The Pathfinder category is the heart of Champions Rally, open to every registered rider, regardless of age, gender, experience level, or machine. Whether you're on a 100cc commuter or a 1200cc tourer, whether this is your first rally or your fiftieth, the starting grid is yours.

This is individual competition at its purest. No team to carry you, no group to hide in. Just you, your bike, your plan, and the road.

Before rally day, every registered rider receives a Rally Book, a document listing every available checkpoint with its location, description, and point value. No two checkpoints are worth the same in context. Some are close together; some are isolated. Some carry huge scores but eat into your riding time. The planning is half the battle.

On rally day, riders check in at base, collect their Rally Number Card, and set off at flag-off. From that moment, the clock is running. To claim a checkpoint, you ride to it and take a selfie at the location with your Rally Number Card clearly visible in frame. That photo is your proof.

Photos are submitted through the Champions Rally rider app during the rally. A live leaderboard updates throughout the day; you can see exactly where you stand at any point. The app also handles all your submissions, so a charged phone is as essential as a full tank.

You choose your own route. You pick which checkpoints to chase, in what order, and how far you're willing to ride. The highest-scoring rider who returns to base before the flag-down time wins. Late returns incur point deductions. There is no penalty for riding less, but there is no glory in it either.

• → Points are awarded per approved checkpoint visit. Each checkpoint has a fixed value published in the Rally Book.
• → Checkpoint photos are reviewed by marshals. Photos without a visible Rally Number Card, or taken at the wrong location, will be rejected.
• → Returning after the flag-down time results in point deductions proportional to the delay.
• → Speed limits must be observed at all times. Verified traffic violations may result in disqualification.
• → Riders must wear a helmet and appropriate riding gear throughout. No gear, no start.
• → The route is yours to decide; there is no prescribed path between checkpoints.

The Iron Lady category is exclusively for women riders. It was created to recognise and celebrate the growing presence of female motorcyclists in competitive riding, and to give them their own podium, not a footnote on someone else's.

Whether you ride solo, tour long distances, or have just caught the bug, this is your category. The same roads, the same checkpoints, the same rules, but a leaderboard that belongs entirely to you.

The format is identical to the Pathfinder (Open) category: Rally Book, checkpoint selfies, rider app submissions, and a live leaderboard. The difference is that your score is ranked against other women in the Iron Lady category rather than the full field.

If you are a female rider, you automatically compete in both the Open (Pathfinder) category and the Iron Lady category simultaneously: one entry, two leaderboards. You do not need to choose.

The Pillion Power category is for riders who complete the rally with a pillion passenger. It exists because riding two-up is a fundamentally different experience (different weight distribution, different communication, different decision-making), and it deserves its own recognition.

This is for couples, best friends, family duos, and riding partners. If you are sharing your saddle for the day, you are competing for the Pillion Power title.

The format follows the same checkpoint structure as the Open category. The pillion's name is registered at check-in and must be present on the bike for the entire rally. Both rider and pillion must start and finish together; any checkpoint visit where the pillion is not present will be disqualified.

Both rider and pillion appear in the checkpoint selfies. The Rally Number Card must be clearly visible in the frame. The rider manages the route and submissions through the rider app; the pillion is equally part of the entry.

If you registered as a pillion rider, you compete in both the Open (Pathfinder) category and the Pillion Power category simultaneously.

Club Class is for registered motorcycle clubs whose members compete together as a team. It is not just about individual riding ability; it is about how well your club plans, communicates, and executes as a unit across the entire rally.

A club is eligible to compete if it has a minimum number of members registered for the rally. Club registration is handled separately through the Champions Rally club portal, and must be completed before the registration deadline.

Every rider who is a registered member of an eligible club rides as an individual in the Open category and also contributes to their club's total score. The club's final score is calculated by combining the scores of its qualifying members; the exact formula (e.g. top 3 riders, average of all members) is published per rally in the Rally Book.

There is a lot of room for strategy here. Clubs can divide checkpoints between members to maximise coverage across the route, playing to each rider's strengths and local knowledge. Communication between club members during the rally is permitted; this is a team competition, not an isolation exercise.

Each club member still rides and competes independently. Your individual score counts for the Open category leaderboard, and your contribution counts toward your club's team total.

To enter Club Class, your club must first be registered and approved on the Champions Rally platform. Once approved, your club receives a unique Club Code. Members enter this code during individual rally registration to link themselves to the club's entry.

Club registration is free. Individual rally entry fees still apply per rider.

The Lone Rangers category is for any rider (solo or with a pillion) who wants to push the limits of endurance. It is open regardless of whether you are also competing in the Open or other categories. This is a category for those who measure a great ride in miles, not medals.

If you are the kind of rider who looks at a finish line and wonders how much further the road goes: Lone Rangers was made for you.

Unlike every other category, the Lone Ranger is not decided by checkpoint scores. It is decided by a single metric: total distance covered during the rally. The rider who racks up the most verified kilometres (or miles, depending on the rally) between flag-off and flag-down wins.

Distance is recorded through the rider app using GPS tracking during the rally. Both start and finish odometer readings may also be required at check-in and check-out as a secondary verification. The rally organiser will confirm the exact method in the Rally Book.

There are no checkpoints to chase, no route to optimise. The only question is: how far can you go and still make it back in time?