The rules of the competitions in ski running

During the competitions conducted as part of the World Cup, World Champion and Olympic Games the contestants usually compete in classic or free style, in long and short runs. The later are the so-called sprint runs. In this case first there is the qualifying round where the best 30 is chosen. Then quarterfinals are conducted that is five runs, six women in each. From each run to further competition get the best two women, two women with the best times are qualified. Similar rule is binding in semi-finals where two best women from both runs get to the final and the starters set is completed by two runners with the best times. At the end there is the final in which six best contestants are running. From the season 2009/10 there is no final B. Also prologues are included in short runs, in mini cycles consisting of few stages which are shorter than 5 km.

Long runs are conducted as individual when runners start every 30 seconds so on the route they have a correspondence fight and wins the one with the best time on the finish. There are also runs with a common start when they compete directly and wins the one how gets to the finish as the first. In competitions which consist of a few stages there are also pursuit runs where contestants get to the ski run with a time advantage gained in previous competition. In long distances contestants compete on distances 5 km, 10 km, 15 km and 30 km. The competition on the first distance only some time ago after a few-years break returned to the world cup calendar. In the case of the run on 15 km usually it is a combined run so the contestants cross the distance of 7.5 km with a classic style and then they change skies and the second 7.5 km they run with a free style. Whereas, 30 km is the longest distance which women cross during competitions in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Games.

The rules for giving grades to general classification of the World Cup in particular competitions.

Always the best 30 contestants gain points according to the table.

Tour de Ski that is the prestigious and exhaustive event conducted at the end of the old and beginning of the New Year consisting of a few stages has a bit different rules. In Tour de Ski in particular competitions you get from 50 to 1 point. Additionally, however, the best contestants in the general classification of the Tour receive from 400 points for the victory to 4 points for the 30th position. However, the regulation that a contestant must complete the whole cycle in order for her points from particular stages to be counted is no more binding. Additional set of points can also be received during final competitions in the World Cup in Sweden.a Then the winner of the mini-cycle gets 200 points, the second on the finish gets 160 etc.

The International Ski Federation checks that the competition in ski running is more and more interesting so the possibility of getting ski bonuses on the ski run was introduced. Depending on the decision of the ski run organizer the contestants in particular places fight for second or point bonuses which are later counted in the general classification. Bonuses are given to the three best contestants on a given point of the ski run. Due to those changes the competition on the longest distances is much more thrilling.

A novelty concerning the regulations which was introduced in recent years by FIS is also the possibility to change skies during long distance runs. In defined places after running the defined number of kilometres you can change the skies. However, it is an individual decision of each contestant.