RULES, SCORING & DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Know the rules. Then race.
APEX is built around a simple idea.
Work hard now, and you can give yourself an advantage later.
Every round brings together running, a two-minute Power Station and an endurance erg.
Your reps matter.
Your decisions matter.
And how you manage your energy matters just as much.
THE APEX FORMAT
Run. Work. Earn. Reduce. Race.
Each round follows the same basic flow.
01 — RUN
The round starts with a run.
Set your pace and get yourself ready for the work ahead.
02 — POWER STATION
Next comes the Power Station.
You have 2 minutes to complete as many valid repetitions as possible.
This is where the race starts to get tactical.
03 — EARN YOUR CREDITS
Every valid repetition earns distance credit.
For the current APEX format:
1 valid rep = 10 m
Those credits are applied to the erg that follows.
For example:
20 reps = 200 m removed
30 reps = 300 m removed
The more valid reps you earn, the less distance you have left.
04 — COMPLETE THE ERG
Now you have to cash those credits in.
Depending on the round, you'll face the:
SkiErg. BikeErg. RowErg.
Complete your remaining distance and move on.
Then it starts again.
Run. Power Station. Credits. Erg.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Every rep counts twice.
This is one of the things that makes APEX different.
Your Power Station reps don't just help you reduce your next erg.
They also count towards your overall competition result.
So every valid rep has two consequences.
1. IT REDUCES YOUR ERG
Earn more reps and you remove more distance from the erg that follows.
2. IT IMPROVES YOUR SCORE
Those same reps contribute to your leaderboard result.
That creates a decision every athlete has to make.
How hard are you willing to push for the extra reps?
Push harder and you can gain an advantage on the erg while improving your score.
But those extra reps also cost energy.
And you'll still have to run.
You'll still have to erg.
And you'll still have to do it all again.
More reps can put you ahead.
But only if you can handle what comes next.
THAT'S DOUBLE JEOPARDY.
THE POWER STATION
Two minutes. Make them count.
When you enter the Power Station, the clock starts.
You have two minutes to accumulate as many valid repetitions as possible.
There is no benefit to rushing through repetitions that don't meet the standard.
A rep either counts or it doesn't.
Your judge has the final call.
Move well. Move efficiently. Make every rep count.
MOVEMENT STANDARDS
No half reps. No shortcuts.
Every Power Station movement has a defined standard.
Athletes are expected to meet the required range of motion and complete each movement correctly.
If the movement doesn't meet the standard:
It doesn't count.
That means no distance credit and no scoring credit for that repetition.
The standards are the same for everyone.
JUDGING
One standard. Every athlete.
Each competitor will have a designated judge.
Judges are responsible for:
-
Counting valid repetitions
-
Checking movement standards
-
Recording Power Station results
-
Confirming completed work
-
Recording any penalties or rule breaches
The judge isn't there to make the competition harder.
They're there to make sure every athlete gets the same test.
THE ERGS
Ski. Bike. Row.
APEX uses three endurance machines.
SKIERG
A test of technique, rhythm, upper-body endurance and the ability to keep working when your breathing is high.
BIKEERG
Straightforward but unforgiving.
Push the pace, manage your legs and keep producing when fatigue starts to build.
ROWERG
Power and endurance combined.
Good technique matters, but so does your ability to keep producing when you're already tired.
Your earned distance credits are deducted from the designated erg for that round.
THE LEADERBOARD
You're not just racing the clock.
Your Power Station performance matters.
Your erg performance matters.
Your running matters.
And your final time matters.
The results come together to determine your position on the APEX leaderboard.
That means you always have something to chase.
The athlete ahead of you.
The person from your gym.
A place in the rankings.
Or simply your own previous result.
Finish the race. Then see where you stand.
COMPETITION DIVISIONS
Find your level.
APEX offers different divisions so athletes can choose the level that suits them.
OPEN
The standard APEX competition.
Built for athletes who want to test themselves against the standard APEX movements and prescribed weights.
PRO
For athletes looking for a greater challenge.
The Pro division increases the physical demands of the competition through its prescribed standards and loading.
MASTERS
For athletes competing within their age group.
The same APEX format.
The same race.
A field of athletes in your age category.
PLAY FAIR. RACE HARD.
APEX works because every athlete gets the same opportunity.
The same clock.
The same movement standards.
The same scoring system.
Your result comes down to what you do with it.
Earn every rep.
Earn every metre.
Make your decisions count.
THE SIMPLE VERSION
RUN
↓
2-MINUTE POWER STATION
↓
EARN REPS
↓
REDUCE YOUR ERG
↓
BUILD YOUR SCORE
↓
COMPLETE THE ERG
↓
REPEAT
↓
CLIMB THE LEADERBOARD
RUN. EARN. REDUCE. REPEAT.
WELCOME TO APEX.
The Signature Scoring Framework: Double Jeopardy & Distance Credits
A.P.E.X. isn't simply a race against the clock.
Our Double-Jeopardy Scoring System gives athletes two opportunities to gain an advantage through their Power Station performance — while also creating a greater physical cost for those who choose to chase it.
Every valid rep has value.
It can shorten the race. And it can improve your leaderboard position.
But the harder you push, the more fatigue you carry into the next stage.
1. Power Stations & Distance Deductions
Designated 2-minute Power Stations are built into the race and directly influence a subsequent endurance section.
Every valid rep completed during a Power Station earns a predetermined Distance Credit.
Depending on the station, each valid rep may deduct 10m, 15m, 20m or 25m from the designated running or ergometer segment, as defined in the official event standards.
The more valid reps you complete, the less distance you have left to race.
The 50% Floor Rule
Distance deductions are capped at 50% of the original target distance.
For example:
2,000m target → 1,000m minimum
Once the athlete reaches the 50% floor, additional reps cannot reduce the endurance distance any further.
However, those reps still count toward the athlete's Rep Volume for leaderboard purposes.
This creates an important tactical decision:
Do you keep pushing for leaderboard position, knowing that every additional rep comes with an increasing fatigue cost?
That's the first half of the double jeopardy.
2. The Double-Jeopardy Leaderboard
A.P.E.X. athletes compete across two separate performance measures:
Fastest Time
Your official finishing time after all applicable distance deductions have been applied.
Rep Volume
Your total number of valid reps completed across the designated Power Stations.
Every valid rep counts.
Even after the 50% distance floor has been reached, athletes can continue accumulating reps and improving their position on the Rep Volume leaderboard.
This means there are two ways to gain an advantage:
Earn distance. Chase reps.
But chasing both comes with a cost.
More Power Station output can reduce the endurance distance and improve your Rep Volume ranking — but it can also leave you carrying significantly more fatigue into the next section.
The athlete has to decide how far they are willing to push.
3. Reverse-Point Scoring
Athletes receive a ranking on both the Fastest Time and Rep Volume leaderboards.
Points are awarded according to finishing position:
-
1st = 1 point
-
2nd = 2 points
-
3rd = 3 points
-
And so on.
The two rankings are then combined to create the athlete's Overall A.P.E.X. Score.
The athlete with the lowest combined score wins.
This rewards athletes who can perform across both measures rather than relying on a single strength.
4. Tie-Breaker
If two athletes finish with the same Overall A.P.E.X. Score, Fastest Time becomes the primary tie-breaker.
The athlete with the faster official finishing time takes the higher position.
The A.P.E.X. Decision
This is where A.P.E.X. becomes tactical.
Push harder and you can earn more deductions.
Keep pushing and you can climb the Rep Volume leaderboard.
But every extra rep has a physical cost.
The question isn't simply how hard can you work?
It's:
How much are you willing to spend to gain the advantage?
Earn the distance. Chase the reps. Manage the cost.
Judging Standards by Tier
Judges maintain strict oversight across all heats. Standards are tailored to reflect the competitive demands of each tier:
Primary Division
Judging Focus & Criteria
Vanguard Tier
Open Division & Pairs
Focuses on movement completion, safety thresholds, and clear lockouts.
Predator Tier
Pro / Tactical Divisions
Enforces unrelenting technical precision, strict depth/extension lockouts, and rapid penalty enforcement.
General Competition Rules & Code of Conduct
* Equipment & Attire: Athletes in the Tactical Division may wear approved weighted vests. All standard gym footwear and chalk are permitted unless specified per heat brief.
* Video Verification (Online Qualifiers): Stage 1 scores require an unedited video feed displaying the official verification code, athlete, and equipment clock in a single continuous frame.
* Appeals Protocol: Score disputes must be submitted to Race Direction in writing within 30 minutes of heat completion along with official floor judge documentation.
Frequently asked rules and scoring questions
In tactical endurance competition, precision and strategy matter as much as pure work capacity. Here is everything you need to know about earning distance credits, avoiding costly penalties, and adapting your game plan across each stage of the championship.
Download the official athlete rulebook
Equip yourself with the complete athlete rulebook and movement standards PDF. Get immediate access to exact rep-to-distance conversion charts, station cutoffs, penalty clauses, and movement criteria to guide your training and floor strategy.