| What it is | Deadline to reach a checkpoint/finish |
| Miss it | Pulled from race (DNF) |
| Purpose | Safety and race management |
| Forces | Pace & aid-station discipline |
A cutoff time is a deadline by which runners must reach a particular aid station or checkpoint (or finish the race) to be allowed to continue. Missing a cutoff results in being pulled from the race (a DNF). Cutoffs keep races safe and manageable, and in long ultras they force runners to manage pace, aid-station time, and fueling to stay ahead of the clock.
Beat the clock
Missing one means a DNF; staying ahead means efficient aid station stops in a 100-miler.
Frequently asked questions
What is a cutoff time in a race?
A cutoff time is a deadline by which you must reach a specific point on the course — an aid station, checkpoint, or the finish. If you arrive after the cutoff, you're not allowed to continue and are recorded as a DNF. Races use intermediate cutoffs along the course plus an overall finish cutoff.
Why do races have cutoff times?
Cutoffs keep events safe and logistically manageable: they ensure aid stations, course marking, medical support, and volunteers don't have to stay out indefinitely, and they prevent runners from being out too long in dangerous conditions or darkness beyond what's planned. They also define what counts as an official finish.
How do you beat the cutoffs in an ultra?
Know each cutoff and build a pacing plan with buffer time, keep aid-station stops efficient, fuel and hydrate consistently to avoid blowups, and manage effort so you don't fade late. In back-of-pack ultra racing, much of the strategy is about banking time against the cutoffs without going out too hard early.
Sources
- Race cutoffs — American Trail Running Association
- Ultra race rules — The Mountaineers