The snow couldn't stop all of the races. In all, there were still 47 rated races in the winter ratings period, and 186 runners earned an overall or age group ranking. One would have thought that the times would be affected by the severe weather, but that did not seem to be the case, as the runners apparently kept training through the snow and ice, judging from the outstanding performances recorded in the rating period. Virginia may have gotten a temporary boost, thanks to its (comparatively) balmy weather, as some Maryland runners may have had difficulty collecting two qualifying times.

Women's Winter 2003 Rankings

Men's Winter 2003 Rankings

One change instituted in the current version of the ratings is that age group runners were permitted to place in the Open category as well. We believe that this is only fair, because age group runners are almost always permitted to place in the Open category at races (if they are fast enough). We saw quite a few runners take advantage of this new policy, with the oldest Open placer being 51-year-old Chuck Moeser.

About the Runner Ratings
The runner rankings have undergone some changes, so we thought it would be useful to explain a little bit about how they work, and also our philosophy in doing the rankings. Runners are ranked only according to performances in rated races. To be rated, a race must meet the following criteria:

-Take place in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia
-Full results listed on the Washington Running Report or race web site
-100+ finishers
-Must list age (and preferably also city and state of residence) of all runners
-Standard distance--5K, 4-mile, 8K, 10K, 12K, 15K, 10-mile, 20K, 1/2 Marathon, 25K, 30K, 20-mile, or Marathon
-Road race or cross-country (not track)

To be rated, a race must meet all of the above criteria. There will be no exceptions. If you place well in a race and want it rated, be sure to ask the race director to e-mail the complete results to the Washington Running Report at office@runwashington.com so the race can be posted on the WRR web site and counted in the runner rankings.

Runners will be rated by age divisions for both men and women, with the divisions being open, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55- 59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, and 75 and over. As participation warrants, these age divisions will be extended or combined (for example, in the Winter 2003 ratings there were no qualifiers in the Women's 70-74 division, so results were reported for 70+). The open divisions will be rated according to gun time, and age groups will be rated according to chip time, if chip timing is in effect.

Runners may be rated in a rating period by meeting the following criteria:
-Reside in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia
-Better the time standard in two rated races

The ratings are established using a completely objective rating procedure. The ratings are formed by a preliminary sort, followed by an intensive analysis of competitive results. The preliminary sort is based on the number of qualifying marks and best times. The final ranking, though, is based more on head-to- head competitive results against the other top placers, with time playing a secondary role. Our general philosophy is that competition is about beating other runners, and we intend to place an increased emphasis on competitive results. Runners who compete against (and beat) other top competitors in their age group will be rewarded with higher rankings. Time will still play a major role in the rankings, but that role will be secondary to competition.

To qualify for the end-of-year ratings, top priority will go to runners who qualify in two rating periods. If there are fewer than ten runners, then a top ten will be filled out with single qualifiers. These ratings are also formed by a preliminary sort, followed by a more involved analysis of competitive results. The preliminary sort is based on seasonal rankings and best times. The final ranking is again based more on head-to-head competitive results against the other top placers, with time playing a secondary role.

Qualifying times are set in each age division for the 10K, and then adjusted for other distances using the WAVA age-graded tables. The qualifying standards will be adjusted periodically. For Spring 2003, the qualifying standards for the 10K are:

10K Qualifying Standards

Division	Men		Women
Open		34:20		39:52*
35-39		36:40		44:10
40-44		38:20		46:05
45-49		39:45		48:45
50-54		42:00		51:45
55-59		43:55		54:30
60-64		49:45		62:05
65-69		52:50		75:00
70-74		56:20		89:40
75+		95:00		99:00
* indicates standards recently changed

The ratings periods for the remainder of the year are:

- Spring: March 15 to May 15
- Summer: May 16 to September 15
- Fall: September 16 to November 15

Happy racing and good luck!

Races Included in the Winter 2003 Ranking Period:

	Race Name                  	Location
  1	Governor's 5K Run for Brain	Williamsburg, VA
  2	Cox Communications Star City 5K and Half-Marathon	Roanoke, VA
  3 	Outback Steakhouse 8K      	Hyattsville, MD
  4	Toys for Tots 5K/10K       	Newport News, VA
  5	Potter Homes/YMCA 5K       	Fredericksburg, VA
  6	Virginia Run Turkey Trot 5K	Centreville, VA
  7	Ashburn Farms 5K and 10K	Ashburn, VA
  8	Thanksgiving Day 5-Mile 	Alexandria, VA
  9 	Turkey Trot Turkey Day 5K	Westernport, MD
 10	Turkey Chase 10K           	Bethesda, MD
 11	Belle Haven Half-Marathon 	Alexandria, VA
 12	Northern Central Trail Marathon	Sparks, MD
 13	Turkey Burnoff 5-Mile and 10-mile	Gaithersburg, MD
 14	Jingle Bell 5K Run for Arthritis 	Solomons, MD
 15	Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K and 10K 	Washington, DC
 16	Coldwell Banker River Bank 12K	Fredericksburg, MD
 17	Rockville 5K and 10K      	Rockville, MD
 18	Roanoke Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis 5K 	Roanoke, VA
 19	Santa Claus Shuffle 5K  	Norfolk, VA
 20	Rudolph's Red Nose 10K     	Fairfax, VA
 21	MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog 8K	Rockville, MD
 22	Jingle Bell 5K           	Boyce, VA
 23	Red Ribbon 5K              	Alexandria, VA
 24	Rotary Resolution Adventure 10K 	Leesburg, VA
 25	DCRRC New Year's Day 5K 	Arlington, VA
 26	MCRRC New Year's Day 5K 	Rockville, MD
 27	Over Hillandale 5-Mile  	Silver Spring, MD
 28	Super Bowl 5K             	Dundalk, MD
 29	Cross-Country Challenge 5K 	Virginia Beach, VA
 30	Penguin Pace 5K            	Columbia, MD
 31	Country Roads 5-Mile       	Olney, MD
 32	Anheuser Busch Colonial Half-Marathon 	Williamsburg, VA
 33	Run for Community 5K       	Newport News, VA
 34	Jamestown H.S. Swamp Run 5K 	Williamsburg, VA
 35	Shamrock 4-mile           	Fredericksburg, VA
 36	Fall into Winter 8K        	Reston, VA
 37	Carrabba's 5K for the YMCA.	Ellicott City, MD
 38	Arthritis 5K              	Buckeystown, MD
 39	Jingle Bell Run 5K        	Baltimore, MD
 40	Anniversary 15K           	Annapolis, MD
 41	Celtic Solstice 5K         	Baltimore, MD