Life Time Grand Prix Overhauls Qualifying Process for 2027

The Life Time Grand Prix announced today a new qualifying system for the 2027 edition based primarily on rider performance.

The top-10 each overall from the men’s and women’s fields in 2026 will earn an automatic berth to the 25-man and 25-woman fields in 2027. Additionally, the top rider each from the under-23 men’s and women’s competitions will earn an automatic spot. The remaining 14 spots for each field will be earned through a new qualification process at the Sea Otter Classic in April.

The Sea Otter Classic has long served as the opening race in the series, previously as a mountain bike race, and in recent seasons as a gravel race. In 2027, both races, the Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel on Thursday and Life Time Sea Otter Classic Fuego XL on Saturday, will serve as the two qualifying events for the remainder of the series roster spots.

“We’ve listened closely to athletes, agents and partners, and one opportunity we identified to enhance the Series is to create a performance-driven path into the Life Time Grand Prix,” said Kimo Seymour, president of events and media at Life Time.

“The Grand Prix is about identifying the best all-around off-road racers, and competing across gravel and mountain bike racing reflects that. Establishing the field earlier also gives athletes greater certainty as they plan their seasons and partnerships.”

The new selection process means riders have a clear performance pathway to qualification, though fewer riders will enter the first race with a sure spot.

Previously, 22 of the 25 roster spots were selected before the start of Sea Otter, with the remaining three spots for each field being selected through a Wild Card competition. The Wild Card combined riders’ top results at the first two Life Time Grand Prix races, Sea Otter and Unbound Gravel, to choose the final three spots in each field. Now, the entire field will be set in April at Sea Otter, rather than nearly two months later at Unbound.

The previous selection process for the other 22 spots used slightly opaque performance criteria. Selection was based on performance in Life Time-owned races in the previous 12 months (including events not in the Grand Prix) as well as results in a number of other top off-road events around the world. Life Time also considered other top events not listed in its official selection criteria “at its sole discretion” as well as “other relevant factors in determining final athlete selections.” But trying to compare results from different events is an imperfect science.

By moving to two qualifying races at Sea Otter, the new process pits potential racers head to head for the roster spots rather than trying to compare results across different events. The new selection process also rewards riders for doing well in the Grand Prix and under-23 competitions in the previous season.

For riders who qualify for the Grand Prix through the two-race qualification process at Sea Otter, their result from the gravel race on Thursday will count towards their Grand Prix standings. The mountain bike race on Saturday will only be a factor for qualifying and will not count towards Grand Prix standings.

Life Time states that all eligible riders in the Pro category who compete in both the gravel and mountain bike race at Sea Otter have the opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prix. Full details on the scoring system, tie-breaking procedures, and eligibility will be announced later, ahead of the 2027 season.

Life Time will also introduce a new Pro category vetting process in September. Those details will be announced later.

“Our goal is to continue raising the competitive standard of the Grand Prix while creating a clear pathway into the Series for athletes to pursue,” said Seymour.

“The top athletes from this season will earn their opportunity to return, the next group will have the chance to race their way in at Sea Otter, and from there we’ll have 25 women and 25 men taking on seven of the most demanding off-road races in the country.”

Life Time Grand Prix Return to 7 Events

In 2027, the Life Time Grand Prix will expand from six to seven events with the return of the Life Time Rad Dirt Fest in Trinidad, Colorado, in September. It joins the existing lineup of Sea Otter, Unbound, Leadville, Chequamegon, Little Sugar, and Big Sugar.

“Following conversations with our athletes, it was clear The Rad remained a favorite because of the course and the kind of racing it creates,” said Seymour. “As we looked at returning the Grand Prix to seven events, bringing The Rad back into the championship was a natural fit.”

Racers will be required to race six of the seven events in the Grand Prix. The worst result of the seven will be dropped and scoring will be taken from each rider’s top-six events. Racers participating in only six of seven events will be scored by those six events.