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Your first FINA competition

FINA is open to all athletes who want to compete, regardless of skill or experience. Here are the steps for a new athlete or parent, in order.

Draft copy for FINA's review

Five steps to the start line

  1. Pick a competition

    Find one near you on the schedule. Athletes can compete at as many qualifiers as they like, anywhere.

    Find a competition

  2. Get a NinjaWorks Athlete ID

    NinjaWorks is the timing system FINA uses. Each athlete needs their own six-digit Athlete ID, which tracks every result together. Parents create one for each child, all under one account. If your athlete has competed in another league that uses NinjaWorks, use the same ID.

    Get or find an Athlete ID (opens in a new tab)

  3. Register with the host gym

    Each competition is run by its host gym. Register on that gym's site and enter the Athlete ID.

    Find the gym's registration

  4. Know your division

    Athletes compete by age on January 1 of the season: 7U, 9U, 11U, 13U, Young Adult (14–24), Amateur (25+), and Masters (40+), each split into male and female. Athletes 13 and older can choose to compete in the Elite division. An athlete stays in one division all season.

    Division rules

  5. Show up ready

    Wear a top, bottoms, and dry, closed-toe, closed-heel shoes, and follow the host gym's dress code. FINA's Code of Conduct covers athletes, parents, and spectators alike.

    Read the Code of Conduct

The three ways to compete

  1. Speed

    Eight obstacles, two runs. Your best run counts.

  2. Endurance

    Twelve obstacles, one run. See how many you can complete before time runs out.

  3. Ninja vs. Ninja

    Two athletes race identical courses head to head. At select gyms this season.

What your athlete can earn

FINA is the Ninja vs. the Course. Clear a Speed or Endurance course within the time limit and you earn a Finisher Badge (a Finisher pin for repeat finishes), wherever you place. The top three in each division earn podium certificates.

Every obstacle completed within the time limit earns a point. A clear, a top-three finish, or 21 Speed or 25 Endurance points in a season qualifies an athlete for that discipline's Sectionals, the end-of-season events that lead to the World Championship.

Find a competition

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