Everything you want
to know about beat it.

BEAT IT! is an elimination running format built around the clock. Each Level consists of 1,000 metres that must be completed within a set time limit. This is followed by a fixed Transition Period, after which everyone starts the next Level at the same time.

As the race progresses, the cut-offs get faster. As long as you complete each Level within the time limit, you stay in the race. Miss the cut-off and your race is over.

BEAT IT! is designed for different levels and different types of runners. With IMPACT, Challenger and ELITE, you choose the Division that suits you best. Whether you run recreationally, train seriously or need some extra support, the principle remains the same: you against the clock.

BEAT IT! has three Divisions:

• IMPACT – a non-competitive format with extra time, support and structure.
• Challenger – the competitive Division for a broad range of runners, with 15 regular Levels followed by a Final Lap.
• ELITE – the competitive Division for faster runners, with increasingly demanding cut-offs until the clock ultimately wins.

For Challenger and ELITE, you must be at least 18 years old on race day.
For the first edition of IMPACT, there is no minimum age.

Yes. Food and drink options will be available at the Event venue. The exact facilities vary by Event and will be listed on the relevant Event page.

Follow BEAT IT! on our social media channels or sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date on new Events, ticket sales, Rankings and APEX 50.

A Level is one complete BEAT IT! race cycle: you run 1,000 metres within the applicable cut-off, followed by a fixed Transition Period before the next Level starts.

The official running distance of each Level is 1,000 metres.

• Each Level has a maximum time in which you must complete the 1,000 metres.
• Finish before or exactly on the cut-off and you advance to the next Level.
• Finish after the cut-off and you receive the ELIM status, ending your active race.

• For Challenger and ELITE, the Transition Period is 60 seconds.
• For IMPACT, it is 120 seconds.
• The central race clock is the same for everyone. The faster you finish, the more recovery time you effectively have before the next Level starts.

Your active race ends. The Levels you completed and your official times will still be recorded as your result. You can then support the participants who are still racing from the designated zone.

Yes. How you complete the 1,000 metres is up to you, as long as you follow the full course and finish within the applicable cut-off.

That is largely up to you. As long as you complete each Level within the time limit, you stay in the race. For the best Challenger participants, the race ends with the Final Lap. ELITE continues for as long as participants keep making the increasingly faster cut-offs.

Every Challenger participant who successfully completes Level 15 qualifies for the 1,000-metre Final Lap. The Final Lap has no cut-off. The fastest official Final Lap time determines the ranking among Final Lap finishers within the full Event.

ELITE has no predetermined final Level. The cut-off gets progressively faster with each Level. The race continues until participants can no longer make the next cut-off.

• IMPACT is designed for participants who want a more accessible format with extra time, structure and support.
• Challenger is for runners who want to challenge themselves competitively in a progressive format that starts with relatively accessible cut-offs.
• ELITE starts faster and is designed for experienced and faster runners looking for a demanding challenge from the very beginning.

IMPACT is BEAT IT!’s non-competitive Division. You follow the same recognisable BEAT IT! structure, but with adjusted cut-offs, a 120-second Transition Period and additional support. There are no official heat winners, podium places or ranking points within IMPACT.

Challenger is the competitive Division designed for a broad range of runners. The race consists of 15 regular Levels. Everyone who successfully completes Level 15 qualifies for the Challenger Final Lap.

ELITE is the faster competitive Division. The race starts with stricter cut-offs than Challenger and continues beyond Level 15 with increasingly faster times. There is no predetermined maximum number of Levels.

Yes. Challenger and ELITE are separate Divisions with separate Rankings. If you race in ELITE, any Challenger ranking points you previously earned will not carry over to the ELITE Ranking.

We recommend arriving at least 75 minutes before your assigned start time, giving you enough time for check-in, preparation, warm-up and briefing. Event-specific times will be communicated in advance.

When registering, you choose a Division and, where applicable, an available time slot. BEAT IT! then determines the final heat allocation based on registrations, safety and operational capacity. Your final heat and start time will be communicated before the Event.

Yes, provided you are separately and validly registered for multiple heats and BEAT IT! allows participation. Only your best valid result from that Event will count towards the official Ranking within your Division.

If a briefing is designated as mandatory for your heat, you must attend. Important race rules, safety information and Event-specific instructions will be covered. Always read the Competition Rulebook and Event Athlete Guide in advance.

Yes. A warm-up area will be available at each Event. If a group warm-up is offered, the exact time will be listed in the Event program.

Always bring:

• your ticket/start pass;
• valid identification;
• suitable sportswear;
• running shoes;
• any personal items permitted under the Event rules.

Yes. BEAT IT! uses MYLAPS for official electronic timing. Official times are recorded at multiple checkpoints and at the finish.

Yes. Sports watches and smartwatches are allowed for tracking pace, heart rate and lap times. Actively using external coaching, communication or live pacing instructions during the race is not permitted.

No. Headphones and earbuds are not permitted in the active race area if they could prevent you from hearing signals or instructions.

No. During an active Level, you may not drink, eat or use gels. Between Levels, you can use the permitted food and drink options in the Recovery Zone.

Toilets are available at the Event venue. Keep in mind that the race clock will not stop if you use the toilet during your race.

For the first Event at EXPO Greater Amsterdam, the course is flat. Exact course information will be published for each Event in the Event Athlete Guide and on the Event page.

Maximum heat capacity varies by Division, venue and Event and is determined based on safety, course width and operational capacity. The current capacity will always be communicated for each Event.

• In Challenger and ELITE, you earn the official BEAT IT! Finisher Badge when you successfully complete Level 10.
• For IMPACT, the badge requirements will be communicated for each Event.

Yes. Within Challenger and ELITE, a male and female Day Winner is crowned on each race day. The top three in each category make up the Day Podium. In addition, the full Event produces an official Event Ranking for each Division and male/female category.

No. Day Winners and Day Podiums are officially recognised and celebrated, but do not receive additional ranking points. Ranking points are determined solely by your final Event Position and the number of Levels you successfully complete.

Yes. Official results will be published online after the Event. Once the results are final, they will also be included in the official BEAT IT! Rankings.

Within Challenger and ELITE, you earn points based on two components:

• Position Points – based on your official Event Position.
• Completion Points – 2 points for every successfully completed regular Level.
• Together, these make up your Event Score.

You receive 2 Completion Points for every successfully completed regular Level.

• In Challenger, you can earn a maximum of 30 Completion Points across Levels 1 through 15. The Final Lap does not award additional Completion Points.
• In ELITE, there is no predetermined maximum.

All participants within the same Division and the same male or female category are ranked against each other for that Event.

The season consists of qualifying Events. Your three best Event Scores count towards your official season Ranking. Any additional, lower scores become your Drop Result(s).

Your Drop Result is an Event Score earned when you have participated in more than three qualifying Events.

These score(s) do not count towards your primary Ranking total, but may be used as a tie-break if participants remain tied after the earlier tie-break rules have been applied.

APEX 50 is the annual BEAT IT! Championship held in December.

• It is not a separate Division.
• Challenger and ELITE each have their own APEX 50 Championship.

The:

• Top 50 men in Challenger
• Top 50 women in Challenger
• Top 50 men in ELITE
• Top 50 women in ELITE

from the final season Rankings qualify for their respective APEX 50 Championship.

Yes. Challenger and ELITE both have completely separate male and female Rankings. Points earned in Challenger cannot be added to or transferred to ELITE, and vice versa.

No. IMPACT is a non-competitive Division and does not have ranking points or an APEX 50 Championship.

Rankings are built up within the relevant official BEAT IT! season, based on the published qualifying Events and Best 3 system.

Yes. IMPACT has been developed to make participation more accessible for people who benefit from additional time, clarity, support or adaptations. The exact options vary by Event and individual situation. For specific support requirements, please contact BEAT IT! in advance.

No. A diagnosis is not required to participate in IMPACT.

For the first edition, there is no minimum age for IMPACT.

Yes. If a support person actively participates in the race, they will need their own valid start pass.

Not at this time.

Yes, provided you meet the general participation requirements for that Division. Keep in mind that the faster cut-offs apply and choose the Division that best matches your individual abilities and athletic level.

No. IMPACT is non-competitive and does not have podium places or ranking points. The focus is on participation, challenge and enjoying sport.

Regular ticket sales open on Saturday, August 22 at 10:00 AM.

Yes. Pre-registered participants will get access to the pre-sale on Friday, August 21.

Only if tickets are still available. Once a Division or heat has sold out, registration for it will no longer be possible.

Registration remains open while capacity is available, until the deadline published by BEAT IT! for the relevant Event.

You will receive your registration confirmation after purchase. Final practical information, including your heat and start time, will be communicated by email before the Event.

Only if BEAT IT! allows it and sufficient capacity is available in the other Division. Please contact the organisation to request a change.

This depends on availability and operational planning. Please contact BEAT IT! to request a change.

If a waiting list is opened for a sold-out Division or heat, you can join it via the official ticket page.

TBC – NOT LIVE YET.
The final ticket transfer/flexticket policy is still being determined with the ticket provider.

In principle, cancellations or no-shows by participants are non-refundable. Final rights under the ticket transfer policy can be found in the ticket provider’s terms and conditions.

This varies by Event venue. Current parking information, accessibility and any parking fees will be published on each Event page in advance.

Accessibility varies by venue. Current public transport options for each Event will be published on the Event page and in the Event Athlete Guide.

Yes, if listed for the relevant Event. Lockers are used at your own risk.

Toilets are available. Shower availability varies by venue and will be communicated for each Event.

This varies by Event venue. Check the Event page for available facilities.

Pets are not permitted in the active Event area, with the exception of recognised assistance dogs where permitted by the venue.

Absolutely. BEAT IT! is designed as both a sporting event and a live experience. Supporters are welcome to come and cheer on the participants.

For Events where supporter registration applies, adult supporters will need a supporter ticket. Exact ticket conditions and any age limits will be published for each Event.

Yes. Children are welcome to watch, subject to the conditions of the relevant Event and venue.

Yes, for personal use, as long as they do not interfere with participants, officials, safety or the race itself. Professional or commercial recording may be subject to additional conditions.

Where live timing is available, you can follow the progress of the heats through the official BEAT IT! channels. Selected Events will also be livestreamed on the BEAT IT! YouTube channel.

Yes. Professional photo and video content will be produced during BEAT IT! Events for purposes including Event coverage, social content, livestreams and BEAT IT! communications.

If individual race photos are made available through a photography partner, information on where to view or order them will be communicated after the Event.

Yes. Medical support is available at every BEAT IT! Event.

Report immediately to an official or the medical team. The Medical Lead may end your participation if continuing to race would be medically unsafe or irresponsible from a safety perspective.

Yes. If required for safety or sporting fairness, the Race Director may neutralise, temporarily suspend, restart or permanently stop a heat.

BEAT IT! aims to proceed with an Event whenever possible, but safety always comes first.

Depending on weather and environmental conditions, BEAT IT! may adjust start times, modify the course, introduce additional measures, suspend a heat or cancel the Event.

We welcome brands and organisations that align with BEAT IT! and our community. Contact us at info@beatit.run to discuss partnership and sponsorship opportunities.

BEAT IT! is always looking for venues that fit the format and experience. Send information about your venue to info@beatit.run.