2023 National Champs registration - Update #1

Interest in this year's National Championship race has been overwhelming! First, I want to acknowledge how fantastic this is for the sport and racing community. USARA’s focus this year is to host an event that puts the racer experience above all else, and we're excited to do that for so many of you!

This post will clarify what you need to do next, what USARA is working on, and provide insight into how we intend to proceed.

Next Steps - Below is an outline of our initial intended plan. We will share any additional details and changes due to external factors (permits, permissions, etc.) as they become known.

  • All teams interested in participating should register on the waitlist before April 30

  • USARA will contact all individuals on the waitlist to clarify how many teams are represented. There is no advantage to having more than one person on the waitlist per team.

  • USARA and GMARA will determine how much we can increase the field size

  • USARA will finalize and share the initial waitlist selection process

  • The waitlist will be temporarily closed on April 30

  • We will apply the selection process to the waitlist

The following is for those interested in gaining more insight into how we got to this point.

Background Summary - This is a summary of the extensive conversations that USARA has had regarding the best approach for Nationals Registration.

  • It’s been over ten years since USARA Nationals reached full capacity requiring us to turn people away.

  • After the 2021 National Championship, we decided that as long as the demand for spots is less than the spots available open registration made the most sense. The same teams enter, but they can finalize their plans much earlier in the season. That’s easier for them and also a little easier for us.

  • We anticipated entries eventually exceeding capacity, at which point we would implement a qualification system. 

  • It seemed likely to happen this year, but we did not anticipate it happening with this magnitude. We will work towards the best solution possible for the entire AR community.

Current Registration Status

  • 2022 - The initial fifty-team limit was determined

  • March 10 - Pre-registration opened for participants in the 2022 National Championship

  • April 1 - Registration opened for all teams

  • April 1 - The 50-team limit was reached in less than two hours. (40 teams registered, 10 spots reserved for RC winners)

  • April 6 - 48 individuals currently on the wait list (this most likely represents ~45 teams)

Selection Process Consideration - I initially stated (and the registration system only allows us to show) that the waitlist is first-come, first-serve. This made sense, assuming an interest level similar to the past two years. However, we got an interest level much higher than that.

We recognize and appreciate that the National Championship race is vital to our sport. As a championship race, it must crown the best team in the country as our National Champion, but we are also considering other important priorities. The selection process will balance the following as best as possible:

  • Ensure the presence of the most competitive teams in the country right now

  • Determine single-gender division champions

  • Recognizing the top masters and youth/rookie teams

  • Provide an opportunity for local teams to participate in a National Championship

  • Provide an opportunity to race for as many teams as possible from across the country

I welcome and look forward to responding to any inquiries or comments you have regarding the entire registration process. Based on our current information, it's clear that we won't be able to make everyone happy. That said, I can't stress enough how important it is to us to find a solution that is the best possible for the community as a whole.

Keep an eye on your email, the USARA website, and social for continual updates over the next few weeks. And as always, please feel free to contact me at garrison@usara.com anytime!

Mike Garrison - USARA

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