The track points race is a massed-start competition with a sprint for point held every eight or ten laps, the top four placers earning 5, 3, 2, 1 points respectively. Plus, if a rider laps the field he is awarded 20 points. 25 kilometers is the standard distance for women, 40 km is the usual distance for men.

With riders all over the track and on different laps, a points race can be bewildering to watch. But once the spectator has it figured out, it is one of the most spectacular events in cycling.

As part of a large reordering of Olympic track events, the men's and women's points race will not be held at the 2012 London Olympics as seperate events. They are now part of the Omnium.

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