How it works

A cup runs over a 10-week stretch starting Monday 25th of May 2026. Each week, every runner gets one scoring effort: their single best Strava Run activity for that week.

Until Strava approves the application, distances and times (or Strava links) need to be sent to Sam Mercer. You're welcome to join the Strava club located here.

The comp does not compare that run directly against other people. Instead, every runner earns points against their own season so new runners and seasoned runners can both win.

Each runner also has a minimum qualifying distance. The default cutoff is 5 km.

Scoring

A scoring week starts with 8 points just for posting a run. From there, consecutive scoring weeks add a streak bonus, and faster weekly best pace against your own rolling baseline adds a form bonus.

The baseline moves forward each week using the median of all your prior scoring paces, while past week scores stay locked. Improvement only starts counting after you have built a couple of prior scoring weeks, and the bonus is capped. That keeps the focus on steady progress and makes it harder to game the comp by sandbagging early and sprinting later.

Why this format

It rewards turning up over multiple weeks, not chasing one huge result. The strongest score comes from staying active, keeping a streak alive, and gradually lifting your own standard.

That makes the comp useful for building better habits, nudging recovery from a flat patch, or just giving a group of friends a reason to run a little more often.