Zwift’s Women’s Racing Series has always been popular, and they’ve just announced the first such series for 2025. Created in partnership with FemmeCycle Collab, it runs across 4 races in the month of May.
It’s somewhat experimental, too, because for the first time ever, these races will be age-based! Learn all the details below…
Age-Based Women’s Racing
Riders will automatically be placed in categories based on their age group:
- A: Under 30
- B: 30-39
- C: 40-49
- D: 50-59
- E: 60 and over
Overall GC winners will be those with the lowest overall time in your age group across the 4 races. You can also choose to participate in individual races and simply go for the win on the week.
Schedule and Routes
For the month of May, each stage will run at three different times each Tuesday (0630, 1730, 2330 UTC) and once each Saturday (1530 UTC).
- Stage 1 – May 6 & 10
- Loopin Lava (2 laps) – 32.7km, 408m elevation
- Stage 2 – May 13 & 17
- Turf N Surf (1 lap) – 24.7km, 198m elevation
- Stage 3 – May 20 & 24
- Coast to Coast (1 lap) – 26.7km, 164m elevation
- Stage 4 – May 27 & 31
- Outer Scotland (2 laps) – 22.4km, 208m elevation
Sign up at zwift.com/events/tag/zwiftwomensracingseries >
Where To Find Results
This series includes both an individual and team classification. For the team classification, points will be allocated for the top 3 times in your team per age group per time zone.
Important: to compete in the overall individual or team classifications, you must race at the same time each week.
Standings for the series can be found at:
- Tuesday Race 1: https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=2739
- Tuesday Race 2: https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=2740
- Tuesday Race 3: https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=2741
- Saturday Race: https://zwiftpower.com/league.php?id=2742
Additional Rules
- Hardware Requirements: to participate, you must be using a Smart Trainer, Smart Bike, or Power Meter. Sorry, no zPower riders. You must also be wearing a Heart Rate Monitor.
- Neutralized Bikes: Bikes and upgrades are neutralized. Pick your favourite!
- Mass Start: All riders (categories) will start together. Riders in each age group will wear the same kit so you can distinguish who you are racing against.
- One Aero Powerup: riders will start with an aero powerup in each event. You will receive no further powerups during the event, so make sure that you use it wisely!
About FCC
FemmeCycle Collab was created in 2023 to empower women in esports. For more information about these events, and others and news about Women’s Cycling on Zwift, please join us!
Questions or Comments?
Share below!
Why does the age category stop at 60yrs + if its good enough for the lower age groups to be in 10 year increments. Then it shod carry on,
60 to 69
70 to 79
80 to 89
Etc why should a lady of 75 or 80 race against someone who is 15 or 20 years their junior..
That’s probably mostly a point to get relevant fields. In the oldest age group you will probably only have very few ladies. There are not so many women at all that are on Zwift + they want to race + they’re still training on Zwift in May. I would assume that in the oldest age group the field is small anyway. And making a race with 2-3 contestants is boring. Also, if you’re 69 you race against people 9 years younger while uf you’re 70 you’re the youngest. All limits (category, age, ZRS) have the break-points. But I would love more to have a bigger field than just 2 people.
I’m one of the oldies race age 80+ and race regularly with young ladies. Its hard and it would be nice if there would be a “true” age cat. When I can I race with the Masters SA at times. Although for the most part I’m the only female and race against males at least they are in my age cat which is nice.
Exactly, A.K. The number of 70+ women racing on Zwift is minuscule. That field would have 0-2 riders in it, I predict…
“The number of 70+ women racing on Zwift is minuscule”
The number of women who will “admit” to being over 70 is minuscule, grasshopper. LOL
Guaranteed podium for the few of us over 70! I like the thought. 😊
Are there any age based racing for men?
There are mixed-gender age-based races here and there. Zwift recently rolled out age-based pen enforcement, so hopefully we’ll see some race organizers doing more age-based categories…
I am absolutely NOT in favor of this, it reduces winning to a “participation award” and is what has ruined amateur racing.
Do you suggest that all Zwift races should be single-category mass-start events? Those races are my jam but I don’t suggest that everyone else has to do what I like.
Looking forward to seeing links to previous rants you’ve made about the monthly zRacing GC breaking things down by category as well.
Professional Racing doesn’t have “age” categories.
Amateur racing like Tour de France and Giro sponsored races “require” it.
In sports these days everybody gets a medal, trophy, and ribbon for “participating” which rewards mediocrity.
USA Cycling has Masters and Junior age based category racing. There are no participation trophies in those races.
And again, “professional” racing doesn’t have “age” categories. There is only ONE podium and ONE winner per race, as it should be
First, this is Zwift not professional cycling and not clear how you think everyone is getting a “participation trophy” here. Second, presumably you’re not a lady so you don’t have to participate. Finally, anyone who wants to compete in a different format quite literally has loads of options to do so.
Not that serious Steve not that serious
Right. The age based category races also have one podium and one winner per each race. Just like the “professional” races. Maybe Zwift shouldn’t have any racing at all since the vast majority of riders on Zwift are not “professional”? Anyway, this is a weird argument. I just don’t see how the introduction of age based categories suddenly turns each podium into a participation ceremony.
That’s just straight out wrong. Tour de France, Giro and Vuelta (and most other stage races) all have young rider categories where a jersey is awarded for the best rider under 25. Not to mention the KOM and points categories. Are you sure you know how professional cycle racing actually works?
Are you a pro ? I’m not a pro and would love to all start together like I have done my 9 Ironman races , but at the end of the day is the results . How did I do against men my age . In 1985 I completed against the top 5 in the 25 to 29 age division. Now its 65 to 69 . And each of the 284 races I have raced its against ALL WHO START . I see no pros in the results .
I agree. Zwift over complicate things with all the pointless different categories but they do so because they need to offer the illusion that slow and unfit people can win and if they don’t win they can claim it’s because everyone else cheate.
Why are men always the ones complaining about things that pertain only to women? It was the same when LTGP announced their “no drafting other categories” rule for their races. I’ll never understand why men can’t be happy for women and choose to listen to what they have to say instead of injecting their biased opinions on everything, including things that have zero effect on them.
Sincerely, a man
Zwift does not verify rider age, open to abuse.
Not to mention increased real age does not necessarily mean lower power ability.
I think having an occasional age-based category race is great. As a 62-year-old male, I always look in Zwift Power at the age categories of the other riders who came out ahead of me. I realize that people can claim any age, just like they can claim any weight, but I think that most people keep it in the ballpark. After all, this platform is for self-improvement, and if a 25-year-old takes joy in “winning” against people who are actually in their 60s, the only loser is the cheater.
The biggest “cheerleaders” for age categories here are, and always have been, male “Baby Boomers” in the U.S.
Many of whom insist in putting their age in their user name for some reason
Male boomer – Guilty as charged – 73, old, fat, slow … looking for a little pity, I suppose.
I guess I’m guilty . When I raced in my 1st triathlons at age 28 in 1985 , was put in a age division . That never changed in IRL racing. So lets see 40 yrs of doing that . Sprint , Olympic , half and full ironman triathlons and always not fast enough to be in OPEN DIVISION , but age group division . Sub 5hrs for half Ironman , 11hrs for a full ironman all in my 30’s . And if I was in my 30’s would be in top 3 in every race . Do not get old Steve 😂 So when you are fit and healthy over 60 and done it for 40+ yrs , means you trained and raced smart .
Same here Stu, 68 -year old male , I head over to Zwift Power as well look at the 60+ , but they put in those who are 70+ in the 60+ . They need a 70+ division . Wish the leaderboard on the after party stage race had a age filter on it .
Why just women? Men over 60 can benefit from having the same .. sexism at work …
So go organise it then. You can even call it HommeCycle Collab, I’m sure the ladies won’t mind if you grab the male version of their moniker. Or were you expecting women to organise it for you? Sexism lol.
Given that some of the strongest women I know in Zwift racing are in the 40’s and 50’s age group, I don’t think age is a super helpful way to create evenly matched categories. But it will be interesting to see who participates. I am a little sad there isn’t a regular ZRS-based ladies racing series this spring because I would get shelled immediately if the strong 40+ field shows up 🙂
I guess I’m guilty . When I raced in my 1st triathlons at age 28 in 1985 , was put in a age division . That never changed in IRL racing. So lets see 40 yrs of doing that . Sprint , Olympic , half and full ironman triathlons and always not fast enough to be in OPEN DIVISION , but age group division . Sub 5hrs for half Ironman , 11hrs for a full ironman all in my 30’s . And if I was in my 30’s would be in top 3 in every race . Do not get old Steve 😂 So when you are fit and healthy over 60 and done it for 40+ yrs , means you trained and raced smart .
We need a men’s one too
Anyone know why the times are limited to 3 time slots per race? None of them are after I wake up and before happy hour. With no IRL volunteers to organize, why can’t they run them more often?
Because they’re trying to strike a balance between keeping group size up while giving people timeslots that fit their schedule, methinks.
To be fair results should be broken at minimum like John posted below or like Masters SA races are broken down after 70 years the ages are further into 5 year UCI age groups
This is great news! Hopefully age categorised events will be organised for men as well real soon! We used to have age-cat racing leagues a few years ago, but wound up due to difficulty with the organisation – no shortage of numbers wanting to race!
As a male 16yo, I’d love to see some more racing and training aged at my age group, win win for both junior and zwift as they widen the demographic.
Hey Eric @Eric Schlange Firstly love your input! I was wondering why I am slotted into D ( 50-59) when I’m about to enter the next category and I have been listed as being in the next category all year? ( like ahead of schedule)🤔. I know that when racing IRL I would be in the next category Is this some sort of error? 🙏
I thought all women stopped aging at 29.
If based on real time age, then for those who have a birthday during the series that pushes them up a group, it looks like it could mess up their GC stats.
Race was great fun! Really liked the mass start.
Now that the women ages series is done I have to admit that if there would have been a 70+ cat it would have been no more then 3 in that cat. I’m in the 80+ and happy to say I managed to come in third place Cat 60+