Zwift’s “ZRacing” is the platform’s most popular ongoing race series, with over 45,000 riders participating in last month’s races!

In January the series takes on a group of flatter routes. But the bigger news is a shakeup in how the events are categorized, which I unpack below.

Read on for details about new category ranges and top-level races, plus race routes and strategically competing in the monthly GC competition.

Category Shakeup

Beginning in January, Zwift is making major changes to the category ranges used in ZRacing events. Their goal? “Fairer, more competitive racing for everyone.”

Zwift is doing this by creating a new set of “Advanced Category” races for riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 650+. Additionally, races for riders at 700 and below will feature tighter, alternating category ranges.

Read all about Zwift Racing Score >

Advanced Category Races for 650+

One common complaint among top-ranked racers is a lack of participation in the top category of ZRacing events. Zwift is working to change this by creating a new set of “Advanced” category races targetting riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 650+.

Unlike the old ZRacing schedule with its hourly events, these Advanced races will only be held 5x per day in order to focus participation and improve competition at the top level.

Event times will be as follows, but Zwift says “We will evaluate the number of times ongoing according to demand”:

• 10:15 UTC/5:15 ET/2:15 PT
• 12:15 UTC/7:15 ET/4:15 PT
• 18:15 UTC/13:15 ET/10:15 PT
• 19:15 UTC/14:15 ET/11:15 PT
• 00:15 UTC/19:15 ET/16:15 PT

Note: you can always “race up” in Zwift, so even if your Zwift Racing Score is below 650, you can join the Advanced events.

Tighter, Alternating Categories for 700-

For riders with a Zwift Racing Score of 700 and below, ZRacing events will feature tighter categories that alternate hourly between two different sets of ranges:

• Category Range 1: 0-160 | 160-270 | 270-390 | 390-510 | 510-650
• Category Range 2: 0-210 | 210-330 | 330-450 | 450-570 | 570-700

A few interesting things worth noting:

• Riders with scores between 650-700 will have the option of racing in the new Advanced events, or in the top category of Range 2 events.
• If you’re looking for a race where you have the best shot of winning, the alternating Range 1/Range 2 events give you access to an event where you are fairly close to the top of the category range.
• Looking for a harder workout? You can always race up a category, or choose a category range that puts you near the bottom of the category.
• Category ranges flexing across events has implications for riders competing in the overall monthly GC. More on this below…

Monthly GC

Each month’s series includes a time-based GC (general classification) on ZwiftPower tracking riders’ best finishing times for each week’s race. Just like a Tour de France-style stage race, the rider with the fastest combined time across the month’s stages wins!

See January’s GC on ZwiftPower >

With Zwift restructuring event categories in January, riders competing in the GC will need to think more strategically than ever. There are now 203 weekly events being held, and those events rotate between three different combinations of categories (Advanced, Range 1, and Range 2 as explained above). Riders will need to consider:

• Field Size Matters: all else being equal, the fastest times will come from the largest fields. So riding in the most popular races can help your GC results. But also…
• Category Range Matters: a group of riders with scores between 330-450 will be faster than a group of riders at 270-390. So while Zwift may recommend either of these categories for you if your score is 350, and you may have a better chance at a race win in the 270-390 group, the upper category may very well give you a better finishing time. But also…
• Your Abilities Matter: neither of the above considerations matters if you get dropped from the front group midway through the race.

While the GC results pages on ZwiftPower let you filter by score range, those are really artificial groupings at this point since the actual events aren’t using those score ranges. It may be most helpful to see the GC as a way of ranking yourself against the entire universe of ZRacing participants, which means it’s up to you to choose your events and execute your races strategically to maximize your GC ranking.

New to Zwift Racing? Three important GC-related notes:

1. You must be signed up for ZwiftPower to be included in the GC results. Need help? Read How to Sign Up for ZwiftPower (and Why Every Zwifter Should Do It).
2. To be included in the final ZwiftPower results, you must use a heart rate monitor as well as a smart trainer, smart bike, or power meter.
3. You can race each stage multiple times to improve your finishing time.

January’s Routes

Here are the routes we’ll be racing in January:

• Stage 1 (Dec 30-Jan 5): Tempus Fugit
  • 1 lap (19.6km, 22m elevation)
  • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
• Stage 2 (Jan 6-12): Beach Island Loop
  • 2 laps (26.4km, 88m elevation)
  • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
• Stage 3 (Jan 13-19): London Flat
  • 2 laps (24.4km, 230m)
  • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈
• Stage 4 (Jan 20-26): Douce France
  • 1 lap (24.8km, 133m)
  • Powerups: Feather, Draft 🛈
• Stage 5 (Jan 27-Feb 2): The Fan Flats
  • 3 laps (19.5km, 48m)
  • Powerups: Draft, Aero 🛈

See upcoming “Flat Is Fast” events >

Get the Badge

Each month’s ZRacing series has a unique achievement badge, which you can unlock by finishing every stage for the month. There are no makeup events, so if you miss a stage, you miss out on the badge and competing in the GC.

One and Done

Zwift has planned these events to deliver a solid 1-hour workout, so each race should only take around 1 hour to complete, including your warmup and cooldown.

Questions or Comments?

Post below! 

We’re sinking into deep winter here in the northern hemisphere, and that means lots of base miles to build our aerobic systems. This week’s featured events are all great places to put in endurance efforts… and you can even make things a little spicy on the Off the MAAP makeup rides if you’re up for it!

Workout 5 | Endurance Elevator | Zwift Camp: Baseline

BMTR Flat 100 (Miles)

Off the MAAP Makeups

Vikings Valhalla Sunday Skaal Ride

ZWIFT NL Longer Ride

How We Make Our Picks

We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:

• Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
• Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
• Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
• Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
• Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
• Is it for a good cause?
• Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
• Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?

In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!

Zwift CEO Eric Min is an avid Zwifter, reaching level 100 a few months ago after riding more than 80,000 km on the platform.

Over the past 10 years he’s led group rides, raced, and ridden every bit of tarmac in Zwift’s virtual worlds… including some roads none of us have ever seen!

But do you know what he hasn’t done yet? London’s The PRL Full – the longest route in Zwift.

That’s going to change soon, though. Next Saturday at 4pm UTC/11am ET/8am PT, Eric aims to cross this final route off his list. And he’s inviting the Zwift community to ride it with him, because long days in the saddle are always better with friends!

Sign up at zwift.com/events/view/4691206

About the Route

The PRL Full route was released with the original London map back in 2018, and the intent was to mimic the length (but not the actual roads) of the IRL Prudential Ride London event.

In contrast to Zwift’s other long routes, The PRL Full is quite simple: it’s just 11 laps of the London Loop, followed by a bit more riding to get you onto The Mall where you finish at the Classique forward sprint:

But simple doesn’t mean easy. The route is 173.5km (107.8 miles) long, with 2625m (8,599′) of elevation gain. Strava KOM holder Stefan Kirchmair did it in 3 hours and 58 minutes during a Zwift Insider badge hunt ride in March of 2021. But the rest of us mortals will need to plan on a ride that takes 5+ hours. (Our ZI Metrics estimate stays 280 minutes at 4 W/kg, 313 minutes at 3 W/kg, and 397 minutes at 2 W/kg.)

The big feature of the London Loop is Box Hill – 3km/1.9 miles long with 136m (446′) of elevation gain for an average gradient of 4.4%. It’s not a particularly long or steep climb, but 11x up any climb is a challenge!

Read more about The PRL Full >

Tips for a Successful Ride

• Show up on time. Yes, late join is enabled for this ride, but if you arrive late the game will place you with other riders partway into the route, which means you won’t earn the route badge. Ouch.
• This is not a race – it’s a group ride. You can treat it as a race if you’d like, of course, but the ride will break up naturally into pace groups. Find riders working at your target pace and work together. Don’t burn your legs up early.
• The VeloViewer Leaderboard shows that top riders crush The PRL Full in under 4.5 hours. But most mortals require 5-7 hours, with plenty taking even longer. You do you. Be sure to plan accordingly.
• Because of its repetitive nature, this route is best tackled in a group. Discord and in-game chat will help pass the time as well.
• Prep your fuel and get good rest the night before. It’ll be a long ride!

Join Me Discord

Zwift Insider’s Discord server will be open for voice chat during the ride, and I’ll be signed in as I ride the course with everyone else. (I bet I can even convince Eric Min to join us.)

This really helps pass the time, so we highly encourage it!

Join the server at https://discord.gg/zwiftinsider and sign into the Cycling Chat Room. And if you’re new to Discord, read “Using Discord on Zwift” for tips!

Rapha Festive 500

This event happens right in the middle of the Rapha Festive 500, and finishing it will let you check off over 30% of the 500km challenge! (Plus, finishers will unlock the new Rapha Festive 500 kit.)

Sign Up Now

Sign up for Eric Min’s PRL Full Ride at zwift.com/events/view/4691206.

Questions or Comments?

Post below and we’ll do our best to answer them!

Dubbed Zwift Community Live (ZCL) 2025, it’s all happening in Mallorca on April 3-6, 2025. Tickets are close to selling out, but there’s still time to register.

I sat down for a quick chat with Zwift CEO and Co-Founder Eric Min to talk about what they’ve got planned for the event. (He was actually in Spain at the time, checking out the Zwift Academy finals in person.) I asked him about his goals for this event, because it’s something he’s really been spearheading. He said:

After 10 years, it’s time to bring out community together to ride, connect, and strengthen the bonds we’ve built online. We’re social creatures, and virtual is great. But there’s nothing that replaces the real human connection.

If this is successful, we anticipate this may have the ability to bring thousands of people every year. Whether it’s in Mallorca or somewhere else. We want the first year to be somewhat of a pilot, and hopefully it will go well. We’ll learn, then we’ll scale it further the following year. The ambition is that this would be an annual event.

Here are some details Eric shared about ZCL 2025 that haven’t been released anywhere else…

IRL Rides

We’ll have three days of guided group rides on iconic Mallorcan roads like Formentor and Sa Calobra. Each day will feature short, medium, and long ride options.

Which rides is Eric doing? Perhaps unsurprisingly, he told me, “I’m going to be on the biggest, longest rides. Weather permitting. The roads along the coast are amazing, and I think at that time of year there won’t be so many cars. Just tens of thousands of cyclists taking over Mallorca!”

About the Hotel

Our home base for Zwift Community Live 2025 is the Iberostar Playa de Muro Village located in the charming town of Alcúdia on Mallorca’s north coast. This hotel is reserved exclusively for Zwift Community Live, and Eric actually stayed there two nights recently to “test it out.” He told me, “It’s a 5-star hotel for the price of a 3-star hotel.”

Located right by the beach, this stunning hotel offers single or double-occupancy rooms with breakfast and dinner included. It looks to be the perfect spot to unwind after a day of riding, connect with fellow Zwifters, and recharge for the next adventure. Four things worth noting about our ZCL accommodations:

1. Exclusive Access: The Iberostar Selection Playa de Muro will open its doors exclusively for ZCL 2025, providing a private and tailored experience for us.
2. Prime Location: Situated in the heart of Alcúdia, which is known for its pristine beaches, historic charm, and world-class cycling.
3. Cycling Amenities: The hotel offers bike storage, maintenance facilities, and recovery areas, so our gear will be as ready for the rides as we are! There’s also a full-service bike shop directly across the street if needed.
4. Luxurious Comfort: It’s a getaway, right? Relax in beautifully designed rooms, enjoy spa treatments, or unwind by the pool with views of the Mediterranean.

Special Guests

Zwift is still finalizing the list of special guests for ZCL 2025, including heads of the biggest community groups on Zwift. In addition, they will bring a selection of their ambassadors and VIP’s. So far they’ve shared with me the following names:

• Katie Kookaburra – Renowned cycling content creator.
• Shane Miller (GPLama) – Cycling tech guru.
• Matthew Stephens – Former pro cyclist and commentator.
• Riders from Alpecin-Deceuninck and Canyon//SRAM teams.
• Representatives from GCN 
• I also understand there will be more big names will be unveiled in the coming months

It’s the other guests I’m most excited about, though. I’ll be there with my wife, and we’re stoked to meet lots of Zwifters in person who we’ve only seen in Watopia. I’m particularly looking forward to finally meeting Zwift’s event guru James Bailey, and I know we’ll also be hanging out with Beccah Niesen, who led the charge in us developing Zwift Insider’s women’s racing pages.

Like me, Eric Min sees this as an opportunity for “everyday Zwifters” to meet up. While meeting and riding with pros and influencers is fun in its own way, Eric says, “This is just as much about Zwifters meeting Zwifters.” It’s an opportunity for Zwift micro-communities (like race teams) to come together.

Daily Schedule

This rough schedule is going to be dialed in as the event draws nearer, of course. But this should give you a basic idea of what to expect each day:

April 3

• Pick up rental bikes
• Shake out rides
• Evening dinner for all guests
• Special guest speakers

April 4, 5, 6

• Guided group rides (see “IRL Rides” above)
• Evening dinner for all guests 
• Special guest speakers

April 7

• Departures (guests may stay longer at their own expense)

And More

Eric let me know about a few more things Zwift has planned for the weekend, including:

• Previews of what’s coming next on Zwift, including powerful new tools and fresh roads!
• Nightly fireside chats featuring special guests, led by Matt Stephens
• A Flanders watch party (the race happens on April 6)

How To Register

Attending ZCL 2025 is no small investment, and Zwift realizes this. “We make no money on this event,” Eric said. “In fact, we invest in it, and we’ve negotiated the best possible rates for the guests.”

Tickets start at €1150, and all the details are on the webpage provided by Zwift’s event partner, Huerzeler – The Cycling Experience. Options include high-end bike rentals to help ease travel logistics…

Questions or Comments

Will we see you in Mallorca? Share any questions or comments below, and you might also want to check out Zwift’s homepage for ZCL 2025.

This year, as in years past, Zwift is working with Rapha to host events and give unlocks to finishers. Here are all the details…

The Challenge

Your task is to ride 500 kilometers (310.7 miles) in eight days, from December 24-31. Outdoor bike, e-bike, handcycle, and virtual rides all count toward the total.

This is all tracked through Strava, so you’ll need to sign up for the Strava Challenge and upload your rides to Strava to be considered an official finisher.

RoboPacer-Led Festive 500 Events

Any miles you do on Zwift count toward the Festive 500 challenge, but Zwift is spinning up RoboPacer-led events to encourage riders to go the distance. Events are scheduled every two hours, and each event includes multiple pace options led by RoboPacers:

• A: 4.2 w/kg RoboPacer
• B: 3.2 w/kg RoboPacer
• C: 2.6 w/kg RoboPacer
• D: 2.2 w/kg RoboPacer
• E: 1.5 w/kg RoboPacer

Events will be 50 kilometers long and held on the following routes/dates:

• Dec 24-25: Greatest London Flat
• Dec 26-27: Waisted 8
• Dec 28-29: Triple Flat Loops
• Dec 30-31: Makuri 40

See all of Zwift’s Festive 500 Group Rides at zwift.com/events/series/rapha-festive-500-zwift

Extra-Flat RoboPacer Routes

RoboPacers are always active in Zwift, leading always-on group rides at a variety of paces.

Zwift will be breaking the RoboPacers out of their normal schedule and moving them to flatter routes during Festive 500 week, so help riders rack up the miles.

See RoboPacer schedule for details >

Kit Unlock

Complete any of the official Zwift Festive 500 rides above and unlock the Rapha Festive 500 2024 kit, which mirrors the IRL kit available from Rapha:

Prize Drawing

Details of the Strava challenge say those who finish will earn the following:

• Entry into the prize draw to win a US$1,000 Rapha voucher
• A digital roundel for your Strava Trophy Case
• A 20% off code to spend at Rapha
• The chance to win more prizes in the Rapha Spirit of the Festive 500 awards

More Events from the Community

Community teams always create special events (group rides and even races) to help riders hit the Festive 500km goal. In fact, at least one crazy group is planning to ride the entire 500km in one event!

See all upcoming rides over 100km in ZwiftHacks >

Zwift CEO Eric Min is holding a ride on London’s PRL Full on December 28 at 8am ET. (It’s the last route badge he needs to earn). There might be some special kit unlock(s) associated with this ride… watch for a post about it in the coming days.

Check out the ride calendar in Zwift Companion or this ZwiftHacks link to find more fun, long Festive 500 rides.

Questions or Comments?

Are you up for the challenge? I know I’m in, just like last year. Share below!

3R Cat Allen’s 300.000km Celebration Ride

Ultimate Women’s Mini Races – Pack a Punch

Fearless Annual Women’s Championships

Team Velos – Route Bagger Challenge

RAD RACE Grindhouse Series Race 1

How We Make Our Picks

We choose each weekend’s Notable Events based on a variety of factors including:

• Is the event unique/innovative in some way?
• Are celebrities (pro riders, etc) attending/leading?
• Are signup counts already high, meaning the event is extra-popular?
• Does the ride include desirable unlocks or prizes?
• Does the event appeal to ladies on Zwift? (We like to support this under-represented group!)
• Is it for a good cause?
• Is it just plain crazy (extra long races, world record attempts, etc)?
• Is it a long-running, popular weekly event with a dedicated leader who deserves a shout out?

In the end, we want to call attention to events that are extra-special and therefore extra-appealing to Zwifters. If you think your event qualifies, comment below with a link/details and we may just include it in an upcoming post!

First launched in 2017, Tour de Zwift is the biggest annual tour on the platform – a celebration of discovery across all Zwift worlds!

This year’s tour has just been announced. Beginning January 6, it consists of six stages spread across all of Zwift’s maps. Each stage has three group ride options based on how far you want to ride, and there’s a run option for each stage as well.

So grab a friend and explore! Here’s everything riders need to know about this year’s TdZ.

New This Year

Fresh Routes/Badges

New routes will be featured a various stages, and each includes a route badge with bonus XP:

• London Flat (12.4km, 115m) – Stage 1
• Outer Scotland (11.1km, 99m) – Stage 2
• Petite Douleur (25.7km, 387m) – Stage 4

These routes will be permanently available in-game once TdZ ends.

There are also two existing routes that will be getting achievement badges for the first time, giving riders more opportunities to earn extra XP:

• The Magnificent 8 (28.8km, 131m) – Stage 3
• NYC KOM After Party (37.4km, 440m) – Stage 5

The Ultimate Challenge

Can you ride each of the three routes in all six stages? Zwift is throwing down the gauntlet this year, albeit in sort of a hidden fashion, but offering a tracking tool and additional unlocks for those looking to complete every route on every stage of Tour de Zwift 2025. More on that below!

Fresh Kit Unlocks

As ever, there’s xnew stuff to unlock in this year’s TdZ. You’ve got fresh socks, the game’s first-ever beanie, and potentially three different kits: the TdZ Ride kit, the TdZ Run kit, and The Ultimate Challenge kit! See below for details…

Stage Details

Group rides are scheduled every hour, except during the makeup week, when they’ll be scheduled every 30 minutes. Here are the route details for each stage:

Stage 1 (Jan 6-12): Rolling Start

• Long Ride: Makuri 40, 1 lap (40.2km, 307m)
• Standard Ride: The Muckle Yin, 1 lap (23.6km, 282m)
• Short Ride: London Flat, 1 lap (17.4km, 119m) * new route
• Run: Park to Peak, 1 lap (4.6km)

Stage 2 (Jan 13-19): Rolling Heights

• Long Ride: Snowman, 1 lap (44km, 578m)
• Standard Ride: Temples and Towers, 1 lap (33.4km, 280m)
• Short Ride: Outer Scotland, 2 laps (22.3km, 198m) * new route
• Run: Titans Run, 1 lap (5.9km)

Stage 3 (Jan 20-26): Cruise Control

• Long Ride: The Big Ring, 1 lap (51.1km, 270m)
• Standard Ride: The Magnificent 8, 1 lap (28.8km, 131m) * new route badge
• Short Ride: Island Hopper, 1 lap (18km, 128m)
• Run: Queen’s Highway, 1 lap (5.8km)

Stage 4 (Jan 27-Feb 2): Climbs

• Long Ride: La Reine, 1 lap (22.8km, 1,181m)
• Standard Ride: Lutscher, 1 lap (24.6km, 829m)
• Short Ride: Petite Douleur, 1 lap (25.7km, 387m) * new route
• Run: Epic Run, 1 lap (6.2km)

Stage 5 (Feb 3-9): Loop the Loop

• Long Ride: NYC KOM After Party, 1 lap (37.4km, 440m) * new route badge
• Standard Ride: Libby Hill After Party, 1 lap (33.2km, 118m)
• Short Ride: Queen’s Highway After Party, 1 lap (19.9km, 259m)
• Run: Glasgow Crit Circuit, 2 laps (6.2km)

Stage 6 (Feb 10-16): Endurance Quest

• Long Ride: Shisa Shakedown, 1 lap (53.3km, 557m)
• Standard Ride: Coast Crusher, 1 lap (42.8km, 140m)
• Short Ride: Coast to Coast, 1 lap (26.8km, 154m)
• Run: Couch to Sky K, 1 lap (6.7km)

Make-Up Week: Feb 17-23

If you miss any group ride stages, they will all be available to ride during the make-up week. During this week, make-up rides are scheduled every 30 minutes, with each stage following the next every half hour.

Registration

Registration for TdZ is now open online and in game. Sign up at zwift.com/tour-de-zwift/.

Unlocks

Riders and runners will unlock items progressively as they complete TdZ stages:

• Socks: 1 stage
• Beanie: 3 stages
• Ride Kit: all 6 stages
• Run Kit: all 6 stages

To complete a stage, simply finish one of the group rides (three lengths to choose from) or runs.

Ultimate Challenge

New this year, Zwift is featuring “The Ultimate Challenge.” This is for riders only, and completing the challenge requires you to complete all 18 routes featured in this year’s stages.

Note: Zwift estimates that it will take riders 21 hours to complete all 18 stages at 2 W/kg. This estimate is quite close to our ZIMetrics estimate of 20 hours and 41 minutes.

While completing the regular Tour de Zwift requires you to complete stages in group rides, you can select any of the routes and ride them on demand in order to get credit toward The Ultimate Challenge. Note, though, that your ride must be done after the first TdZ event kicks off on January 6, and before Tour de Zwift ends on February 23.

You’ll be able to check your progress via a personal dashboard at zwift.com/tdz-ultimate-challenge

Completing The Ultimate Challenge earns you bragging rights and the exclusive TdZ Ultimate Challenge beanie (earned at 50% completion) and kit (earned at 100% completion):

Questions or Comments?

Post below!