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Zwift has just announced the details of its next major event series, and it’s a crowd favorite: the Tour of Watopia (ToW) featuring double XP! This year’s ToW takes us on a journey through Watopia’s development, as a part of Zwift’s big 10-year celebration.
The 5-stage tour runs from October 15-November 25. With double XP on tap, fresh kit unlocks, and a secret Watopia expansion for the final stage, you can bet Zwifters will be participating in big numbers. Because everyone wants those fast bikes, fire socks, and level 100 status!
Registration
Registration is now open in game and at zwift.com/tour-of-watopia/.
Note: registering just sets you up to start checking off stages and perhaps get some email reminders about the Tour. It doesn’t sign you up for any specific events.
Double XP + Powerups
Typically riders are awarded 20XP per kilometer or 32XP per mile, depending on whether you have units set to metric or imperial. For ToW stages, riders will receive 40XP per kilometer/64XP per mile. Learn all about cycling XP and unlocks >
Runners typically receive 10XP per .25km or 15XP per .25 mile. You will receive 20XP per .25km or 30XP per .25 mile in ToW stages. Learn all about running XP and unlocks >
Additionally, powerups will last twice as long during ToW events. Here’s a list of powerups and their doubled lengths:
- Lightweight (feather): reduces your weight by 10% for 60 seconds.
Use on climbs, when weight matters the most. - Draft Boost (van): increases the draft effect you are experiencing for 80 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents) when you are already drafting off another rider (since this powerup only helps when you are drafting.) - Aero Boost (helmet): makes you more aerodynamic (reduces your CdA by 25%) for 30 seconds.
Use at higher speeds (flats and descents), especially when no draft is available (although it is still useful when drafting.)
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New for 2024
Zwift is rolling out a few new things for this year’s ToW, including:
- New Roads! Stage 5 will feature a new Watopia expansion (details not yet released)
- On-demand (cycling only): once you’ve registered, you can complete a stage by riding the route in any way – not just as a ToW event! If you ride a ToW stage on demand, you’ll receive 1.5x XP, not the 2x you get when riding it as an event. (Note that you will not get 1.5x XP if you do the route as a workout. This will be fixed in Zwift version 1.77, releasing on approximately October 29.)
- New kit unlocks: complete all 5 stages to unlock the Tour of Watopia 2024 kit (details below)!
Ride Stages
Group ride events for ToW use the following category/group setup:
- Group A: Longer Ride
- Group B: Standard Ride
- Group C: Shorter Ride
- Group D: Women Only (same route as Group B)
Late join will be enabled for all rides, but Zwift encourages everyone to get into the pens before the event begins to maximize the fun. Events will be scheduled hourly.
Remember, any route listed below can also be free-ridden (or completed in a workout or meetup) for stage credit.
Stage 1: October 15-22 – Downtown to Volcano via Epic (2015-2017)
- Group Ride Longer: Mountain Route – 29.6 km (18.4 miles), 682 m (2,238′)
- Group Ride Standard: Figure 8 – 29.7 km (18.5 miles), 254 m (833′)
- Group Ride Shorter: Whole Lotta Lava – 17.2 km (10.6 miles), 160 m (525′)
Stage 2: October 22-29 – Jungle to Alpe du Zwift (2017-2018)
- Group Ride Longer: Road to Sky – 17.4 km (10.8 miles), 1,045 m (3,428′)
- Group Ride Standard: Serpentine 8 – 26.9 km (16.8 miles), 239 m (784′)
- Mountain Bikes only, with steamroller powerups awarded at arches
- Group Ride Shorter: Jungle Circuit – 13.6 km (8.4 miles), 92 m (302′)
- Mountain Bikes only, with steamroller powerups awarded at arches
Stage 3: October 29-November 5 – Fuego to Titans (2019)
- Group Ride Longer: Eastern Eight – 54 km (33.5 miles), 412 m (1,352′)
- Group Ride Standard: Sand and Sequoias – 22.4 km (13.9 miles), 181 m (594′)
- Group Ride Shorter: Tempus Fugit – 19.6 km (12.1 miles), 22 m (72′)
Stage 4: November 5-12 – Southern Coast to The Grade (2023-2024)
- Group Ride Longer: Itza Party – 46.2 km (28.7 miles), 508 m (1,660′)
- Group Ride Standard: Mayan 8 – 26.2 km (16.3 miles), 249 m (817′)
- Group Ride Shorter: Going Coastal – 18.8 km (11.7 miles), 69 m (227′)
Stage 5: November 12-19 – Jarvis Island (2024)
- Group Ride Longer: Deca Dash – 52.6 km (32.7 miles), 500 m (1,640′)
- Group Ride Standard: Waisted 8 – 30.9 km (19.2 miles), 144 m (472′)
- Group Ride Shorter: Loopin Lava – 18.4 km (11.4 miles), 212 m (695′)
See stage details and sign up at zwift.com/tour-of-watopia/ride
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Run Stages
Running events for ToW use the following category/group setup:
- Group A: Longer Run (10k)
- Group B: Standard Run (5k)
Late join will be enabled for all run, but Zwift encourages everyone to get into the pens before the event begins to maximize the fun. Events will be scheduled hourly.
Stage 1: October 15-22 – Downtown to Volcano via Epic (2015-2017)
- Longer: Whole Lotta Lava (10k)
- Standard: Whole Lotta Lava (5k)
Stage 2: October 22-29 – Jungle to Alpe du Zwift (2017-2018)
- Longer: Road to Sky (10k)
- Standard: Road to Sky (5k)
Stage 3: October 29-November 5 – Fuego to Titans (2019)
- Longer: Sand and Sequoias (10k)
- Standard: Sand and Sequoias (5k)
Stage 4: November 5-12 – Southern Coast to The Grade (2023-2024)
Stage 5: November 12-19 – Jarvis Island (2024)
- Longer: The Classic Run (10k)
- Standard: The Classic Run (5k)
See stage details and sign up at zwift.com/tour-of-watopia/run
Make-Up Stages
Missed a stage or two? Or maybe you just want more of that sweet double XP? Make-up stages will be held from November 19-25. During those 7 days, Zwift will host events every 30 minutes covering all 5 stages.
Kit Unlocks
There are both cycling and running kits to unlock during the ToW! Cycling kit is unlocked progressively as you complete stages:
- Complete one stage to unlock the Tour de Watopia 2024 road shoes
- Complete three stages to unlock the Tour of Watopia 20254 cap
- Complete five stages to unlock the Tour of Watopia 2024 cycling kit
Note: October’s “Watopia Origins” mission unlocks matching ToW 2024 socks to complete your look.
Based on Zwift’s documentation, it appears that running unlocks are tied to the completion of specific stages:
- Complete stage 1 or 2 to unlock the Tour de Watopia 2024 running shoes
- Complete stage 3 or 4 to unlock the Tour de Watopia 2024 cap
- Complete stage 5 to unlock the Tour de Watopia 2024 running kit
Questions or Comments?
We’ve shared everything we know above, and will update this post with new info as it becomes available.
Still got questions? Post below and we’ll try to get them answered.
A pair of gloves with that kit would have been nice.
Will you be able to ride stages multiple times for double XP, or just the first time you do it?
According to Zwift: multiple times
TOW always a great event👌
Cyclists wear cycling caps not baseball caps
What if you’re a baseball-playing cyclist?
They should give anyone riding in the Beta kit 4 times the XP.
Did someone ride in the Beta…. 😉
On routes I haven’t ridden before I can still earn a route badge and effectively earn triple XP? 96 XP/mile?
Yes!
Triple XP meaning double XP of the Watopia-Event + XP for the route badge?
And is it right, that the double XP will be for each free-ride between 15.10. – 25.11. or just for the events?
Edit: Double-XP is for the Zwift-Events (easy/middle/hard) as i re-read the information. I assume, normal riding and workouts are “normal” XP.
It says (possibly added after your question): “If you ride a ToW stage on demand, you’ll receive 1.5x XP, not the 2x you get when riding it as an event.”
Pretty cool that they’re bringing Jarvis back for their 10 year anniversary! Those early days were magical!
It might be which would be cool. All Zwift as said is that it’s an “ancient land” of sorts, No news on that it’s OFFICIALLY Jarvis Island.
Ah, good ol’ ToW, or as I call it ‘Kids-bring-home-a-new-cold-every-week-month’. Never fails
Pleased to see this arrive. I normally start my Zwift winter on Zwift Academy but this has a really different vibe this year. None of the other series grab me and none attract the same number of participants.
Hi, just wondering: REALLY excited for the expansion and all but just wondering if this is the last expansion we’ll see in Watopia because according to https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/zwift-celebrates-10-years-of-ride-on-with-mystery-tour-of-watopia-stage it seems that it will be since the wording is “even after 10 years, not all Watopia had been revealed, but it will be on November 12”. Still excited for it but it would feel kind of sad knowing that Watopia will have an end to its production by the end of this year. Thanks!
I hope/think that’s just marketing speak that they didn’t think through fully.
Agreed, Tim!
It could also be read that they could still expand the other island/countries in the future!
Zwift should offer those kits IRL
I told them the same!
I would proudly wear this kit IRL. This is even nicer then the Neokyo kit which was my fav until I saw this.
Maybe a straight-forward question for some: but is this a group ride, race, or free ride? Because I see the w/kg is not set?
I think these are rubber-banded group rides. The different classes are for choosing hard/middle/short type of the route i guess.
These are NOT rubber banded rides.
They are group rides events. In a big event like this some will always “race” the group ride at front, but most riders are just there to ride with others in a fun group ride.
You can also do the routes above as free rides, and earn 1.5x the normal XP.
As someone said while were were waiting in the pen when someone else asked “is this a race?” “If there are two or more bikes, someone will race”😀
Will it be like last year, as once you have ridden the event you will not get a double XP in a second ride?
Every event is double XP. If that event is the first time you have ridden that route, then you will get 3x XP overall.
How do workout count on those routes? I mean there you get XP for intervals etc not kms. If I keep doing a workout on a specific route for that week does that increase also XP earned?
Same question here. Can I do a workout on one of the Stages Free Rides and earn XP for miles or is it only for non-workout that you get extra XP? Thanks!
I just tested it – you do NOT get 1.5x XP in workouts. Just in free rides.
Just got this from ZHQ:
We dug deeper into this and found in ToW workout 1.5 XP isn’t working as intended. A fix will go live in version 1.77. After 1.77, Zwifters who complete workouts using ToW routes will receive 1.5XP their workout XP. Until 1.77 releases, we strongly suggest Zwifters who want to take advantage of double or 1.5XP to complete ToW either in events or free-ride / on-demand.
Hi @Eric Schlange ,
I’m still on 1.75 so this may take a while, hope I get 1.77 until ToW finishes.
Can you confirm the logic going to be the same as for normal workouts – I mean XP awarded per minute, but in this case more XP per minute?
So this would mean route selection, bike selection and route completion doesn’t count just the time spent on intervals in the workout?
Thanks.
Hi @Eric Schlange ,
Is the update 1.77 coming next week or is it delayed? Just asking how to plan my workouts.
Thanks
Releases this week.
It would be nice if the robo pacers would pace this rides
I remember following one of them on tour de zwift in the past, are they not in this event too?
No robot pacers this year. The rides are group rides with no fence or dedicated w/kg. To be honest, these are free rides with just massive traffic on the road and a starting time every hour. But for me this is fun enough. Espacially with the double XP Bonus.
Watopia Airways? A clue about the expansion theme? Or an example to potential sponsors that Zwift could fairly inoffensively use in future to make money?
Not sure why this is downvoted. I actually don’t mind the idea of sponsors paying for non-impactful things like their brands on certain kits (as long as it wasn’t every kit) if that meant potentially passing on a reduced subscribe fee.
Is this the first forward-facing baseball cap for riding in Zwift?
New to this.
Are the A, B & C rides indicative of pace or just route difficulty?
A, B, and C are just indicative of route length.
Is there any meaning of the advertisement on the kit? E. g. Hank’s Oil&Gas
Aren’t they locations around Watopia? Although I’m not sure on the Airways…maybe a hint towards the new extension…
Yeah, they’re all locations in Watopia.
I rode in the first event yesterday along with 1400 others and I was getting 2XP randomly at various points in the ride. Do you know what this was all about?
That’s from people with the Confetti socks (level 100 unlock) giving you a Ride On.
Hi,
has anyone tested how On demand works? I mean stage timing applies to group events only?
On demand routes can be ridden any time until the end of ToW?
I was thinking to ride 1 route from each stage for the kit, but than stick with a favourite route for the rest of ToW when I do my Z2 rides (once 1.5 XP will apply to workouts).
Thanks.
Yes, timing applies to group events only. You can free ride any ToW route during ToW, and you’ll get 1.5XP.
You won’t get 1.5XP for workouts on those routes, though, until Zwift updates to version 1.77 around October 29.
It doesn’t look like there is a sign-up for the ToW-run and I guess also no mission-badge hence tying the unlocks to specific stages. It’s disheartening to see how they are taking away the little joys us runners still had on the platform. Zwift Academy run: gone. Zwift Academy Tri: gone. Tour of Watopia (as a full blown event like for cycling): gone. I guess that the Tour de Zwift will be next.
For TOW stage 2, the standard and shorter rides require a mountain bike. If I were to do one of these rides on demand (outside of Oct 22-29), would I have to use a mountain bike to get the stage completion?
I highly doubt it.
Nope… Did it on the safety bike and got credited (incl. 30XP/km).
https://youtu.be/_PxOsIIqvcE?si=myirnoQeBeN4F-FZ
It is a re-imagination of the original Jarvis island.
Jarvis is that you poking out there? 🤪
I’m so happy that Zwift has added extra XP for free rides this time around. Even though it’s only 30xp points versus the 40 for the actual ToW rides, if your priority is leveling up fast, free rides are the way to go. Because there’s no need to register for the ToW rides; no need to start riding at a certain time – and best of all, you don’t need to do any climbing, which slows you down and reduces your total points. By picking a flat ride like Tempus Fugit you can ride around and around and around and collect 30xp every K for as long as you want. It’s really nice that Zwift gave us this option. Thanks Zwift!!
Can you earn a route badge if you join the event late?
Does Road to Sky keep giving 150% experience if you finish and let it take you back down? I’m curious how that route is handled since it isn’t a loop.
I got 2x XP on the way up and 1.5 on the way down.
this site needs more popups
Hey Guys! How people already have their kit even if you cannot ride stage 5 yet?
I don’t think they can. But what you MIGHT be seeing is the cached view of a rider who just finished a ToW event, and Zwift hasn’t refreshed their kit in your view.
this article implies the answer is “yes”, but can anyone confirm that if you do an on-demand ride (for example, a meet-up), do you just have to select an appropriate route that’s currently active in the ToW, and then you’ll get both the bonus xp AND credit for completing the stage (i.e. working towards the kit unlock)? Thanks.
I can confirm that’s how it works.
great thank you!!
I wrenched my knee two weeks ago and am just now ready for some short and easy rehab rides. Can I do rides from stage 1 and 2 for credit outside of the event weeks?
Yes, you can just free-ride the ToW routes. You’ll earn 1.5x the normal XP, and get stage credit.
Hope the knee gets better soon!
Thank you!
How late can you “late join” a tour de Watopia stage?
I rode Mayan 8 last night. The iguanas, the ones moving their heads up and down, should give riders a “Ride On” as they ride by.
I love the headbangers!
might it be that the first zwift Island is coming back “Jarvis Island” would be fun
an other question i do both the bike and run tour de zwift and i can see how much stages i have done for the bike but i can not find anything which shows me my advance on the run part , i think I have done all 4 stages so far but can not find a way to check..
any suggestion
You can use Zwift Power to check for your running stages.
And Stage 5 is pretty *womp womp* for all the build up.