Eastern Kingdoms Cup: Dragon Racing Routes & Rewards
A guide to the Eastern Kingdoms Cup, Dragonflight's 14-race dragonriding event: how to start, the courses, badges, and the Drake Racer's rewards.
By:
John Langan
Key Takeaways
- The Eastern Kingdoms Cup is a Dragonflight racing event that added 14 dragonriding courses across the Eastern Kingdoms, extending racing beyond the Dragon Isles.
- It arrived in Patch 10.1.7 "Fury Incarnate" and first ran October 4 to 17, 2023; it has returned in later seasons.
- Speak to Lord Andestrasz in Valdrakken to pick up the intro quest; every course runs in Normal, Advanced, and Reverse formats.
- Races award Riders of Azeroth Badges, spent with Maztha in Valdrakken or Dathendrash in Stormwind and Orgrimmar.
- Rewards include Winding Slitherdrake customizations and the seven-piece Drake Racer's transmog set.
- A character earns up to 136 badges per run, but buying every cosmetic costs 240, so full completion takes more than one pass.
The event is straightforward once you know where to begin and what it pays out.
What the Eastern Kingdoms Cup Is
The Eastern Kingdoms Cup is part of the Riders of Azeroth racing series, the events that took dragonriding off the Dragon Isles and out into the rest of Azeroth. It went live in Dragonflight's Patch 10.1.7 "Fury Incarnate," and its first run was October 4 to 17, 2023. Like the sibling Northrend and Outland cups, it is a recurring limited-time event, so it cycles back in later seasons rather than staying up permanently.
Because it is a Dragonflight event, none of this is current content under the Midnight expansion. It is still well worth knowing, though, since the cosmetic rewards stay on your account once earned and the event keeps returning.
How to Start the Races and the Three Formats
To begin, head to Valdrakken and speak with Lord Andestrasz near the Rostrum of Transformation; he hands out the starter quest. Characters are eligible from level 30, so even an alt mid-leveling can take part.
Each of the 14 courses comes in three variations. Normal is the standard line, Advanced tightens the ring placement and timing, and Reverse flips the course so familiar routes demand fresh memorization. Clearing the harder formats and beating the Gold par times is where the real badge income and the prestige rewards come from.
The 14 Courses Across the Eastern Kingdoms
The full set of 14 courses spans the continent, from the southern wastes to the northern peaks. A representative handful:
- Blasted Lands Bolt (Blasted Lands)
- Ironforge Interceptor (Dun Morogh)
- Booty Bay Blast (Booty Bay)
- Krazzworks Klash (Twilight Highlands)
- Deadwind Derby (Deadwind Pass)
The remaining courses round out the rest of the Eastern Kingdoms, including runs through Elwynn Forest, Loch Modan, the Western Plaguelands, Redridge, and Gilneas, so the Cup doubles as a sightseeing tour of the old continent.
Rewards: Badges, Drake Customizations, and the Drake Racer's Set
Completing races and their achievements earns Riders of Azeroth Badges. You spend them with Maztha in Valdrakken or Dathendrash in Stormwind and Orgrimmar. The math is worth planning around: one character can earn up to 136 badges in a single run, but the full reward list costs 240 badges, so finishing the collection means racing across more than one event window or more than one character.
Clearing every course on Gold also earns the Eastern Kingdoms Racing Completionist: Gold achievement, which gates the title and the prestige cosmetics. If the Gold par times are the wall between you and those rewards, you can book an achievement completion carry and have the times handled.
On the cosmetic side, the Cup unlocks dragon customizations and a transmog set. Collectors chasing rarer dragon flyers beyond the Cup can browse the WoW mount catalog for the harder drops.
| Drake | Customization |
|---|---|
| Winding Slitherdrake | Curved Nose Horn, Blonde Hair, Horned Brow, Shark Finned Tail |
| Renewed Proto-Drake | Pronged Tail |
| Windborne Velocidrake | Hooked Snout |
| Highland Drake | Curled Back Horns |
| Cliffside Wylderdrake | Curled Head Horns |
The headline cosmetic is the Drake Racer's set: a seven-piece transmog made up of the Helmet, Shoulderpads, Jersey, Handwraps, Belt, Leggings, and Boots. Once you own everything you want, leftover badges go toward the Valdrakken Accord Insignia as a reputation top-up. With the rewards mapped out, a few common questions tend to come up.
FAQ
When did the Eastern Kingdoms Cup first run?
It launched in Dragonflight's Patch 10.1.7 "Fury Incarnate," with its first run from October 4 to 17, 2023. As a recurring event it has returned in later seasons, so the exact dates change each time it cycles back.
How many races are in the Eastern Kingdoms Cup?
There are 14 courses spread across the Eastern Kingdoms, and each one is available in three formats: Normal, Advanced, and Reverse. That gives you 42 distinct runs to chase Bronze, Silver, and Gold times on.
How do I start the Eastern Kingdoms Cup?
Travel to Valdrakken and talk to Lord Andestrasz near the Rostrum of Transformation to pick up the intro quest. Your character needs to be at least level 30 to take part, and the event must be active in the current rotation.
How many Riders of Azeroth Badges do I need?
One character can earn up to 136 badges per event run, counting the intro quest. Buying every cosmetic from Maztha costs 240 badges, so finishing the full collection takes more than one run or spreads across multiple characters.
What rewards does the Eastern Kingdoms Cup give?
The Cup awards Winding Slitherdrake customizations such as the Curved Nose Horn and Blonde Hair, the seven-piece Drake Racer's transmog set, an event title, and leftover-badge value through the Valdrakken Accord Insignia.
Is dragonriding the same as skyriding?
Yes. The skill introduced as Dragonriding in Dragonflight was renamed Skyriding in The War Within. The Eastern Kingdoms Cup originally launched under the Dragonriding name, but the flying and the races themselves are the same system you use today.
Last reviewed 2026-06-23 against Patch 10.1.7 Fury Incarnate — Maintained by WowCarry's WoW team.