TFNTG

What is the Premier Series?

True Function Ninja Training Ground is proud to be one of nine gyms worldwide hosting the second season Premier Series competition! The Premier Series will feature the top 25% of athletes from around the globe. This series will push athletes to their limits, challenging them on courses designed by the best course designers, featuring the newest obstacles.

Every week, the competition series will be in a different part of the world, searching for the top athletes to qualify for the Premier Series Finals happening this fall. This Premier Series is not just another obstacle course competition – it’s a showcase of the world’s best athletes, competing on the toughest courses and pushing the limits of what is possible.

Divisions

The Premier Series is an elite competition series for all ages! Athletes from all eight divisions from standard WNL competitions will be able to qualify to compete in the Premier Series.

Here’s how the current WNL age divisions will qualify to the various divisions hosted at Premier Series competitions:

Kids 6-8 years
Mature Kids 9-10 years
Preteens 11-12 years
Teens 13-14 years
Amateur 15+ years (Young Adults 15-17 years, Adults 18-39 years, Masters 40+ years all competing together)
Elite 15+ years

Athletes age will be determined by the athletes age on Jan 1, 2024. This is the same cutoff as the World Ninja League’s Season 9.

Eligibility

Premier Series competitions seek to showcase the best athletes in the ninja community. This exciting new series will only be open to a select group of elite athletes. Focusing on this elite field will provide top ninjas the platform they need to promote their abilities. Top athletes will be invited to attend based on their performance across various ninja competitions. Here’s how you can qualify:

Standings: Athletes who finish in the top 25% of their division from the athletes in their region in this year’s home region standings will be invited to compete in this year’s Premier Series. Invitations are exclusive to athletes in the top 25%.
Season 9 World Championships: Athletes who finish in the top 25% of their division when compared to the other athletes competing from their region at this year’s Tier 1 World Championship will be invited to compete in this year’s Premier Series. Invitations will be exclusive to athletes in the top 25%. This is true even if the athletes in the top 25% have previously been invited because they were in the top 25% of their home region standings.
Invitation: The World Ninja League is teaming up with various leagues and organisations worldwide to ensure the top athletes from each corner of the globe are eligible to compete. Elite athletes across all age divisions may receive invitations to compete based on recommendations from host facilities, national governing bodies and other similar organisations.

Rules Format/Seeding

Placement Course

The placement course is a preliminary course designed to determine the run order for the longer, more intense Challenge Course.
On this course, ninjas are timed and ranked based on their performance using the WNL’s flow course format, and the results are used to determine their starting position in the subsequent Challenge Course.
The better a runner performs on the placement course, the more advantageous their starting position will be in the main event.
This type of course will be designed to test a ninja’s endurance and features a course style that is similar to the endurance mini course/skill featured at the World Championship.
The placement course is a critical component of the Premier Series Format!

Challenge Course

The challenge course is the centrepiece of any Premier Series Qualifier, designed to test the endurance and agility of the world’s best ninja athletes.
Athletes will have the opportunity to run the course once, with two retry attempts allowed throughout their attempt.
However, if an athlete fails an obstacle, they will only be allowed to use one retry attempt on that particular obstacle.
An athlete’s overall time on the course is measured, accounting for any pauses taken during retry attempts. The course will be reset for each retry attempt, and the timer will be paused during rest. Once the ref gives their countdown (signalling the course is reset) the timer resumes, ensuring a fair and consistent experience for all runners.
The course is designed with obstacles that require skill and strategy to navigate, and the challenge is heightened by the limited number of retry attempts.

Cash Prizes and Medals

Cash and/or medals will be distributed across all divisions. Exact cash distribution and amounts will be based on number of athletes registered.

Schedule

Tentative schedule is as follows, but subject to change:

Saturday, September 28th

KIDS (6-8yrs) and MATURE KIDS (9-10yrs)

Doors Open: 9am
Placement Course & Challenge Course Rules/Walkthrough: 9:30-10:00am
Placement Course Runs: 10:15-11:15am
Challenge Course Runs: 11:30am-1pm
Awards: 1:15-1:30pm

PRETEENS 11-12yrs

Doors Open: 3pm
Placement Course & Challenge Course Rules/Walkthrough: 3:30-4pm
Placement Course Runs: 4:15-4:45pm
Challenge Course Runs: 5-6pm
Awards: 6:15-6:30pm

Sunday, September 29th

AMATEUR (Young Adult/Adult/Masters) and TEENS (13-14yrs)

Doors Open: 9am
AMATEUR and TEENS Placement Course & Challenge Course Rules/Walkthrough: 9:30-10am
AMATEUR Placement Course Runs: 10:30-11am
AMATEUR Challenge Course Runs: 11:15am-12:15pm
AMATEUR Awards: 12:30-12:45pm
TEENS Check-in: 1-1:15pm
TEENS Placement Course Runs: 1:30-2pm
TEENS Challenge Course Runs: 2:15-3:15pm
TEENS Awards: 3:30-3:45pm

ELITE 15+yrs

Doors Open: 5:15pm
Placement Course & Challenge Course Rules/Walkthrough: 5:30-6:00pm
Placement Course Runs: 6:15-6:45pm
Challenge Course Runs: 7-8pm
Awards: 8:15-8:30pm

Elite Athletes are welcome to arrive earlier in the day and spectate the other divisions, however we may ask you to leave between the teen and elite runs for us to change some obstacles.

Registration

Event cost is £35 Kids, Mature Kids, Preteens, Teens. £50 Amateur 15+ (Young Adult, Adult, Masters), Elite 15+. Registration STILL OPEN, Please register by Thursday Sep. 26th!

NOTE: Only register for this competition if you have received an invite from the WNL! If you are interested in competing, but have not received an invite from the WNL, please email Emily at emily@truefunction.co.uk

Questions

Please email Emily at emily@truefunction.co.uk for any questions regarding this competition.