The Great Race of Ōban is a race held each 10,000 years on and around Oban. The winner of this race is awarded The Ultimate Prize, which is said to be the granting of any wish the winner wants. Instead, it turns out to be the right to be the next Avatar, which is what the race really is - a way of finding a successor for the current Avatar.
There were at least three known instances of the Great Race: the one won by Canaletto, the one won by Satis and the one won by Molly and Jordan.
The Great Truce[]
Before the race actually begins, the Avatar invites 96 (288 if taking other 2 Pre-Selection stages) civilized races to compete and announces the Great Truce. This truce affects all planets called upon and lasts for 25 years. During this time, planets are to prepare for the race peacefully and no war is allowed. When the 25 year time limit is up, the Avatar sends vessels to pick up the teams from their planets, which take them to one of three planets where the Pre-Selections are held. The truce remains in effect until the race officially ends.
The Pre-Selections[]
The race begins with the Pre-Selections, which are held simultaneously on three planets equidistant from Oban; Alwas, Sangrar and Darwar. The rules of the pre-selections are simple; the pilots face each other in pairs on closed circuits. After the first four qualifying rounds, the six teams still competing will race during the play-offs. The best three, and those three only, will win their ticket to Oban. The Avatar sets only one rule for the competition: the star-racers may achieve victory by any means, as long as they do not attempt to take the lives of their opponents.
The Grand Finals[]
At the end of the Pre-Selections, the finalists from the three planets to Oban for the Grand Finals. This time, all nine competitors face each other at the same time, through the vast and wild landscapes of the planet. Released above a new area at the beginning of each race, the pilots must go through a series of Stone Doors to win. These are located at regular intervals along the course -- some easy to find, others more difficult. Since two competitors cannot go through them simultaneously, fights will always break out. However, the rule against taking the life of one's opponent remains in effect. The penalty for breaking this rule is immediate disqualification.
The top three at the end of a race all earn points on the leader board: nine points for the winner, six points for second place and three points for third. The contestant who gets the highest score at the end of the nine races will be crowned winner of the competition -- and will receive the much coveted Ultimate Prize from the hands of the Avatar.