prove his / her qualification during the registration process (eg. is not on the list issued by his / her national federation), then he / she automatically will be transferred to open category.
Transfer is possible until the 30th of April 2023 and only within the category.
QUALIFICATION CRITERIA
From 1 January 2023, National Governing Bodies / National Federations of a country (NFs) will be given complete freedom on how to qualify \ select athletes for the qualification in Elite and Age Group category or for the 100 meters race, with the followings:
- NFs are free to decide the number of athletes qualifying from a race. The qualification criteria may be based on the 50% rule, or finishing below a certain time limit, or finishing with all or a certain number of wristbands, etc. (50% rule means: No more than 50% of an age group or a gender in a division at a specific event can qualify for the OCREC (e.g. if an age group has only 10 athletes in it, only the top 5 athletes are deemed qualifiers). The calculation is based on the number of starting participants in the race/relevant heat and not the number of athletes who finished the race/heat. In case of an odd number we round up in favor of the athletes.)
- Athletes may qualify from OCREC22 as well if the NFs indicate OCREC22 as qualification race for their nationals (Results of OCREC22 in 3k: https://www.icron.it/newgo/#/classifica/20221742, results of OCREC22 in 15k: https://www.icron.it/newgo/#/classifica/20222154). The athletes shall be included in the list of qualified athletes of the NF in the given country.
- NFs are free to decide whether additional athletes may qualify from a national league or whether they are selected in some other way (eg. selection committee – deciding on the list of persons qualified).
- In addition, the NFs may also provide wildcards for qualification.
- As regards the 100 meters race, the qualification is also up to the NF of the country, the NF can decide in its sole discretion on the qualification rules: whether an athlete can qualify from short or standard race or 100 meters event if it is organized in the given country, or whether a roll-down system is used by allocating the open spots to the next available athletes within the country.
- If races or leagues are used, we strongly encourage all NFs to enforce the application of international rules as it would benefit the athletes who will face the same regulation they will find at the OCREC. International rules mean: the 3 wristband + 1 try at suspension obstacles + penalty loop system.
- Each NF will approve the qualification for their own licensed athletes. Only athletes licensed with the National Federation will be allowed to qualify! NFs are free to decide whether they allow foreign athletes to qualify in their country or not (examples for options: 1. Athletes with nationality of and living in Country A will be allowed to qualify only in Country A, 2. Athletes of nationality of Country A, but living abroad may be allowed to qualify abroad (the 2 NFs then will have to decide case-by-case, 3. Foreign athletes can only qualify in Country A if they live in a country where no NF exists, etc.). Each NF is requested to publicly share its qualifying races and qualification criteria including their choice about qualification of foreign athletes, on their website or other media platform, so that the OCREC’s website will only reference each and every country’s page. The list of qualifying races are removed from the OCREC’s website to avoid misunderstandings. (Please find an example below for listing qualifying races and qualifying criteria: https://gare.federazioneitalianaocr.it/qualificazioni_ocrec/
- Each NF is requested to maintain on their website or other media platform an updated list of all the athletes qualified The list will be used by athletes to check their status and to register to the OCREC. OCREC’s staff will only check the official lists and will not check any race’s ranking an athlete may provide as proof of qualification. (Please find an example below for listing qualifying athletes: https://gare.federazioneitalianaocr.it/qualificazioni_ocrec/ or http://ocrsport.hu/2023_eb_kvalifikalt_versenyzok/).
PARA
It is up to the NFs, in their sole discretion, for para athletes: whether they establish a qualification or invitation system to OCREC.
The para-athletes are awarded in a irrespective of their individual para category, as follows:
- Short course para men / women – 1-3.
- Standard course para men / women – 1-3.
Para-athletes race in the normal short and standard courses (no modification is made in the course), in separate waves. In the short and standard distances, para-athletes receive 2 additional wristbands in addition to the normal number of wristbands, i.e. the rules governing para-athletes: the 5 wristband + 1 try at suspension obstacles + penalty loop system.
The para-athlete must prove his/her status as a para-athlete according to the applicable international regulations (he/she must be an officially registered para-athlete), and upon registration, he/she shall attach the para-medical certificate applicable to him/her.
Rules are agreed with the para committee.
CONTACT
If you have any questions / concerns about the qualification conditions for OCREC2023, due to EOSF guidelines you should contact:
- National governing bodies – whereby your country has a national governing body which is a member of the EOSF.
- Directly EOSF at the following e-mail addresses:
- Countries which have national governing bodies which are members of the EOSF are: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.