New Speed Climbing Rules Defined by the FFME for U11-13 and U15

Speed climbing : what changes at the end of the 2025 year

Speed climbing has been booming ever since it became an Olympic discipline — it’s basically sprinting up a wall! With more young climbers getting into it, the FFME (French Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) has rolled out a set of updates for youth categories, especially U11-13 and U15, that kicked in around October 2025.

These changes, implemented from October 2025, are not mere administrative details. They redesign the speed lanes and require a reorganization of training and competitions.

Here's what you need to know:

Clearer age categories for young speed climbers

To better align with international standards and cut down big skill gaps within age groups, the FFME adjusted the youth categories. The new line-up now includes:

• U11-13

• U15

• U17

• U20

• Seniors

The new U11-13 group brings together the youngest climbers in a dedicated competitive bucket, meaning easier planning and fairer races across kids of similar ages.

Why these changes matter ?

The FFME’s goals are pretty simple:

• Grow the number of young climbers trying speed

• Reduce uneven performance gaps within age groups

• Help coaches build better-structured training paths from the earliest stages

With these updated categories, clubs and coaches can tailor training sessions more effectively to each age group’s physical and technical level.

For speed climbing coaches

Coaches now need to adapt their approach:

• set up speed-specific training sessions starting from the U11-13 category,

• include age-appropriate explosive drills, focusing on power without overload,

• introduce the technical fundamentals of the official speed run,

• progressively prepare young climbers for the U15 competition format.

With clearer age categories, it’s now easier to build more consistent training cycles, with goals that truly match each stage of a young climber’s development.

What the regulations say about speed walls and routes

What stays the same

The IFSC senior speed route — the one everyone knows — still has to meet very strict standards: a 15-metre wall, a fixed angle, and identical panels and holds from one certified wall to another.

The regulations also place strong emphasis on high-quality anti-slip wall surfaces, perfect hold uniformity (with holds exclusively produced at the Volx factory in France), clearly defined start and finish safety zones, and approved timing systems with calibrated sensors.

In short, even at a very young age, climbers are training and competing in an environment that is very close to the international standard, ensuring a smooth and consistent progression.

New speed route layouts for 2025–2026

To adapt to the updated youth categories in speed climbing, the National Speed Working Group has officially validated new route layouts. The goal is to further develop the discipline and make access to performance easier.

From now on, three different speed routes can be used side by side during training sessions. This makes things much simpler for gyms, route setters, and coaches, while also improving safety for climbers, with no interference between routes.

Introducing speed climbing early, with clear and age-appropriate rules, allows young climbers to:

• discover a spectacular and motivating discipline,

• build confidence,

• progress at their own pace,

• develop a well-rounded movement skill set.

It also helps prevent early specialization: at the U11-13 level, speed climbing remains a space for exploration, not a definitive pathway.

Our tip to better manage your training sessions

Choose your additional holds in a different colour, so you can overlay multiple speed routes on the same wall. This way, there’s no room for confusion, whatever the age category training on the wall.

Buy speed holds individually, according to your setup needs.

Available colours for training holds :