The Worldloppet Ski Federation in co-operation with Cross-Country Committee of the International Ski federation, instituted the FIS MARATHON CUP in season 1999-2000. The objectives of the Cup are to improve the status of long distance competitions by attracting elite racers and to increase media and spectator interest in long distance racing.
1. Qualification
Entry to the FIS Marathon Cup is open to all male and female athletes.
2. Race selection
Venues for races in the FIS Marathon Cup may vary from season to season. The programme will be decided by the Worldloppet Executive Committee in consultation with the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country. Races must be at least 42 km in length and not more than two of the races in the programme should be under 50 km in length. Races will, wherever possible, be spread geographically to include at least one race from Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Rest of the World and should be divided as evenly as possible between races in classical and free techniques.
Priority for participation in the FIS Marathon Cup will be given to races which are members of Worldloppet. Races wishing to be selected should submit their bids to the General Secretary of Worldloppet. Where it is thought desirable to include races from outside Worldloppet (for example, where fewer than 6 Worldloppet nominations are received; to balance the programme between Classic and Free Techniques; or for other exceptional reasons), the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing may invite other races of a proven standard to be considered to take part in the competition. Any such races should meet the same minimum standards (numbers of participants etc) as are set out for entry into the Worldloppet. The final programme will be approved by the Chairman of the FIS Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing.
3. Red Group
An elite start group (known as the 'Red Group') will be formed from the following athletes:
a. any athletes who completed four races and finished in the top 10 places in the overall ranking of the previous season's FIS Marathon Cup for the first and second race of the running season, then the updated current ranking after race two, race four, race six and so on is valid. This means the ranking list for the red group will be updated after every second race.
b. any athlete who has been the winner of a FIS Marathon Cup race during the previous 3 season (until completion of the fourth competition of the current season) and all the winners of a FIS Marathon Cup race during the current season.
c. any athlete currently seeded in the 'Red Group' of the World Cup.
The OC of a FIS Marathon Cup Race has to give free start and accomodation with full board, for the three days to all athletes seeded in the Red Group.
As alternative the OC is free to pay 65.00 Euro per day for three days for the athlete.
The demand is not transferable to other persons.
The organizers will only guarantee to provide accommodation if registration is received in the race office at least 14 days before the race.
The organizers will only guarantee to provide accommodation if registration is received in the race office at least 14 days before the race.
4. Programme
In 2007-08 the Cup will consist of the following ten races.
The overall winner will be decided by the results of all ten races in the competition.
Men and Ladies will race over the same courses, except in the case of La Transjurassienne, when Ladies will race over a 50 km course:
5. Points
Points towards the overall FIS Marathon Cup competition will be awarded to the first 30 finishers in both men's and ladies' races, according to the following formula:
In the event of a deadheat between two competitors the points for the places will be added together and divided by two (e.g in a deadheat for 1st and 2nd places, both athletes will receive (100+80)/2 = 90 points).
No competitor finishing in a time which is 10% greater than the winner's time will be credited with points in the FIS Marathon Cup.
At the Prizegiving Ceremony following each race, a bib in a distinctive format will be presented to the current overall leader in the FIS Marathon Cup competition (Men and Ladies) and will be worn by him/her in subsequent races for as long as he/she continues to be the leader in the overall competition.
Where points are equal, the leader (or winner) will be the athlete having won the larger number of races. In case of a tie, second places will be taken into account, and so on to third and fourth places until the overall winner is determined. In the event that all places are equal, the winner will be determined by position in the final race.
6. Prizes
The organizing committee of each race participating in the FIS Marathon Cup guarantees a minimum prize fund of EUR 21 000 to be divided between the 6 best placed competitors in the mens and ladies races.
In addition FIS will provide overall trophies and Worldloppet will provide prizes of EUR 7400, 4000, 2000, 1000, 750 and 500 for the first six men and ladies scoring the greatest number of total points in the FIS Marathon Cup over the course of the six participating races.
The overall trophies will be awarded immediately after the finish of the final competition. The money prizes will be transferred to the winners after the results of any doping tests have been received and the official result lists have been validated. Any athlete eligible for a prize, who does not attend the award ceremony to receive his/her prize in person, may be subject to a financial penalty to be decided by the Worldloppet Executive Committee.
7. Technical delegates
The technical delegates for races in the FIS Marathon Cup will be nominated by the Sub-Committee for Popular Cross-Country Skiing for ratification by the FIS Cross-Country Committee not later than June in each year. Participating races will be responsible for paying the expenses of the FIS Technical Delegate in accordance with ICR.
8. Entries
Race entries will be submitted direct to the race organizing committee by using the FMC Official Entry Form (available here) by the entry dates as determined in the respective race rules.
