Sprint Heats are run as a separate race to the qualifier. You can set up the heats race as soon as you have the sprint qualifier results set up – you do not need to wait until the qualifier has completed to set up the heats.
Setting up the Qualifier Results
The first thing to consider is the qualifier results – to create heats, you need a result set in your qualifier grouped in the same way that the heats will be grouped. For example, if your race will have separate heats for open men and junior men, then you need to have junior men and senior men grouped separately in the qualifier results.
If the groups in your qualifying results are sorted into the same order as the heats will be run, that will also save a step later on
Create the heats race
To create the sprint heat race, create a new race file from your home page:
Choose Cross Country Skiing for the sport and you will find 2 options for heats.
For any ladder heats we recommended using an Excel document like the one found on this link. The current Ladder heats format on the software is still in development.
Make sure that you have a results set built on your qualifier race file to import racers from. We recommend that you already have your groups built on that results set just like they will be racing the heats and also in the right order for the schedule.
Once your race file is created, you can link it to your event page here:
Selecting a Heat Format
For each start group, you’ll need to choose the correct heat format – that is, the number of quarterfinals and the number of racers in each quarterfinal. Only a limited number of heat formats are supported by Zone4 Timing, you can can see a list of some of those formats here: https://help.zone4.ca/kb/xcski-sprint-heat-formats/
To select the heat format each group will use, click on the existing heat format name in the groups table, and then select the new format from the popup window
Once you have selected the correct heat format for each group, click on the “Create Heats” button at the bottom of the page.
Setting the Heat Schedule
You can adjust the heat schedule as necessary by simply typing a new heat start time in the “Start Time” column beside each heat. The times for all heats will adjust automatically.
Importing Racers from the Qualifier
It is important that racers are not tied in the qualifier – it is up to you to break any qualifier ties before the racers are imported into the heats. You’ll see the racers highlighted in yellow on the qualifier results if they are tied. you can break a tie by clicking on either tied racer, and adjusting their time so that it is not tied with any other racer. Usually, this means adding one one-thousandth of a second the racer with the lower bib number, but that’s up to the rules of your specific race format.
After each category finishes their qualifier race, you can import those racers with their qualifying time and rank into the heats file by clicking the “import” button beside that category on the heats page:
Importing happens on a category-by-category basis because time is tight between the qualifier and heats. As soon as racers have been imported for a category, you can print brackets for that category and hand them off to the jury or race office for review and posting.
Assigning new Racer Numbers
Usually, racers do not keep their bibs from the qualifier. Enter the first racer number for each category in the “first #” column, and hit the “Assign #s” button to re-assign numbers to all the imported racers based on their qualification rank.
Publishing and Printing Heat Brackets
There is no “start list” for heats – just the results. Go to the results tab to find the heat brackets. If you print them before the heats have started, they will only contain start order. Once a heat has completed, the brackets will update to display finish order instead and the heat in the next round will fill in.
