What is roller speed skating?
B · Beginner · Races and courses · 1 of 4Skaters race on inline skates, either on a banked oval track or on a road circuit, always anticlockwise. Races are short distance, from the 100 m to the 1,000 m, often against the clock, or long distance, raced in a pack, such as elimination, points and relay races. The marathon is raced only on the road.
How it works
- Governing body: World Skate, through its Speed Technical Commission.
- Courses: a banked track, or a closed or open road circuit.
- Direction: anticlockwise on tracks and closed circuits.
- Short distance: time trials and sprints, from 100 m to 1,000 m.
- Long distance: elimination, points, points and elimination, relay and endurance races.
- Official distances: 100 m to 20,000 m, and the marathon on the road.
- Divisions: juniors 15 to 18 and seniors 19 and over, plus masters.
- Officials: a Chief Judge leads a jury of judges.
The glossary has the roller speed skating, the World Skate, the short distance and long distance, the official distances, the direction of the race and the senior and junior.
Tricky cases
Can a 14-year-old race at the World Championships?
No. The minimum age is 15 on 31 December of the championship year.
Is the marathon raced on a track?
No. It is raced only on the road, on a circuit of at least 3 km.
Are quad skates allowed?
Yes. Skates with two pairs of wheels side by side are allowed as well as inline skates.
Do masters race the same distances?
They race in five-year age groups, which are merged if fewer than six skaters enter.
Why the rule exists
A mix of sprint and pack races tests both raw speed and race tactics. Fixed distances let results and records compare across events.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Championships track | 200 m dual time trial, 500 m plus distance, 1,000 m, 5,000 m points, 10,000 m elimination, 3,000 m relay | Art 50 |
| World Championships road | 100 m, one lap, 10,000 m points, 15,000 m elimination, marathon | Art 50 |
| Masters from 2026 | Five-year age groups | Art 22.3 |
From the rule book
World Skate, Speed Rulebook 2026, Articles 22, 50, 108 and 109. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the World Skate Speed Rulebook 2026.