Types Of Races Sports
Horizontal wagers are essentially parlay bets.To win, you must select the winner of consecutive races before the first of the series of races begins. A Daily Double is the winner of two races in a row, a Pick 3 is three straight races, a Pick 4 means you must select the winner of four consecutive races, a Pick 5 is hitting five winners in a row, and the Pick 6 is six straight winners. Race is a less, not more, reliable gauge of physical characteristics than genes are. In fact, that’s one of the chief consolations of nontherapeutic genetic testing: No matter how inaccurate.
Whether you are a well seasoned runner or a beginner, taking part in a race may be something you’ve already done or are contemplating doing for the first time.
Running a race is a great way to both challenge and to motivate yourself in your training. There are a lot of different types of races to get involved in-- it isn’t just about running on the road.
Here are some different types of races that you can take part in.
- These types of events often include outdoor activities such as sailing, climbing, walking and other watersports One of the most common types of sports events are competition based These types of events are usually targeted at talented players or athletes and are often residential.
- Kayaking is a sport involving rapidly traversing distance over bodies of water in a kayak.
- All triathlons are not created equal. Races are broken down into four basic distances, with courses and culture making each one a unique challenge. The following list shows approximate guidelines for the four distances — your triathlon might be slightly shorter or longer, but this is a good general guide: Sprint: 0.5km to 0.75km swim.
1. Trail Racing
Trail racing is similar to cross country racing and usually takes places on mountains and hiking locations on grassy/trail type terrain.
Trail running and racing has become very popular and it has some great benefits such as not having to run on hard surfaces, which can increase wear and tear on the joints. Running on trails also means there is generally no need to dodge traffic.
Check out America’s best trail races.
2. Triathlons
Triathlons have become increasingly popular with many runners feeling the need to do more than just running a race.
A triathlon consists of a swim, cycle, and a run to the finish. If you want to set yourself a challenge that is more than just running - a triathlon is a great challenge. Most triathlons consist of a 1500m swim (just under a mile), a 40km mile bike ride (24.85 miles), and a 10k (6.2 mile) run at the end.
3. Fun Runs
Fun runs are a great way to dip your toe into the world of racing or to build up your experience and give yourself a challenge. They tend to be 5-10km in distance and often appeal to beginner runners.
There are hundreds of fun runs around to take part in either for fun and/or to raise money for charity at the same time.
The general distances for a lot of fun runs are 3.1 miles (5 km) and 6.21 miles (10 km). They are great to run with friends. Many charities support events and encourage their supporters to run for them to raise money. The charities are there on the event day to support their runners making it a fun and worthwhile event for all involved.
In addition to the fun runs above, there are a lot of themed running events now such as the Disney races, which are very popular and lots of fun. If wine is your thing, then there are fancy dress themed events around the world such as the French Marathon du Medoc where runners run in costumes and drink wine at each mile marker.
4. Team Obstacle Racing
Imagine running through a series of completely dark tunnels, through ice cold water and dangling electrical wires! If that makes you say, “where do I sign up?” then perhaps obstacle racing is for you.
It has become a major trend in the last few years with events such as Tough Mudder and Spartan races springing up all across the world. They are army style races and not for the faint hearted or for those with long term injuries, but if you think it sounds like fun then there are plenty to get involved in.
5. Ultra Racing
If a 5 mile race or even a marathon (26.25 miles) doesn’t seem far enough for you and you are interested in long distance, then perhaps ultrarunning races are for you.
Ultra marathons are generally races longer than 26.25 miles. Today there are many events across the world now ranging from 50 miles to 200+ miles with some very famous races such as the toughest ultras in the world, the Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara and the Comrades Marathon in South Africa.
If you’re interested in more ultra races, check out Runner’s World’s recommendations.
Finding the race that fits you or trying something new is a great way to stay motivated in your running and to take your running to the next level - Good Luck!
UK born and based currently in Australia, Zoe has a passion for running as evident by her participation in excess of 30 running events, including five marathons, over the past 14 years. Wanting to share her enthusiasm for running, five years ago Zoe started a blog for the everyday runner “The Girl That Runs“. This blog has quickly built up a strong following amongst runners of all ages and experience levels looking for advice with easily relatable content.
Main Photo Credit & Second Photo Credit: Pavel1964/shutterstock.com; Third Photo Credit: Maridav/shutterstock.com; Fourth Photo Credit: lzf/shutterstock.com
North American horse racing offers a variety of experiences for those who love to watch or bet. The purses vary wildly, as do the pay-outs for betters, and the opportunities for racehorses and their connections, depending on the track. The general horse races are broken down as such:
Claiming Races
Many races run on any given track across the U.S. are claiming races. They are for horses that can be “claimed” or purchased at a specified price at the time of entry. Before the race is run, a claim is put in for the horse and the claimant gets to take the horse home afterward. The original owner of the horse gets the purse money. If there is more than one claim for any given horse, there is a random draw to determine the winner. Claiming races can include very cheap horses that later go on to be champion racers.
Optional Claiming or Allowance-Option Claiming Races
These are growing in popularity in American tracks. They involve both allowance races (see below) and claiming races together. So the field may include horses entered for the specific claiming price. However, others are running on the allowance conditions provided and accepted by owners.
Maiden Races
These are specifically for horses that have yet to win a race. There are four different types of maiden races – special weight, state-bred, claiming, and state-bred claiming. You may hear the term “he broke his maiden” in the racing world. This means a horse finally won a race and can now move up to some of the more lucrative races and purses. Any race can be considered a maiden race for a horse reaching the winner’s circle for the first time.
Allowance Races:
These are for racehorses that meet several eligibility requirements such as the number of previous races won, the amount of their earnings at time of entry, how long it has been since they won a race, etc. There are low-level allowance races for horses that may have won just one race or are state-bred.
There are higher-level allowance races for horses that have earned a certain amount of money, won a certain amount of races, or have won a certain number of races within a specific time frame. These specialized races allow horses to be entered in a more level playing field to get experience for the next level of races, the stakes races. There are also starter handicap races that are basically starter allowance races. Each horse is required to carry a specific weight based on their form, ability, and current performance levels.
Stakes Races
These are the bigger, richer, more prestigious races that are usually saved for weekends and feature horses that have proven their worth on the track. There are restricted and non-restricted stakes races. The restricted lower-level races have various requirements that must be met for a horse to qualify to enter. Stakes races are for the top horses. The purses can run into the millions of dollars.
For the non-restricted, these are divided into three Grades – Grade I, Grade II and Grade III. The most prestigious races are the Grade 1s, These include the Triple Crown races, the Breeders’ Cup Classic and numerous other major races that attract the best horses not just from American stables, but from all over the world. There are no restrictions to enter with the exception of gender or age for some races. These top races are also called marquee races and draw the largest crowds and television viewing audiences. Many are part of a week or weekend of festivities and celebrations. Races are given a grade by the American Graded Stakes Committee or, as in Canada, the Jockey Club’s own Graded Stakes Committee.
Stakes races of both types offer larger purses and often require owners to pony up (pun intended) some entry fee money to get their horses on the track (such as the Pegasus World Cup). The racetrack itself filling in any extra monies needed to pay out the full purses.
Race Sport Led
Black Type Races
Car Type Race
For a horse that wins one of these specific races of importance, their value as a stud goes up. They are entered in bold, “black type” into a racing database such as The Jockey Club, Equibase, BrisNet, or others. These databases are basically sales catalogs used by owners and breeders when looking for specific breeding reports and pedigrees for themselves or their clients. A horse with its name in black type can bring far more in stud fees than one that isn’t. These races are as important as Graded stakes races for their own specific reasons.