Competitions Overview
ErgZone makes it easy to host virtual competitions—whether it’s a single-race event or a multi-day challenge. Designed with organizers in mind, our platform handles workout distribution, registration, live racing, leaderboard management, and result verification.
This article provides an overview of how competitions work on ErgZone, what features are available, how to set up an event efficiently, and why ErgZone is the best tool to help deliver a smooth, flexible, and innovative competition experience.
Supported Equipment
ErgZone supports competitions on any equipment that is compatible with the app. This includes:
- Concept2 RowErg, SkiErg, and BikeErg (PM5 required)
- RP3 Rowing Machines
- WaterRower (with SmartRow or ComModule)
- Rogue Echo Bike & Rower
- Assault Fitness Equipment (FTMS-compatible models)
- Any FTMS-compatible ergometers
All workouts and leaderboard tracking are handled through the ErgZone app, and the experience may vary slightly depending on the equipment used.
Equipment Restriction
Organizers have the option to specify which machine brands and models are allowed to participate.
Non-erg Competitions
ErgZone isn’t just for erg-based competitions. Organizers can host events that include—or are entirely made up of—off-erg workouts using the FIT workout format.
This allows for a wide variety of competition types, including:
- Bodyweight and strength challenges
- Functional fitness events
- Time, reps, weight, or distance-based scoring
These competitions run entirely through the ErgZone app and still benefit from features such as registration, leaderboard tracking, scoring validation, and team support.
Learn more about Hybrid Competitions.
ErgZone App Features
ErgZone simplifies the competition experience by automating key steps for both organizers and athletes. Features include:
Preloaded Workouts
Athletes will find competition workouts already loaded in the app—eliminating the need to manually enter details or program the monitor, and helping avoid setup errors.
Live Racing
Competitors can schedule group sessions and enable Live Mode to race in real-time across supported sports: Rowing, Skiing, Biking, and Running. During the session, athletes see a live leaderboard that updates with every stroke, stride, or pedal.
Session Handling for Non-Programmable Machines
Machines that don’t allow manual workout programming—like many FTMS-compatible devices—can still be used in competition. ErgZone manages the session in real time, making it possible for these devices to participate, which wouldn’t be feasible without the app.
Automated Monitor Setup (for Concept2 users)
When using a Concept2 machine with a PM5, ErgZone automatically programs the intervals, eliminating errors and setup time.
Leaderboard
Beyond Time & Distance
The ErgZone leaderboard extends far beyond traditional scoring methods, such as time, distance, or calories. With dozens of scoring types available, organizers can design competitions that challenge athletes strategically, not just physically.
Some of these scoring metrics are unique to ErgZone and not available on any other platform, giving organizers tools to create truly differentiated and engaging competition formats.
This flexibility unlocks opportunities for:
- Gamification – adding creative goals to engage athletes
- Tactical planning – rewarding pacing, technique, and power application
- Diverse events – from sprints to endurance races with multiple scoring layers
With ErgZone, you’re not just tracking who’s the fastest—you’re giving athletes different ways to win, improve, and compete.
Instant Leaderboard Updates
As soon as an athlete completes a workout, their result is automatically posted to the leaderboard, with no need for a manual report.
Organizers can allow multiple attempts or enforce a “first attempt only” policy. In the event of multiple attempts, the athlete can choose which attempt to rank.
Points System
The leaderboard is built on a points system, where athletes earn points based on their ranking for each selected scoring type.
- 1st place = 1 point, 2nd = 2 points, and so on.
- The athlete with the lowest total score ranks highest on the leaderboard.
Manual Score Entry
ErgZone allows athletes to manually submit results if they are unable to connect their equipment to the app—for example, when using older machines or non-compatible devices.
However, manual entry is limited depending on the scoring types selected for the workout. Some metrics—like stroke count, SPI, or rate caps—require real-time data from a connected device and cannot be verified manually.
Organizers should consider these limitations when allowing manual submissions and choosing which scoring metrics to use.
Manual results will be marked as pending until an event organizer reviews and approves the score. Organizers should take this into account when enabling manual submissions and selecting scoring criteria.
Flexible Categories & Divisions
ErgZone provides a flexible system for setting up athlete categories and divisions, enabling easy organization of fair and inclusive competition formats.
ErgZone has a list of predefined ages and weight categories as listed below but more options can be added upon request:
Predefined Weight Classes (the organizer determines ranges):
- Lightweight, Middleweight, Heavyweight
- Lightweight, Heavyweight
Predefined Age Groups (organizers can choose one format per competition):
- 18 & under, 19–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+
- 29 & under, 30–49, 50+
- 29 & under, 30–39, 40–49, 50+
- 34 & under, 35–44, 45+
- 39 & under, 40–49, 50+
- 12 & under, 13–18, 19–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, 80–89, 90+
Custom Division Setup
For events that require more flexibility—such as Open categories, Para classifications, or multi-variable divisions—organizers can create custom divisions.
In these cases, athletes will manually select their division during the registration process.
Examples of custom divisions:
- Open
- 20–29 – LWT
- 20–29 – HWT
- PR1
- PR2
- PR3
This flexible system allows organizers to run competitions that are inclusive, sport-specific, and aligned with the intended level of fairness and competition structure.
Affiliation
ErgZone allows athletes to select an affiliation—such as a gym, team, club, or school—during registration or from their profile.
Once set:
- The athlete’s affiliation will appear next to their name on the leaderboard.
- The leaderboard can also be filtered by affiliation, allowing organizers and viewers to see how specific groups are performing within the competition.
Affiliations add a layer of community and team spirit, and are especially useful for tracking performance across larger organizations or friendly inter-club rivalries.
Team Formation & Scoring
ErgZone supports team-based competitions, where the collective effort of all team members determines the team’s position on the leaderboard. This is a powerful way to encourage collaboration and expand your competition format.
Organizers can choose from flexible team configurations. Some commonly used options include:
- 1 man + 1 woman
- 2 athletes (any combination)
- 2 men + 2 women
- 3 men + 3 women
- 2 HWT men + 1 woman (HWT/LWT) + 1 LWT man
- 3 HWT men + 1 woman (HWT/LWT) + 1 LWT athlete (man/woman)
- 8 men or 8 women
If your competition requires a different team setup, custom configurations can be added—just let the ErgZone team know in advance so we can accommodate it during the setup process.
Note: When team scoring is enabled, each athlete’s performance still counts individually. The leaderboard will display two views: one for individual rankings and one for team rankings, based on the collective effort.
To see a real example of how an ErgZone competition looks once it’s live, check out this leaderboard:
This showcases how individual and team rankings are displayed side by side, with scoring based on the selected metrics.
Head-to-Head Rounds
ErgZone supports competitions that include head-to-head rounds, where athletes are paired to compete directly against one another.
In this format:
- Athletes advance through the bracket by outperforming their opponent in each round.
- Matchups and results are displayed on a dedicated head-to-head leaderboard, separate from time- or point-based rankings.
- This format adds a tournament-style layer to your event, ideal for sprints, knockout rounds, or finals.
Head-to-head competition brings a new level of excitement and engagement by shifting focus from ranking alone to direct performance matchups.
Learn more about how it works:
See examples of the head-to-head leaderboard on ErgZone:
Hybrid Competitions
Using the FIT workout format, organizers can create functional fitness-style competitions.
Hybrid competitions offer flexibility in scoring and structure, making it easy to host multi-modal events—combining erg-based and off-erg elements—all within the ErgZone platform.
Supported Scoring Types:
- Reps
- Rounds + Reps
- Time
- Time + Reps
- Longest Time
- Pounds
- Kilos
- Meters
If your event requires a different scoring method, additional options can be added with enough time for development and testing.
Learn more about it:
Hybrid Competitions on ErgZone
See examples of the head-to-head leaderboard on ErgZone:
Country-Based Leaderboards
ErgZone supports events that go beyond traditional formats. One powerful option is the use of country-based leaderboards, where athletes represent their nation rather than competing solely as individuals.
This structure promotes national pride, encourages global participation, and creates a collaborative scoring environment where every athlete’s performance contributes to their country’s standing.
A standout example is Erglympics—a multi-sport virtual event hosted by ErgZone inspired by the Olympic Games 2024. Athletes competed across different machines while representing their country on a dedicated leaderboard.
Scoring Format
For every workout, organizers can choose up to four scoring types, selecting from both overall and per-interval metrics.
Available Scoring Types
Below is the list of scoring types currently supported by ErgZone.
If your competition requires a scoring method not listed here, custom scoring types may be added—as long as there is enough time for development and testing before the event start date. Reach out to the ErgZone team during setup to discuss custom options.
| Overall Scoring Metrics | Per Interval Metrics |
| These reflect performance across the full workout: | These reflect metrics measured for each interval: |
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Negative Split
ErgZone supports Negative Splits as a scoring format in competition events. This option challenges athletes to improve their pace with each interval, encouraging disciplined pacing and strategic effort.
When Negative Splits are set on the workout:
- Athletes must complete designated intervals faster than a specific previous interval, as defined by the organizer.
- The “previous interval” does not have to be the immediately preceding one—organizers can configure which intervals should be used for comparison.
- If the required negative split is not achieved, the attempt is automatically invalidated and will not be ranked on the leaderboard.
This format adds a unique layer of challenge that goes beyond speed or distance—rewarding consistency, control, and smart pacing.
For details on how to create a workout with Negative Split validation, see:
Rate-Cap
Organizers may impose stroke-rate ceilings per interval (e.g., a maximum of 20 strokes per minute). Exceeding the cap invalidates the attempt.
Learn more about how to enforce a rate cap for an interval:
No Rolling Start
ErgZone allows organizers to enforce a no-rolling-start rule on a per-interval basis. This means athletes must begin each interval from a complete stop.
When this option is enabled:
- Athletes must remain idle before the interval begins.
- If motion is detected before the start of an interval, the attempt is automatically invalidated and will not count toward the leaderboard.
This feature helps ensure fairness in events where starting from rest is essential—particularly in short sprints or precision-paced intervals.
Learn more about how rolling start detection works:
Simple Registration Process
Competitors can register for a competition directly through the ErgZone mobile app, the ErgZone website, or via a shared registration link provided by the organizer.
Once registered, athletes automatically gain access to the competition area in the app, where workouts will be preloaded and team features are available. From there, they can join or form teams and view full event details.
In-Person Event Support
ErgZone isn’t just for virtual competitions—it’s also used to power in-person events of all sizes.
Whether you’re hosting a local challenge or a large-scale championship, all the same rules, features, and leaderboard tools apply to both virtual and in-person events hosted on ErgZone. This ensures a consistent and streamlined experience for organizers and participants.
Private Events
All of ErgZone’s competition features are available—even if your event is not open to the public.
Group owners on ErgZone can host private competitions exclusively for their members. These events can include all the same capabilities as public competitions.
Private events are perfect for gyms, clubs, training groups, or internal challenges where participation is limited to a defined community.
Set up a Competition
Visit Competition Set Up to get the details needed to set up your next event.
Fees & Payouts
Visit ErgZone Marketplace Fees to learn how ErgZone calculates fees for competitions.
Past Competitions
ErgZone has hosted dozens of competitions since 2021.
You can access past competitions' leaderboards on the ErgZone app.
Strengths & Opportunities
Strengths
- User-friendly experience
- Preloaded workouts and automated setup, reducing athlete and organizer errors
- Customizable scoring, accommodating complex event formats.
- Live racing features, enhancing engagement and community interaction
- Built-in leaderboard and result tracking, with visual trophies for top finishers
- Automatic updates reduce administrative burden.
Summary
ErgZone’s Competition Overview outlines a solid ecosystem for hosting virtual erg competitions. Its streamlined setup, app integrations, versatile scoring, and live race tools empower organizers and enhance the athlete experience—while simplifying logistics and results management.