I'm new to both cross and racing in general. I'm doing my first race at the end of the month and am wondering which class I should sign up for. The race is the Hillbilly Hustle which is an NJBA race that has two classes that I could possibly sign up for: Men Cat 4 Masters 40+ and Men C (Cat 4).

The difference seems obvious, but I've heard/read that "Masters" classes tend to attract guys who've had many years of racing experience (not necessarily CX only), whereas the regular Cat4 races tend to attract those of us who are total noobs. The series does have a Masters 40+ class too that I know I'm not qualified to race in. Am I confusing the two Masters 40+ classes? Which class would a 43yo total noob be more likely to race against those in his similar situation and fitness level?

Thanks for any info.