Pro/Elite Chequamegon 40

ELITE CATEGORY OVERVIEW:

At Life Time, we’re committed to elevating the competition experience for our top athletes while maintaining the fairness, integrity, and community spirit that make off-road racing special.

For 2026, we’ve enhanced our Elite program to ensure a more professional, transparent, and competitive environment for all athletes racing in the Elite field. With increased prize purses and continued alignment with the Life Time Grand Prix, we’re also implementing a vetting process to help maintain fair competition and protect the integrity of the race.

All athletes wishing to compete in the Elite field must complete the Elite Application (see below). This process helps verify that each athlete meets the required performance standards, understands event policies, and contributes to the positive, respectful race culture we value.

Approved athletes will receive a confirmation “pass” verifying their vetted Elite status. This pass confirms eligibility to register and compete in the Elite category but does not guarantee entry into any specific event.

PRIZE PURSE DETAILS:

The Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival prize purse includes a total of $30,000, split evenly between the Top 5 Men & Women in the Elite Chequamegon 40 category. The breakdown is as follows:

Place	Amount
1	$5,000
2	$4,000
3	$3,000
4	$2,000
5	$1,000
Total	$15,000

 

Please reach out to lifetimeelite@lifetime.life with any questions.

2026 Event Pricing:

• Chequamegon 40: $120
• Short & Fat: $95
• Little Loggers: FREE!

PRO COURSE MAP (Pros only, no age groupers)

• Ride with GPS – Pro Course Map

The Pro/Elite Chequamegon 40 starts from the intersection of the Birkie Trail & Wheeler Road. NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED.

• Pro Course start location

Pro field can have neutral, mechanic and nutritional support at OO only.

• OO Aid Station | Mile 15.1

The following rules apply to riders in the elite category, in addition to the official rules of the Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival. The following version of the rules are meant to be used for reference only. These rules were official as of 2025, but may be amended in 2026. The 2026 Tech Guide will contain the official rules for this year’s event.

 

COURSE NOTES

• Each participant is required to complete the entire course to be considered a finisher.
• It’s each rider’s responsibility to stay on course at ALL times.
• Course will be well-marked, but we can’t guarantee tampering (We’ve witnessed signs being taken or played with by our local bear population).
• Be considerate to other riders when passing or being passed.
• You may encounter age-class riders later in the race (motos will let them know you are coming). Please be nice and give them plenty of space and encouragement as you pass.
• There will be no course marshals or aid station support — know the course and correct signage (see “Signage” below).
• Roads are not closed — stay alert!
• There will be 1 patrol at a Mosquito Brook, the only pavement crossing (and typically, a busy road). The rest of the course we’ll be on/crossing gravel, ATV, forest and XC ski trails.
• ATV trails are very active with motorized UTV/ATVs. We do our best to inform local trail groups, businesses and weekend warriors of the event — but again, stay alert.

PRE-RIDES

• The course will be lightly marked starting Labor Day Weekend. Feel free to come up early to check out the course and enjoy an extra weekend in the Northwoods.

SIGNAGE

• Follow the ORANGE signage
• Signage will be placed in trees and on posts along the course, so keep your head UP (not down).
• Turns will be well-marked, in general, trust the turn and keep rolling until you see another turn sign.

CONDITIONS

• Course conditions vary from year to year, depending on rain — so be prepared for anything!

SUPPORT CREWS AND OUTSIDE SUPPORT:

• Outside Mechanical and Nutritional support crews are allowed only at OO.
  • “OO” and Birke Trail: 15 miles from the start
• Directions: Drive north of the start in Hayward on Highway 63. In Seeley, take Cty “OO” east to the American Birkebeiner ski trail crossing. Park on the north side of “OO” in the large lot.
• Support crews can watch or provide racer support on the north or south side of the trail. Exit the area via Cty “OO” west back to Seeley.
• Any Outside Support offered outside of OO location will result in disqualification.
• Registered racers on the course can provide mechanical support, navigation assistance, or any other help to fellow athletes.
• Athletes may receive “neutral” support from local residents at stationary locations accessible to all participants.

COURSE INTEGRITY

• The official race course must be followed at all times. Shortcuts or alternate routes are not permitted.
• Athletes are responsible for safely navigating the course.
• GPS files are available on each event page for navigation assistance.

 

LIFE TIME GRAND PRIX DRAFTING POLICY

• Off-road racing is built on a culture of respect, inclusivity and fairness. Riders of all ages, abilities, genders and categories are welcomed and encouraged to compete with integrity while paving the way for the future of this sport. This policy is designed to enhance and protect the competitive experience for all Elite athletes without undermining the inclusive atmosphere of gravel racing.

INTENT

• The intent of this policy is to ensure fair competition for all Elite riders by mitigating any advantage gained from drafting off riders in a different category during all Life Time Grand Prix Events.

INTRODUCTION OF THE RULES

• These rules (the “Rules”) apply to all events that make up the events in Life Time Grand Prix. These events can change each year. 
• A. APPLICABILITY, INTERPRETATION OF THE RULE, DEFINED TERMS

• • Applicability. Where indicated herein, certain Rules are applicable at events listed above, and certain Rules are applicable only to Elite Riders.
  • Non-Compliance. Failure to comply with any of the Rules will result in a penalty. Penalty is outlined in section E.
  • Interpretation of Rules. The interpretation of any Rule will be made by the Race Officials and will be final and binding on all Riders.

• Defined terms:
  • Draft Zone: The Draft zone is defined by 2 bike lengths (15 feet) behind and 3ft to the left and right of any cyclists.
  • Drafting: A Rider spending more than 20 seconds in Draft Zone.
  • Marshals: Any person(s) appointed by Life Time to monitor and/or and issue penalties.
  • Relegated: Riders determined to have been in violation of this policy will be relegated to last place in the Elite results for that individual event, as well as the Life Time Grand Prix scoring for that individual event.
  • Race Category: The classification under which a rider is registered and/or starts the event.
    • Examples:
      • Elite Men Rider: Any athlete starting in the Men’s Elite Start will be categorized as an Elite Men’s Rider.
      • Elite Women Rider: Any athlete starting in the Women’s Elite/Open Start will be categorized as an Elite Women Rider.
      • Amateur Rider: Any rider starting in any corrals other than the Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s corrals are categorized as Amateur Rider and are not eligible for overall podiums or prize money. There may be several Race Categories within the Amateur field (Age groups, Single Speed, Male, Female, etc.).
• B. GENERAL NO DRAFTING RULE

• • Drafting off riders in a different race category is strictly prohibited. For clarity, Elite Women may not draft off any Elite Men or any Amateur Rider, and Elite Men may not draft off any Elite Women or any Amateur Rider athlete. Amateur Riders may draft off any other Amateur Rider, regardless of that Amateur Rider’s category (Age Group, Single Speed, Male, Female, etc.)
    • Examples:
      • Elite Women are only allowed to draft off other Elite Women, but not allowed to draft off an athlete in any other race category (i.e. Elite Men or Amateur Riders).
      • Elite Men are only allowed to draft off other Elite Men, but not allowed to draft off an athlete in any other race category (i.e. Elite Women or Amateur Riders).

• C. POLICY PROVISIONS
  • Separate Starts
    • Elite Men and Elite Women riders will have separate starts. Start intervals will be sufficient to minimize interaction between categories.
    • Example:
      • Chequamegon MTB Fest, Elite Women will start at 12:30pm and Elite Men will start at 1:00pm, providing a 30 min starting separation.
  • Rider Identification
    • Elite riders in each category will be given clearly identifiable race bibs, plates and/or other identifying equipment to distinguish them by category as it applies to the specific event and distance.
    • Riders are required to wear the provided equipment in a manner determined by Life Time.
    • Course marshals and race officials will use these identifiers to monitor compliance on the course.
  • Rider Accountability
    • It is the responsibility of each Elite rider to avoid drafting off riders in a different race category.
    • Life Time will provide a copy of this policy to be signed by each rider within the Elite and Life Time Grand Prix fields acknowledging their understanding of the policy and by Initialing they are agreeing to adhere to the policy as stated.
• D. ENFORCEMENT, NOTIFICATION, REVIEW

• • Course Monitoring
    • Neutral moto race marshals, course marshals and Life Time provided staff and official representatives will patrol the course to monitor drafting violations. This may be, but is not limited to: moto, drone, live camera feed, helicopter and any other verifiable modes of observation. Rider input as verifiable evidence to determine the validity of a violation will NOT be accepted.
    • Riders in violation of the drafting rule will be flagged to the Event Director as soon as logistically reasonable.
    • Logical concessions will be made by officials for course sections where passing is not possible. For example, single track sections, climbs and areas of congestion.
  • Notification process
    • Riders will be notified of any pending relegation by the Event Director via text and/or email to the athlete’s contact information provided at registration. It is the responsibility of the athlete to ensure that Life Time has the correct contact information.
  • Post Race Review/Appeal
    • Officials and staff will review footage, reports and marshal observations immediately following the finish of the race to determine penalty assessment prior to results being deemed official, while giving ample time for any rider to field an appeal of the violation.
    • Athletes will have 30 minutes from the declaration of a violation to submit an official appeal to the Event Director via the Series Manager. Once results have been deemed official by the Event Director, no further appeals will be accepted from any rider.
  • Contact for appeals: Sean Thurman: Sthurman@lt.life – 636-524-5573
• E. PENALTY
  • Riders determined to have been in violation of this policy will be Relegated to last place in the Elite results for that individual event, as well as the Life Time Grand Prix scoring for that individual event.
• Life Time reserves the right to amend this policy at any time, at its sole discretion.

RACE PLATES

• If the event is utilizing front “Race Plates” they MUST be affixed to the front of the handlebars and clearly visible.
• “Race Plates” (front or rear) MUST NOT be bent, folded, wrapped around the head tube, seat post or in any other position other than flat against the handlebars or as designed rear facing off the seat post.
• Improper attachment of the race plate will cause timing chips not to register and may be cause for disqualification.
• Seatpost plates must be mounted off the back of the seatpost and be clearly visible to surrounding riders and officials.
• Tyvek body bibs must be affixed to the back of the rider in a clearly visible manner. They may not be placed under a water bladder etc. Numbers are utilized for identification for media, safety and by other athletes in order to adhere to drafting policies.

TRACKERS

• As part of our continued commitment to athlete safety, event integrity, and expanding race-day excitement, we’re introducing live GPS tracking for all elite athletes this year — bringing fans closer to the action than ever before. We’ve partnered with Adventure Enabled Tracking to equip each elite athlete with an individual GPS tracker. These trackers are mandatory and must be worn for the entire race.
• Key Details:
  • Tracker Pickup: Available at the start line parking area off Wheeler road near the Birkie Storage facility beginning at 11:30 AM. All athletes must have a tracker to enter the Elite starting corral. No tracker, no Elite starting corral.
  • Wearing the Tracker: Instructions will be provided at pickup — quick and easy.
  • Return: Trackers must be returned at the finish line.
• This technology will not only enhance real-time safety monitoring — it will also power live tracking for fans, friends, and family onsite and around the world, delivering a whole new level of race-day engagement. Sponsors and media partners will also benefit from this expanded visibility.

LIFE TIME GRAND PRIX SCORING

• BEST 5 OUT OF 6
  • Participants must start 5 of the 6 events in order to be eligible for an overall prize.
  • Example – if you start only 4 events of the series, you are not eligible for Life Time Grand Prix prize money.
  • Athletes will be removed from the series as soon as they become ineligible for prize money, and will no longer be scored in the Life Time Grand Prix. If an athlete starts 5 but does not finish 5, they will be at a disadvantage for points, but may remain in the series.
  • Athletes who drop out, or become ineligible, are encouraged to participate in remaining events, but they will race in the Elite/Pro/Open category, not in the Life Time Grand Prix.
• U23 ONLY
  • U23 athletes are required to participate in either Sea Otter Classic and/or UNBOUND Gravel 100 Mile to be considered for the U23 program.
  • The final athlete roster will be announced after the completion of UNBOUND Gravel.
  • The selected athletes must compete in at least 4 of the 6 Life Time Grand Prix events including either Sea Otter Classic or UNBOUND Gravel.
• MANDATORY EVENT – BIG SUGAR GRAVEL
  • The final event in the series, Life Time Big Sugar Gravel, will be mandatory for Life Time Grand Prix athletes and serve as a tiebreaker in the event of a tie on points.
  • Big Sugar is not mandatory for U23 Athletes that have been selected for the series but will still remain as the tie breaker.
• TIE BREAKER
  • In the event of a tie, Big Sugar will serve as a tiebreaker.
  • Example – Jim and Tim are tied after Big Sugar with 110 points, Jim was 8th and Tim was 12th at Big Sugar, therefore Jim will retain a higher ranking in the overall series.
• AWARDS CEREMONY – REQUIRED
  • All prize purse eligible athletes must attend the awards ceremony. This includes both event podiums and the overall 2025 Life Time Grand Prix awards ceremony.
  • Athletes are required to have a podium photo with the Life Time assigned sponsor jersey provided by the event. An additional photo will also be taken with athletes’ standard team issue apparel to satisfy their own sponsor commitments.
• FAN ENGAGEMENTS (MIN. OF 2)
  • All Life Time Grand Prix athletes must attend a minimum of 2 fan engagement activations throughout the season. More than 2 are encouraged.
  • Fan engagement activations are pre or post-race events such as a spin out ride or autograph session that enable an interaction between fan and athlete. This abides in our collective goal to build and foster fandom around cycling in North America.
• DOPING CONTROL
  • No participant in the Life Time Grand Prix can be under a current doping ban.
  • All Pro and Grand Prix athletes are subject to random doping controls.
  • If drug testing is taking place at an event, the selected athletes will be notified by a USADA chaperone at the finish line.

AWARDS/PRIZE PURSE

• AWARDS – Life Time Grand Prix Riders – 5 Deep
  • Life Time Grand Prix riders only
  • Gun start and chip finish time will be used for both the men’s and women’s elite races.
  • Life Time Grand Prix points will be awarded based upon their race finish within the LTGP field.
  • Note – points will be recalculated after the conclusion UNBOUND Gravel to include the 3 newly selected Wild Card riders and their Sea Otter and UNBOUND results
• AWARDS – Elite Men / Women – Award 5 Deep
  • All Elite Men and Women athletes including Life Time Grand Prix riders
  • All Elite Men and Women fields will be scored based on gun time and chip finish
• PRIZE PURSE – ELITE MEN /ELITE WOMEN – 5 Deep
  • New – there is a prize purse for Elite Men and Elite Women
  • All athletes receiving payouts MUST ATTEND Elite awards (4:00 PM) to receive prize purse.
  • All athletes receiving payouts will be required to fill out proper tax paperwork.
  • Prize money checks will be mailed.
  • Prize money may be held up to 45 days post-event pending Anti-Doping Control results.

CONTENT/MEDIA

• PHOTOGRAPHY
  • The Life Time Grand Prix dedicated photographer in 2025 is Dan Hughes. Dan will capture photos Life Time Grand Prix athletes will share a gallery of photos as soon as possible following the race. This is typically the same day or within 24 hours. Athletes should tag @dhughes101 and @lifetimegrandprix. Any additional third party use will need prior approval.
• CONTENT HUB
  • Athletes will have access to a Life Time Grand Prix content hub, where athletes will find photos and b-roll they can use for content on their own channels. Credit to @lifetimegrandprix is required for use.
• MEDIA COVERAGE
  • In order to capture the best coverage of the race for social and post-production, there will be media on course. Vehicles will include vehicles adjacent to the course, Side-by-sides, eBikes and motos.
• LIVE RACE COVERAGE
  • 48 Hours after the completion of the event, we will be launching a long form recap video of how the race unfolded on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube Channel. Our production team, BCC will reach out to athletes throughout the season to do some additional filming for content that will be featured in event videos. Building on the success of “Call of a Life Time” this content intends to bring the viewer into the racing action while also telling the stories from in and out of race day. We appreciate your support in helping us grow professional cycling with this content. Videos will be uploaded to the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel.
• MEDIA MIX ZONE
  • Life Time Grand Prix Athletes, and any athlete finishing in the top 10 overall, will receive access to an athlete hospitality tent / Media Mix Zone at the finish line. Life Time Grand Prix athletes will receive two Athlete Support wristbands at registration. This will give their support crew access to the athlete tent at the finish. Please advance into the mix zone directly upon completion of the course.