Grasslands Triple Crown
About Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated: Wed Feb 26, 2025
Registration
1. How do I enter the Grassland Triple Crown points series?
It’s as easy as a Western two-step!
A. Register for any of the 3 eligible events/route distances
B. Record your ride at the event(s) and upload it to Strava.
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2. Is there any cost to enter the Grassland Triple Crown?
There is no additional fee besides event registration to be included in the Grassland Triple Crown points series competition.
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3. Do I have to register for all 3 events to be included in the Grassland Triple Crown?
No. You can enter as many of the 3 events as you choose and still be included.
Remember, riders earn multiplied points for entering more than one series event:
* First event entered: 1X points
* Second event entered: 1.5X points for that event
* Third event entered: 2X points for that event
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4. Where can I register for the events?
* Grassland Gravel, Fort Pierre, Saturday, July 12, 2025
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* Thunderhawk Wide Open, Lemmon, Saturday, August 16, 2025
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* Wheelin’ To Wall, Wall, Saturday, September 27, 2025
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5. Is there a way to enter all 3 events at once?
We love your enthusiasm, but unfortunately no. We’re already working on it for year 2 though! For 2025, you need to enter each event separately.
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6. What routes at each event are eligible to be included in the Grassland Triple Crown?
Event rides must be on one of the two longest-distance routes for each event (segments will be on shared route sections):
* Grassland Gravel: 53 & 71 mile routes
* Thunderhawk Wide Open: Thunderhawk (50 mi) and Grand Cedar (115 mi) routes
* Wheelin’ to Wall: Saturday Gravel Grinder Short (35 mi) and Saturday Gravel Grinder Long (68 mi) routes
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7. What if I registered for an event(s) but now can’t go to one/some/all of them?
A refund or transfer, if any is available, is determined by the registration rules set for each specific event by the event director.
Points System
8. How does the points series affect an event’s format?
The Grassland Triple Crown is an additional feature for the 3 events, but it does not affect other aspects of each event’s format.
For example, an event may be its own race independent of the Grassland Triple Crown points series with various race categories and prizes.
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9. How do I enter?
Riders will be automatically entered if they upload their event ride to STRAVA following completion of any of the 3 events.
Riders must upload their event rides to STRAVA no later than 1 hour following their completion of the event ride.
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10. How many points can I earn for winning a segment?
Top 10 segment finishers within each rider category earn:
1st = 13 points
2nd = 11 points
3rd = 9 points
4th = 8 points
5th = 7 points
6th = 6 points
7th = 5 points
8th = 4 points
9th = 3 points
10th = 2 points
Riders earn multiplied points for entering more than one series event!
* First event entered: 1X points
* Second event entered: 1.5X points for that event
* Third event entered: 2X points for that event
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11. What if two or more riders have the same time on a segment?
If two or more riders in the same category finish the segment with the same time (to the second), each rider will earn the total points for that place.
For example, if two riders tie for first place on the segment, each will earn 13 points. This does not affect points available for other places on the segment.
12. What are the Grassland Triple Crown competition categories?
* Men's Open, ages 18-49
* Men's Masters, ages 50+
* Women's Open, ages 18-49
* Women's Masters, ages 50+
Note: each event may have different age/gender categories, but the points series will be calculated independently using the categories as noted.
STRAVA Segments
13. How will I know which STRAVA segments are part of the Grasslands Triple Crown?
STRAVA segments will be publicly identified prior to each event and provided to event registrants in advance with other event rider information.
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14. Will STRAVA segment start/end points be marked on course?
Yes, BUT the signs will only show approximate locations. It’s up to the GPS/STRAVA platform to determine segment finish times.
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15. What if the STRAVA segment times are different than what I saw on course (e.g. I saw rider X win by a wheel but STRAVA says rider Y won by a second)?
The STRAVA segment leaderboard will be the final determination. No manual adjustments will be made.
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16. I can’t make it to an/any event(s), can I still enter the Grassland Triple Crown by riding the segments another time?
No. Only rides during the event by riders officially registered for the event are eligible for the Grasslands Triple Crown.
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17. What if I don’t have a STRAVA account?
What if I use another platform to record my rides (e.g. Ride with GPS, Trailforks, MapMyRide, etc.)
Points are determined solely based on the STRAVA platform segment leaderboard. Posting your event ride to STRAVA is the only way to enter the competition.
If you don’t want to set up a STRAVA account, we get it, and hope you have a fantastic ride on the prairie. Remember too, that each event may have a competitive format independent of the Grassland Triple Crown that doesn’t require a STRAVA-based time.
