Creating a Time-Trial Race
Time-trial (TT) races in RUFUS Race Manager (RRM) allow organizers to define events where participants compete for a fixed duration, completing as many laps as possible before the time limit expires. These formats are widely used in cycling circuits, motor sports, trail loops, endurance events, and multi-hour challenges.
The New TT/Laps dialog provides all the necessary tools to configure race duration, lap structure, checkpoints, and cutoff behavior.
Time-Trial Race Overview
In a time-trial race:
Participants race against a clock, not a fixed lap count.
The primary ranking criterion is the number of laps completed.
If two or more participants complete the same number of laps, their total race time determines the tie-break.
The race ends for all participants once the defined duration is reached.
RRM handles lap detection, timing, sector passings, and automatic finishing logic based on the configured parameters.
Configuring a Time-Trial Race
The New TT/Laps Race dialog includes several sections that define how the race will function.
Race Information
Race Name
Enter the name of the race (e.g., 20min TT, 6h Loop Challenge, 90-minute Circuit Race).
Sport Type
Select the discipline. This helps classify the event but does not affect timing logic.
Lap Length (meters)
Specify the length of one complete lap. This value is used to calculate pacing, speed, and distance-based statistics during the race.
Race Objective
Choose TIME TRIAL as the race format. This unlocks the configuration options specific to duration-based racing.
Target Minutes
Set the total race duration in minutes. Examples:
20 minutes
60 minutes
180 minutes
24 hours (1440 minutes)
Duration Cutoff Behaviors
Two optional controls refine how the race ends:
Enforce cutoff at duration limit Ensures no additional laps are processed after the time expires. Passings recorded after that moment are marked as AFTER_CUTOFF.
Mark participants as finished at cutoff Automatically marks participants as FINISH when the time limit is reached and they cross the lap gate checkpoint.
These options help adapt the race to rules where participants must stop racing immediately at time expiration, or where completion of the ongoing lap is still allowed depending on event regulations.
Adding Sectors and Checkpoints
Time-trial races consist of:
Sector checkpoints (optional) → Used for split times or intermediate monitoring
A single Lap Gate (mandatory) → Defines where laps are counted and closed
Adding a checkpoint
Use the Pick a checkpoint and role… dropdown to select an existing checkpoint from the event and assign one of the following roles:
SECTOR
Captures intermediate passings but does not close a lap.
LAP_GATE
The finishing line of each lap. Every valid passing here increases the participant’s lap count.
Each added checkpoint appears in the grid with:
Checkpoint Name
Type (Sector or Lap Gate)
Sector Number
Closes Lap indicator (only for Lap Gate)
The Lap Gate must always be the final sector in the sequence.
Saving the Race
After configuring duration, checkpoints, and lap structure, click Save to add the time-trial race to the event.
Once created, you can:
Assign participants
Monitor race progress via the Race Dashboard View or the Checkpoints / Event Control View
Review per-participant lap data
Evaluate rankings based on completed laps and finish times
RRM manages all timing logic automatically once passings begin processing at the Lap Gate.
Conclusion
Time-trial races in RRM provide a flexible and accurate way to manage duration-based endurance events. With configurable cutoff rules, precise lap detection, and optional sector checkpoints, organizers can tailor the race to their exact needs while maintaining high timing accuracy.
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