Sprint
The fastest discipline in raft racing — a flat-out timed run where the only goal is to cover the course in the shortest possible time.
What the Sprint is
In the Sprint, each team races the course alone against the clock — no head-to-head contact, no gates to navigate. It rewards raw power, clean lines, and crew timing over a short, fast section of river (300 to 400 metres).
In the Classic Format, every team takes two runs down the course, with starts released 30 seconds to 2 minutes apart. Timing begins as the raft crosses the start (at the photocell, where one is used) and stops at the finish line. To record a clean finish, the raft must cross upright with every paddler aboard.
How the Sprint is scored — Classic Format
A team’s Sprint result is the time of its better of the two runs, in seconds, with any penalties for that run added in. Teams are then ranked fastest to slowest, and ranking points are awarded by finishing position.
The Sprint is worth a maximum of 100 points — one of three scored disciplines in a Classic event (alongside RX and Slalom) that together total a maximum of 300 points. Points are awarded as a percentage of that 100-point maximum:
| Finishing position | % of max | Sprint points |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 100% | 100 |
| 2nd | 90% | 90 |
| 3rd | 80% | 80 |
| 4th | 75% | 75 |
| 5th | 70% | 70 |
| 6th | 68% | 68 |
| 7th | 66% | 66 |
| 8th & beyond | −2% per place | 64, 62, 60 … |
For World Ranking purposes, the points a team earns are multiplied by an event value factor set by the event’s classification level (per Annex B of the Sport Rules), so the same finish is worth more at a higher-tier event.
Penalties
Penalties are converted to seconds and added to the run time:
Ties
Teams that finish on identical times are placed ex-aequo. Where a tie affects seeding into the RX or Head-to-Head, the top spot is decided by a coin toss; if three or more teams record the same time, the higher placing is settled by an additional run between the tied teams.
Summarized from the URF Sport Rules v. 8/02/2026 (Sprint: Art. 29–31; scoring: Art. 10–11). The full rule book governs in any case of conflict.