Presentation of the new race evaluation service

This article has been updated. For the most recent information, please consult the following link : https://itra.run/content/measuring-tools

ITRA inaugurates a new race evaluation service. This service introduces a major updating of ITRA points (now a 1 to 6 scale) and new evaluation criteria called "Mountain" and "Finisher".

First this evaluation service will only be accessible to the organizers. It will enable them to get accustomed to this new system and to make any comments they would have to us. It will be official at the end of november when the new trail international schedule opens on ITRA website.

The objective is always to give reliable information to runners and to add value to the quality of your tracks. For every evaluation demand, ITRA commits to provide information below:

1. Certification of the track: our experience teaches us that the values announced on a track (distance and difference in height) are sometimes far from the reality but also that GPS data are often hard to exploit. One of the first missions within the tracks evaluation commission was to elaborate an analysis method of GPS tracks that we keep improving to be as close as possible to the reality of the field (more information about the method here). If the organizers want ITRA to certify their track, we ask them to supply a quality GPS file responding to a certain requirement degree (average distance between 2 points). By committing to the distance and the difference in height measured, ITRA wishes to give reliable information to runners and organizers.
   
   
   
2. Evaluation of the races:
   
   
   • "Endurance" criteria (update): the notation system has been reviewed to involve more trails and some stages have also been adjusted to be closer to the "field" feeling. Based on the number of effort points obtained mostly with distance and vertical gain (with the formula: distance (km) + vertical gain (m) / 100) the new scale is as follows:
     
     

     Effort Points	Former scale	New Scale
     0 - 24	0	0
     25 - 39	0	1
     40 - 64	0	2
     65 - 89	1	3
     90 - 129	2	4
     130 - 139	3	4
     140 - 179	3	5
     180 - 189	4	5
     > 190	4	6

   • The Mountain level (new): it distinguishes the "Mountain" difficulty of a race on a 1 to 12 scale. We base our evaluation on impartial values as the percentage of slope, the longest continual ascent and the average altitude of the course.
     
     
     
     
   • The Finisher criteria (new): it is calculated according to the limited time authorised by the organizer and concerns more particularly the slowest runners. It gives the Performance Index required to be able to finish the race within the time limit. By comparing the Finisher criteria to their own Performance Index, each runner will be able to judge their ability to finish the race within the time limit.