Skater's Guide to Speed Skating Canada Long Track All Ages 2026-27

SSC recognizes these long track individual distances (MS = mass start, OS = Olympic Style, ISU MS = ISU mass start in laps). Where a different track size is used, a proportionate number of laps determines the distance. Organizers may race other distances suited to the stage of development.

Team events: Club Skaters pursuit 2-4 laps and relay 4 laps; Youth team pursuit 4-5 laps; Neo-Junior and older categories team pursuit 6 or 8 laps, team sprint and mixed relay.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, B2-200.

Olympic Style (skaters race in pairs against the clock):

• Track: 400 m or 333.33 m oval, measured and marked under ISU Rules 203-206 and 226.
• With automatic timekeeping, the recorded time decides which skater in a pair is the winner, or if they are equal.
• With manual timekeeping, the Finish Line Judge decides the winner, with no appeal. If the skaters are less than 5 m apart, the judge reports the gap to the Chief Timekeeper.
• Electronic timing is used at all SSC Championships, National and International competitions. Transponders and photocells are accepted as official timing for long track. If electronic timing fails, the manual time plus 0.20 seconds is accepted.

Tracks for mass start, team pursuit, team sprint and mixed relay: 400 m, 387.36 m or 333.33 m oval, without separate lanes and with a racing area at least 6 m wide.

Mass start starts:

• Up to six skaters on the start line; seven on tracks with a racing area wider than 6 m, and eight for the longest distance (this does not apply to marathon skating).
• You may not place a hand or hands on the ice during the start procedure.
• If a skater is interfered with and falls within 10 m of the start, the Starter may call the race back.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, C2-201, C2-202, C3, C7 and C8.

For mass start, team sprint, team pursuit and mixed relay training and competition, a helmet must be worn for all on-ice activities and be securely fastened under the chin at all times. A skate blade should not be able to penetrate any ventilation holes in the helmet.

• Learn to Skate and Learn to Speed Skate programs, and training for Club Skaters: ASTM F 1849 certified or CSA approved. For the CSA option, only hockey, snowboard/ski or skateboarding helmets qualify.
• All other competitions and activities: ASTM F 1849 certified.

Relevant ISU rules and ISU Communications for mass start apply at SSC Championships, National and International events.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, D3-300 (Head Protection).

Olympic Style training and competition: if no cut-resistant suit is worn, a cut- and puncture-resistant anklet (Kevlar, Dyneema or similar) must be worn on both legs, from the tops of the boots to 10 cm above them. Mass start races within an Olympic Style competition follow the mass start and team requirements below.

Mass start, team sprint, team pursuit and mixed relay training and competition:

• Body: all skin below the top of the neck must not be bare. Cut-resistant clothing must meet or exceed ISU minimum standards, with no gaps at the ankle, wrist or neck transitions.
• Neck: cut- and puncture-resistant protection (Kevlar, Dyneema, ballistic nylon or similar) covering the entire neck to just below the chin, regardless of skating position, and extending below a line joining the armpits at the front of the body. If separate from the suit, it must be fastened securely.
• Ankles: an anklet as above when no cut-resistant suit is worn. With or without a suit, no skin may be visible in the ankle area at any time, and the protection must stay securely in place throughout the race.
• Shins: hard plastic or built-in cut- and puncture-resistant material with some impact absorption, running from within 2.5 cm of the top of the boot to within 2.5 cm of the bottom of the knee protection.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, D3-200 and D3-300.

• Eyes (mass start and team events): shatter-resistant glasses held in place by a strap. Dark or mirrored lenses are prohibited; a lightly tinted lens is allowed if the pupil is still visible. For outdoor competitions, tinted lenses are allowed for UV protection.
• Hands (mass start and team events): gloves or mitts for Learn to Skate programs. For any long blade activity, full leather gloves or synthetic gloves with equal or better cut and puncture resistance than leather.
• Blades: the rear and front tips of all blades must be rounded to a minimum radius of 1 cm, about that of a Canadian nickel. For Olympic Style training and competition, all skates must also have the tubes closed.
• Knees (Club and Youth participants): full frontal knee coverage completely covering the kneecap, made of puncture-resistant material (such as Kevlar or Dyneema) and impact-absorbing material (such as high-density foam). It can be worn over the suit or built in.

Learn to Skate activities in mass start and team events need only head, hand, knee and neck protection.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, D3-200, D3-300 and D3-301.

Crash protection is based on the Kinetic Energy Factor (KEF): the skater's weight in kilograms divided by the square of their fastest forecast lap time in seconds (for example 70 kg / (35 x 35) = 0.057).

SSC Championships, National and International events: all long track events with distances shorter than 3000 m need Level 5 crash protection. The Canadian Youth Long Track Championships, and any events restricted to distances of 3000 m and longer, need Level 4.

Other SSC sanctioned competitions: the skater with the highest forecast KEF taking part decides the level.

For training, SSC recommends the same crash protection measures as for competition.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, D2-200 to D2-202.

• Olympic Style races: wear an armband on the right arm, as specified in the ISU Technical Regulations (ISU Rules 253 and 278). In extenuating circumstances the Chief Referee may accept another way of identifying skaters.
• Mass start races: wear an assigned number on both sides of the helmet. It must be different from every other competitor's number in that race, clearly visible to the Referee at all times while on the ice, at least 6 cm high with lines at least 1.5 cm wide, on a contrasting background.
• Marathon: wear the number tags supplied by the organizers on the side of the leg or hip, visible to the place judges. A skater who leaves the race must report to the judges at once and remove or hide the number.

You must report to the start promptly for each race without being notified, with all required equipment in working order. If you do not compete in a race you qualified for, the Referee suspends you from the rest of that day's events unless you gave an adequate reason before the missed race.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, C4-100, C4-200, C6-100, C7-200, C8-300 and C9-203 to C9-205.

For long track, SSC follows the ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules (ISU Rules 216 and 275) on yellow and red cards, unless a competition bulletin says otherwise.

• A yellow card during a race gives the skater a penalty within that race. The skater forfeits prior points or results earned over that distance (a set of seeded races from the first round to the final round of that distance). Earlier distances are not affected.
• A second yellow card in the same competition becomes a red card: the skater is excluded from the competition immediately and is not ranked in the final classification.
• At national-level competitions in Canada, cards are reported to SSC. Two red cards or four yellow cards within 12 months means an automatic 60-day suspension from all SSC sanctioned competitions. Days between the last sanctioned event of one season and the first of the next do not count.
• At SSC Championship, National or International events, a behavioural red card counts in both long track and short track.
• SSC keeps the national list of card holders and does not share it with the Chief Referee before or during a competition.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, C11 and C11-100.

Who can enter: only skaters eligible to represent Canada internationally, registered with SSC as an SSC Team Athlete (invitation only) or National Athlete, can skate in the Canadian Long Track, Junior Long Track and Neo-Junior Long Track Championships. Provincial/Territorial Athletes are eligible for the Canadian Youth Championships.

Entry criteria for the Canadian, Junior and Neo-Junior championships:

• SSC's High Performance Director may cap the number of entrants and may publish extra criteria such as minimum time standards, or criteria based on past performance or Canadian Rankings.
• Any such criteria are published in a High Performance Bulletin (or addendum) at least six weeks before the event.
• Every entrant must provide a seed time; no entry is accepted without one. Final entry, including payment, is made through IceReg.

Canadian Youth Long Track Championships (ages 11, 12, 13): each province or territory gets a minimum quota of skaters in the boys and girls categories for each Youth age category. Extra skaters then gain entry under set criteria up to the maximum, and a minimum time standard may apply. Criteria are published in the Youth Competitions Bulletin at least three months before the first qualifying competition.

A skater who fails to qualify for a national competition while representing their provincial or territorial organization cannot compete in it that season by switching to another one.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, B3-202, B5-400 to B5-405, B5-502 and B5-503.

At SSC sanctioned events, skaters wear competition attire (skinsuit/racing suit and podium wear) during all official training, competition and ceremonies that:

• displays no more logos and corporate marks, and no larger, than current ISU rules allow;
• avoids logos or marks that conflict with the values of SSC or a healthy, active lifestyle;
• does not include the text "Canada" anywhere, unless it is a National Team competition uniform;
• shows Speed Skating Canada logos or marks (including those of SSC sponsors such as Intact Insurance) only if SSC gave prior written approval of the design via communications@speedskating.ca.

You must not wear a suit identified as belonging to a national team (including Canada and abbreviations) unless you belong to that team at the time of the competition. A suit earned in a previous season may be worn only with special permission from the High Performance Director or SSC Technical Representative. Without adequate reason, the Referee may suspend a skater from the rest of the competition.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, C4-300 and C4-400.

At SSC Championships:

• Olympic Style 500 m, 1000 m and races run in quartets: one coach per skater per race has access to the on-ice designated coaching area.
• Olympic Style 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m and 10000 m races run in pairs: two coaches per skater per race.
• Non-Olympic Style racing: on-ice access, when permitted, is identified by the Chief Referee at the coach/team leader meeting. Off-ice coaching areas are also identified there by the Chief Referee or meet coordinator.

Coaches at SSC Championships must hold an active SSC membership and be NCCP certified in speed skating (Introduction to Competition, Competition Development, Competition Development Advanced Gradation or Competition High Performance), unless they are a designated coach in training or hold an approved exemption. Registered coaches receive identification that must be visible to officials in the field of play.

Source: SSC Procedures and Regulations (Red Book), updated July 16, 2026, B5-1000 to B5-1006.