U23 Program – Year Two

Requirements

1. Meet the age requirements.
   • Minimum age: Must be 18 on or before 12/31/2025
   • Maximum age: Must not turn 23 before 1/1/27
2. Complete the U23 Development Program application by 1/31/2026. (NOTE: Applications will remain open for women until May 15, 2026).
   • Acceptance will be based on proof of past performance provided by the athlete since U23 athletes will start in the pro/elite corrals at each event.
   • Athletes will be announced 2/7/2026.
3. Register for at least four of six Life Time Grand Prix events (listed below).
   • Athletes wanting to do Life Time Leadville Trail MTB 100 presented by Kenetik will need to enter the lottery (open 12/1/2025 – 12/15/2025).
   • Accepted athletes planning to do Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano will receive a reserved entry spot for the UNBOUND Gravel 100.
4. Race Life Time Sea Otter Gravel Pro race on Thursday April 16, 2026 and/or Life Time UNBOUND Gravel presented by Shimano 100 on May 30, 2026.
5. After UNBOUND Gravel, Life Time will select the top 10 men and women from the U23 standings to be invited into the remainder of the program and will cover their remaining race entry fees. Selection will be based on each athlete’s performances at Sea Otter Gravel and/or UNBOUND Gravel 100, as well as past race performances submitted in the application. U23 champions from the 2026 year automatically qualify for the 2027 LTGP season.
6. Best 4 out of 6 races will be scored, allowing for 2 drop races, meaning 4 race starts are required.
7. An athlete can be in the U23 Program and go for a 2026 Wild Card spot. However, if an athlete earns and accepts a Wild Card spot, they will be removed from the U23 program and leaderboard. Any athlete going for a Wild Card spot will need to complete the UNBOUND Gravel 200 and use this race as a drop race for the U23 Program.

1. Life Time Sea Otter Classic Gravel presented by Continental Thursday, April 16, 2026 | Monterey, CA
2. Life Time UNBOUND Gravel 100 presented by Shimano Saturday, May 30, 2026 | Emporia, KS
3. Life Time Leadville Trail 100 MTB presented by Kenetik Saturday, August 15, 2026 | Leadville, CO
4. Life Time Chequamegon MTB Festival Saturday, September 19, 2026 | Chequamegon, WI
5. Life Time Little Sugar MTB Sunday, October 11, 2026 | Bentonville, AR
6. Life Time Big Sugar Gravel Saturday, October 17, 2026 | Bentonville, AR

• Life Time Grand Prix U23 Development athletes will be scored amongst themselves, with a separate leaderboard throughout the season.
• Best 4 out of 6 races will be scored, allowing for 2 drop races.
• 4 starts are required.
• In the event of a tie, an athlete’s performance at Life Time Big Sugar Gravel will serve as the tie breaker. Big Sugar is not required, but the tiebreaker will go to the athlete who performs better at Big Sugar. While both a DNS and a DNF are scored 0, a DNF would still beat a DNS in a tiebreaker. For example:
  • If two athletes are tied on the final leaderboard and one athlete was a DNS and the other was a DNF at Big Sugar, the tie breaker would then go to the athlete who was a DNF.

U23 scoring is based on placement—1st place earns 1 point, 2nd place earns 2 points, 3rd place earns 3 points, and so on. The athlete with the lowest total score wins.

Scoring applies only to U23 athletes. For example, if a U23 athlete finishes 6th overall but is the first U23 finisher, they will place first and receive 1 point.