Zwift Racing League 2024/25 Round 2 Details

Now in its 14th round, Zwift Racing League continues to take racing to the next level on Zwift! Team signups for the second round of the season are now open.

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s coming next for Zwift Racing League…

Intro to ZRL

Zwift Racing League (ZRL) is the world’s largest virtual cycling competition. How big is it? Over 36,000 riders participated in the 2023/24 season, making it the biggest season on record!

Organized by WTRL, this is a team-based points competition spread across multiple weeks, with teams organized into divisions based on time zones and ability. Races happen every Tuesday, and the season is broken into three 6-week rounds with short breaks in between.

ZRL is Zwift racing at its highest level. Its unique structure and varied race formats drive serious Zwift racers to show up week after week while providing a place for new racers who jump in and find their first team home.

This page contains the latest info about the current ZRL round, and is updated as WTRL announces new details.

Routes and Dates

Each ZRL round comprises weekly races which are either scratch races, points races, or team time trials (TTT). Scratch Races and Points Races are both actually points-based in terms of final results, but Points races include intermediate segments while Scratch Race points are all earned at the finish line. TTT winners are the teams who complete the race course fastest, with team time taken from the fourth rider across the line.

Race #1: Tick Tock
November 12, 2024 (TTT)

Just like the previous round, we’re starting this one with a TTT. It’s going to be flat and fast! Two laps through the Fuego Flats desert, on a circuit that includes just enough climbing to keep things interesting.

• 2 Lap of Watopia’s Tick Tock (36km, 112m elevation)
• PowerUps: none 🛈

Race #2: Turf N Surf
November 19, 2024 (Points Race)

We haven’t raced this route before in ZRL, but it’s definitely one for the punchy climbers. Legs will be softened on the climb up to the Shisa Sprint, then they’ll be broken through the Pain Cavern leading to the flat, fast finish!

• 1 Lap of Makuri Islands’ Turf N Surf (24.7km, 198m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA 🛈
• Intermediate Segments: TBA

Race #3: Mighty Metropolitan
November 26, 2024 (Scratch Race)

We raced this as a ZRL TTT back in late 2020, but never before as a scratch race. With constantly pitchy roads and a mid-course New York KOM Reverse to force a selection, this will be a short, punchy, attack-filled effort.

• 1 Lap of New York’s Mighty Metropolitan (20.5km, 321m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA 🛈

Race #4: Triple Flat Loops
December 3, 2024 (TTT)

We raced this in last year’s round 2 as a TTT, so seasoned ZRL racers will already be familiar with the course. A bit longer and pitchier than race #1, this one will test riders’ endurance and ability to stay in efficient formation on short climbs and rollers.

• 1 Lap of Watopia’s Triple Flat Loops (36.3km, 162m elevation)
• PowerUps: none 🛈

Race #5: Keith Hill After Party
December 10, 2024 (Points Race)

The Queen Stage of this round, Keith Hill After Party is a mostly flat route… until it’s not! It ends atop the Keith Hill KOM, and you can bet it will be a slugfest all the way up.

• 1 Lap of London’s Keith Hill After Party (36.7km, 435m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA 🛈
• Intermediate Segments: TBA

Race #6: Tair Dringfa Fechan
December 17, 2024 (Scratch Race)

We’ll be racing a new route created by the Zwift community for the final race of round 2! Route creator Bryan Culliford (CLS) describes his winning route this way: Tair Dringfa Fechan (translated from Welsh as Three Little Climbs) is a route determined to test riders before reaching the finish at the mighty Titans Reverse segment banner.

• 1 Lap of Watopia’s Tair Dringfa Fechan (32km, 349m elevation)
• PowerUps: TBA 🛈

Race Timeslots

For the first time ever, ZRL is hosting two steering-enabled divisions (highlighted below). While steering isn’t required to race in these divisions, it will certainly be an advantage!

Some divisions and start times get tweaked between each round, so make sure you pick the time slot that works for your team.

Teams/Registration

ZRL is a team-based competition – you cannot sign up as an individual rider. Teams can have up to 12 racers rostered, but only 6 can race in each event. Teams must have at least 4 riders on their roster, and a rider can be rostered on no more than 2 teams per round.

Team registration opened on October 16 at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration.

Want to race, but don’t have a team? Here are six ways to find a team:

1. Recruit friends onto a new ZRL team, then sign up your team at wtrl.racing/zrl-registration/.
2. If you’re already a member of a larger Zwift Club, contact a senior Club representative to see if you can join one of your Club’s ZRL teams.
3. Join an official team-lead ZRL Group Recon Ride where several teams can be found looking for more riders. These run several times a day starting two weeks before the first race. Learn more >
4. Join the ZRL Facebook Group and post preferred race times/league, Pace Group Category, and any other preferences under the #zrlteamhunt tag where many teams are eagerly waiting.
5. Reply to one of the #zrlrecruiting posts that teams make in the ZRL Facebook Group if you don’t want to post your own request.
6. Reach out directly to WTRL and they can match you to a team based on race times, category, and team preferences.

Route Design Contest

For the first time in Zwift’s history, a unique chance is being offered to Zwifters to design routes. The chosen routes will be used for the final race of rounds 1, 2, and 3, and will also become available to all Zwift users in the future!

Round 3’s design contest is now open, with an entry deadline of December 1, 2024.

Read all about the contest here >

First-Timer Tips

If this is your first time racing on Zwift, here are a few tips to get you started fast:

1. You have to be signed up for ZwiftPower to participate. Instructions >
2. You must create a WTRL account as well – do so at wtrl.racing/registration
3. The minimum category you’ll race is determined by your power history on Zwift. See this post for details.
4. Riders must use a power sensor to transmit power to the game – this would be a smart trainer, smartbike, or power meter. (You’re allowed to race C and D categories with a “classic” trainer and virtual power, but your points are cut in half.)
5. Heart rate monitors are required. (You’re allowed to race without a HRM, but your points are cut in half.)
6. Cadence monitors are required (new rule for Round 2).
7. You’ll want to have at least a few races under your belt before you try to join a team, so you are confident that you’re in the correct category. It causes a lot of hassle if you join a team, and then are forced to upgrade to a new category mid-round.

Race Recon Events

If you’re unfamiliar with a particular week’s race course, join a ZRL recon ride! These happen multiple times per day and are led by experienced racers who may share route info and racing tips as you ride.

You can find a list of upcoming ZRL recon rides at zwift.com/events/tag/zrlrecon.

Live Broadcasts

Select ZRL races will be broadcast with commentary on Zwift’s streaming channels, including YouTube.

2024/25 ZRL Dates

• Round 1: Sept 10-Oct 18, 2024
• Round 2: Nov 12-Dec 17, 2024
• Round 3: Jan 14-Feb 18, 2025
• Finals: Apr 8-22, 2025

Questions or Comments?

We recommend checking out WTRL’s Zwift Racing League page for rules, team registration, results, and more. They also have a Help Center with lots of useful info, and their Facebook page is the place to go for discussion of all things ZRL.

You may also share questions or comments below!