The handicaps for the No Excuses 5k were calculated using the international age grading tables. These tables use statistics gathered over many years of performances by runners of all ages. Some of the internal workings of age grading are technical, but it can be simply explained as a way to determine an “age grading percentage” for each runner for a given performance. This percentage is the percentage of the expected world record for that age, based on statistics of what other runners of that age and other ages have done. For example, for a 42-year old male runner, the expected age world record for 5k based on the tables is 13:41 (pretty fast!). If a 42-year old runner runs a 16:36 at a race, he will be given an age grading percentage of 82.5, the difference between his actual time and the expected age world record.

We used these tables to figure out the handicaps for this race. First, we figured that an 80% age graded performance would be somewhere near the front at the end, so we got the 80% time for each age from 5-90 years old and subtracted the difference between the male open value and that age group’s value. That gives us the handicap for each age. So, using a 52 year-old male as an example, the 80% age grading time is 18:44. This is 2:36 behind the men’s open time of 16:08, so all 52 year-old men in the race will be given a 2:36 negative differential in the computer which amounts to a 2:36 head start over open men (22-29 year olds).

For more interesting information on age-graded handicapping, please visit:

www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wavalookup.html

Here are the age graded handicaps for this year’s No Excuses 5k.