Hurdles

Eight runners, twelve stages, one button. Hurdles is a sprint where the only input is the jump, and the only skill is pressing it at the last possible moment — a perfect clearance keeps your speed and pays points, an early one costs both, and a clipped hurdle hands the lane to somebody else. Finish on the podium and the next race starts; finish behind it and the championship is over. Winning all twelve makes you the sole champion, which sounds simple until the fourth or fifth field gets quick enough to punish one mistimed jump.