Racing in the time of covid

[kawasa]

Most of the local races have either been canceled or become "virtual runs" where you run a 5k wherever and then send your time in. I let those races keep my money as a donation, they're for a good cause, but the virtual races don't really interest me.

Last weekend I ran a 5K where they didn't have a gun start but the timing company was on site for about 11 hours. So basically you show up when you want/can and the timing and placing is based on chip time. I hadn't signed up but a post came up on Facebook describing the format and I showed up about half an hour before the timing co. left. It's not head to head racing but I was thrilled to run a legit timed 5K!

How are races handling things in your area?

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[RioG]

From what I can see, all virtual with a lot of "we hope to run this in October!" delays.

Octobers not looking so hopeful.

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[Coyote Mas Loco]

We had a thread on this over the spring but it got buried.

Did the Brooklyn Mile this weekend. It's a NYC race but they went virtual this year and had prizes for age groups and will be providing age graded prizing, so I'm in the money with an age graded 4:18 mile (the winner ran 3:51, and several open-age group Japanese runners ran sub 4:10, fastest guy doing 4:01). Kind of a cool concept.

Also have developed and coordinated a national series for age group/masters teams. We had seven men's and women's teams for a 5K/10K last month, and expect more for a 4th of July event (also 5K/10K). We'll conclude with a 1 mile/10K over Labor Day.

[Coyote Mas Loco]

Most of the local races have either been canceled or become "virtual runs" where you run a 5k wherever and then send your time in. I let those races keep my money as a donation, they're for a good cause, but the virtual races don't really interest me.

Last weekend I ran a 5K where they didn't have a gun start but the timing company was on site for about 11 hours. So basically you show up when you want/can and the timing and placing is based on chip time. I hadn't signed up but a post came up on Facebook describing the format and I showed up about half an hour before the timing co. left. It's not head to head racing but I was thrilled to run a legit timed 5K!

How are races handling things in your area?

Posted on mobile

I saw an advertisement to a format similar to what you describe with 5K, 10K, half marathon in different neighborhoods to be run next week.

A few races are opening up, mostly trails but just saw a 4th of July road race about an hour north of here.

[ByloSelheigh]

Chip time with maybe a quota on starts per minute? So it's a regular stream of starters over a reasonably short period but not a crowd or giant mass?
Seems like that could also solve several problems for the smaller to medium sized races I prefer.
1) slower runners packing the front areas and messing up the start. 2) Giant lines and panic at the porta-potties as start approaches. 
3) perfectly timing the warm-up with the start and then having to cut in to the starting pack to get what is appropriate start position for speed. 4) Delays in start which mess up the warmup. 

I would not like hours long start window so the course is pretty empty and you never know where you finished until many hours later.   

[BobM59]

We had a thread on this over the spring but it got buried.

Did the Brooklyn Mile this weekend. It's a NYC race but they went virtual this year and had prizes for age groups and will be providing age graded prizing, so I'm in the money with an age graded 4:18 mile (the winner ran 3:51, and several open-age group Japanese runners ran sub 4:10, fastest guy doing 4:01). Kind of a cool concept.

Also have developed and coordinated a national series for age group/masters teams. We had seven men's and women's teams for a 5K/10K last month, and expect more for a 4th of July event (also 5K/10K). We'll conclude with a 1 mile/10K over Labor Day.

How does age-graded work?  Those times (both open age and yours) are insane!

[Coyote Mas Loco]

How does age-graded work?  Those times (both open age and yours) are insane!

The are based on a comparison of world record for open age and then each age after 35. And for each distance and age for M and F, there is a multiplying factor that takes those world records into account. For my age the factor is about 0.8, so you multiply that onto the time I ran (in seconds), and you come up with comparative number for time. I actually think the percents that the use 80%, 90% (where 100% is the world record) are probably more telling/accurate. But the converted times are fun to look at.

[kawasa]

What if you're under 35? Do you multiply by 1.something?

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[Coyote Mas Loco]

looks like 0.979 for age 35--I think the used to only count it down to 40.

http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmaroad15.html

[kawasa]

looks like 0.979 for age 35--I think the used to only count it down to 40.

http://www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmaroad15.html

I always wondered how that worked.  A local trail race went age graded and now a masters guy who had only just stopped being the straight time favorite wins it every year again lol

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