Zwift Announces New Race Formats, Partnerships and Equal Prize Money

Zwift is excited to share full details about the Zwift Games. Taking place throughout March, the Zwift Games will offer a month-long festival of competition, from community racing for all abilities to Elite level Cycling Esports broadcasts, Zwift Games is set to become the largest virtual racing event ever held. 

COMMUNITY RACING 

All Zwifters are invited to take part in the five-stage series with in-game registration live now and online registration opening Monday 26th Feb. Stages 1-5 will run in order between March 1st – March 17th with make-up events for each stage available from March 10 to 31.

Zwifters who compete in all five races of the Zwift Games can also take part in the general classification challenge and shoot for their best combined time over the month. Racers can improve on their previous best times by completing any stage more than once. Overall positions for the Zwift Games can be tracked on Zwift Power.

Exclusive unlocks will be available for each stage completed. All races will be category-enforced with a mix of sprint, endurance and climbing stages and schedules to suit any racer. Events will run in order between March 1st to March 17th with make-up stages available from March 18 to 31.

NEW COURSES

Four new courses have been designed specially for the Zwift Games, utilizing Zwift’s already expansive road network. Each of the new routes has been designed to deliver dynamic racing that will be as fun to ride, as they will be to watch when the Elite Racers to the line. New badges are available to collect for completing each of these new courses.

Loop de Loop

Loop de Loop, will be used for the first Sprint Stage. Starting in downtown Watopia, the race will be 24.9 km with 289 m of climbing—featuring two ascents of the Zwift KOM.

Jurassic Coast

Featured on the second Sprint Stage, Jurassic Coast starts in the Fuego Flats start pens, then winds its way through Titans Grove and to Watopia’s Southern Coast—covering 19.5 km with 212 m of climbing

Zwift Games 2024 – Epic

For Stage 3, the Epic Stage, racers in categories A&B will take on a brand new Epic course specially designed to test the endurance of all those who tackle it! Starting in downtown Watopia, the Epic route is 81.6 km long with 878m of climbing and takes in much of Watopia along the way, finishing atop the KOM. 

Mountain Mash

For the fifth and final Stage of Zwift Games, Categories C&D will take on a brand new climbing route in Watopia, Mountain Mash. The race starts in the Jungle Pens and immediately heads up the Epic KOM reverse. This route may be a mere 5.9km long but with 335 m of climbing and little warm-up.

WAHOO, ADIDAS AND OAKLEY CONFIRMED AS OFFICIAL PARTNERS OF THE ZWIFT GAMES 2024

Wahoo Fitness, the leading endurance athlete fitness technology company, joins as a title sponsor of the Wahoo Overall Zwift Games Championship and will be awarding exclusive and unique gold-painted Wahoo KICKR Bikes to both the Overall Zwift Games Champions. The Wahoo KICKR Bike promises an unparalleled indoor riding experience with full adjustability, climb simulation and +/-1% power accuracy.

Adidas also joins as an Official Partner and will be launching the Tempo 3-Stripes BOA Cycling Shoes in-game in black with the iconic three white stripes. The Adidas Tempo 3-Stripes BOA Shoes will be available to unlock for any Zwifter who completes one stage of the Zwift Games community race series.

World-renowned eyewear producer Oakley is also welcomed as an Official Partner to the 2024 Zwift Games. Zwifters completing two stages of the community race series will unlock the Oakley Sphaera glasses in the game. 

All Official Partners will be featured on in-game arches and virtual roadside hoardings. 

ELITE RACING

• SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 2nd 6pm UTC // Women March 3rd 6pm UTC
• The Sprint Championship will consist of 3 back-to-back scratch races, similar to the Zwift Battle Royale format used for the 2023 World Championships. All races will be scratch races and progression will be determined by finishing position. 
• EPIC CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 9th 6pm UTC // Women March 10th 6pm UTC
• The Epic Championship is the race for those who like to go long. This grueling one-off race will be held on a brand new course, specially designed for the Zwift Games – the Zwift Games 2024 – Epic Route. 
• CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP – Men March 16th 6pm UTC // Women March 17th 6 pm UTC

The finale of the Zwift Games 2024 will be a memorable test on Watopia’s ‘Road to Sky’ route that finishes at the topic of the iconic Alpe du Zwift, modeled after the infamous Alpe d’Huez. 

2024 WAHOO OVERALL ZWIFT GAMES CHAMPIONS

The events in Zwift Games have been designed to find the best Zwifter across three distinct disciplines that each require different athletic performance. The Wahoo Zwift Games Overall Champion will be the athlete that has the highest overall points total after all three stages, having demonstrated their all-around abilities. Along with the prestigious title, Zwift Games Overall Champion, winners will each receive an iconic gold Concept Z1 bike in-game to ride for the year, a unique gold-painted Wahoo KICKR Bike.

The complete Fan Guide to the 2024 Zwift Games, including full race details, can be found here

The Zwift Games will include Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s Championships across three medal disciplines; Sprint, Epic, and Climb. 

Zwift’s biggest-ever prize purse is on the line for all races and the winners will unlock an iconic golden Concept Z1 bike to ride in Zwift for the next year. The best male and female competitors across the combined disciplines will be crowned Wahoo Overall Champions. In addition to the prize money and golden Z1 Concept bike, the two Wahoo Overall Zwift Games Champions will each receive a golden Wahoo KICKR Bike, courtesy of event partner, Wahoo Fitness. 

Over 300 Elite athletes from 33 countries will be participating in the 2024 Zwift Games. Startlists are available here and all races will be broadcast live via the Zwift YouTube Channel.