About this Race Series
WINTER RUCK SERIES
Four Events. One Winter. Keep Moving Forward.
The Winter Ruck Series is a four-event challenge built around performance, consistency, and improvement.
Over the course of the winter, participants will complete three timed 4-mile rucks, culminating in a 12-mile finale. Each event gives you an opportunity to earn points, improve your standing, and chase a better version of your previous performance.
This isn't simply a race to see who is fastest.
The scoring system rewards three things:
PERFORMANCE • IMPROVEMENT • PARTICIPATION
Whether you're competing for the top of the leaderboard, chasing a faster pace, or simply committed to showing up and getting better throughout the winter, there's something to fight for at every event.
THE SERIES
RUCK #1 — THE BASELINE
4 Miles
This is where it starts. Your first 4-mile performance establishes your baseline and gives you a time to chase for the rest of the series.
RUCK #2 — THE GRIND
4 Miles
Same distance. Same standard. Now you have a number to beat.
Improve your season-best time and you can earn additional bonus points.
RUCK #3 — THE LAST PUSH
4 Miles
Your final 4-mile opportunity to improve your time, earn points, and strengthen your position heading into the finale.
THE FINALE — THE LONG HAUL
12 Miles
Everything leads here.
The final event increases the distance to 12 miles and carries additional weight toward the championship standings.
THE STANDARD
All scored events will be completed carrying a minimum of:
35 LBS DRY WEIGHT
"Dry weight" means the required 35 lbs does not include consumable water or food.
Our benchmark performance standard is:
15:00 PER MILE = 100 POINTS
That means:
4 Miles in 1:00:00 or faster = 100 points
12 Miles in 3:00:00 or faster = 100-point standard
You do not need to hit the 15:00/mile standard to participate or earn points.
It is simply the benchmark around which the scoring system is built.
HOW SCORING WORKS
The concept is simple:
🎯 GO FAST
Faster time brackets earn more points.
📈 GET BETTER
Improve your 4-mile season-best time and earn bonus points.
🤝 SHOW UP
Every event you complete earns additional points.
🏁 FINISH STRONG
Your best two 4-mile performances count, and the 12-mile finale carries additional weight.
You won't need to calculate your own score. Official results will be used to calculate points and update the Series standings.
4-MILE PERFORMANCE POINTS
Each of the first three events uses the same scoring table.
4-Mile Finish Time Pace Points
1:00:00 or faster 15:00/mi or faster 100
1:00:01–1:04:00 15:01–16:00 95
1:04:01–1:08:00 16:01–17:00 90
1:08:01–1:12:00 17:01–18:00 85
1:12:01–1:16:00 18:01–19:00 80
1:16:01–1:20:00 19:01–20:00 75
1:20:01–1:24:00 20:01–21:00 70
1:24:01–1:28:00 21:01–22:00 65
1:28:01–1:32:00 22:01–23:00 60
1:32:01–1:36:00 23:01–24:00 55
Over 1:36:00 Over 24:00/mi 50
The brackets are firm.
Every second can matter.
For example:
1:04:00 = 95 points
1:04:01 = 90 points
If you're approaching a bracket cutoff, you've got something to push for all the way to the finish.
IMPROVEMENT BONUS
Speed isn't the only thing we're rewarding.
We want to reward athletes who get better throughout the winter.
Your first completed 4-mile ruck establishes your initial season best.
During Rucks #2 and #3, if you beat your current season-best 4-mile time, you'll receive bonus points based on how much you improve.
Improvement Bonus
Less than 1:00 0
1:00–2:59 faster +3
3:00–4:59 faster +5
5:00+ faster +8
Once you establish a new season best, that becomes the new time to beat.
Example
Ruck #1:
1:10:00 — Baseline
Ruck #2:
1:06:30 — 3:30 faster → +5 points
Your new season best is now 1:06:30.
Ruck #3:
1:02:00 — 4:30 faster → +5 points
That athlete earned 10 improvement bonus points over the course of the three 4-mile events.
YOUR BEST 2 OF 3 COUNT
Winter happens.
You might have a bad day. The weather might be brutal. Life might cause you to miss an event.
One bad result shouldn't automatically end your series.
That's why only your:
BEST TWO OF THREE 4-MILE PERFORMANCE SCORES COUNT
Your lowest 4-mile performance score will be dropped.
A DNS (Did Not Start) or DNF (Did Not Finish) may also serve as your dropped 4-mile event.
There is still an advantage to completing all three.
COMPLETION POINTS
Every event you successfully complete earns:
+10 POINTS
Completion points are separate from your performance score.
Most importantly:
Completion points are NOT dropped.
If you complete all three 4-mile events, you receive all 30 completion points, even though only your best two 4-mile performance scores count.
Complete all four events, including the finale, and you'll earn:
+40 TOTAL COMPLETION POINTS
A DNS or DNF does not receive the +10 completion bonus for that event.
So while your lowest performance can be dropped, showing up and finishing still matters.
THE 12-MILE FINALE
THE LONG HAUL
The finale uses the same performance philosophy as the shorter events.
The 100-point standard remains a 15:00/mile pace:
12 miles × 15:00/mile = 3:00:00
But because this is the finale, the stakes are higher.
Finale Performance Points = Standard Points × 1.5
12-Mile Finish Time Finale Points
3:00:00 or faster 150
3:00:01–3:12:00 143
3:12:01–3:24:00 135
3:24:01–3:36:00 128
3:36:01–3:48:00 120
3:48:01–4:00:00 113
4:00:01–4:12:00 105
4:12:01–4:24:00 98
4:24:01–4:36:00 90
4:36:01–4:48:00 83
Over 4:48:00 75
When the 1.5× calculation results in a half point, the score is rounded up to the next whole point.
For example:
95 × 1.5 = 142.5 → 143 points
The 12-mile finale cannot be dropped.
Your finale performance counts toward your final Series Score.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Your final Winter Ruck Series score is:
BEST TWO 4-MILE PERFORMANCE SCORES
+ APPLICABLE IMPROVEMENT BONUSES
+ 12-MILE FINALE SCORE
+ ALL COMPLETION POINTS
= FINAL SERIES SCORE
Example
A participant finishes:
Event Time Performance
The Baseline 1:07:00 90
The Grind 1:03:30 95 + 5 PR
The Last Push 1:01:30 95 + 3 PR
The Long Haul 3:18:00 135
The 90-point Baseline is the lowest 4-mile performance package and is dropped.
The two counting 4-mile scores are:
100 + 98 = 198
12-mile finale:
135
All four events completed:
+40
FINAL SERIES SCORE: 373 POINTS
WHAT IF I MISS AN EVENT?
Missing one of the three 4-mile events does not automatically eliminate you.
A DNS or DNF can serve as your dropped 4-mile result.
For example:
Ruck #1: 95 points
Ruck #2: DNS
Ruck #3: 100 points
The DNS becomes your dropped event, so your two counting performance scores are still:
95 + 100 = 195
However, because you didn't complete Ruck #2, you don't receive its +10 completion points.
Missing a second 4-mile event will have a much larger impact because only one result can be dropped.
DON'T WANT TO DO THE MATH?
You don't have to.
Remember this:
GO FAST.
Hit a faster bracket.
GET BETTER.
Beat your season best.
SHOW UP.
Finish events and collect completion points.
ONE BAD DAY IS OKAY.
Your lowest 4-mile result gets dropped.
FINISH THE JOB.
The 12-mile finale always counts.
Official race results will be used to calculate scores and update the Series leaderboard.
35 LBS. FOUR EVENTS. ONE WINTER.
This series isn't only about where you start.
It's about what happens when you keep showing up.
Some will chase the top of the leaderboard.
Some will chase the 15:00-mile standard.
Some will chase the person they were at the first ruck.
Whatever your goal is, carry the weight and keep moving forward.
3 × 4 MILES
1 × 12 MILES
35 LB DRY RUCK
TIMED • SCORED • SERIES STANDINGS
See you at The Baseline.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this race series or its scoring, please use the following email address:
Included Events
22 Mohawks: Winter Ruck #1 - (4 Mile)
4 Mile Ruck
Saturday November 14, 2026
Danvers, MA US
22 Mohawks: Winter Ruck #2 - (4 Mile)
4 Mile Ruck
Saturday December 19, 2026
Topsfield, MA US
22 Mohawks: Winter Ruck #3 - (4 Mile)
4 Mile Ruck
Saturday January 16, 2027
Salisbury, MA US
22 Mohawks: Winter Ruck #4 - (12 Mile)
12 Mile Ruck
Saturday February 20, 2027
Holliston, MA US
