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Welcome to the Washington Running Report
Winter 2005
A New Year, A New Age Group
2005 WRR Winter Runner Rankings
by James Moreland
May/June 2005
For the Washington Running Report
We begin anew. The 2005 season began with the Turkey Trots of November and the Jingle Bells of December. The variety and quantity of races is so astounding in this area. Even by excluding nearby races in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, we found credible results from 120 races. From eleven- year-old Brittany Rooks to eighty-two-year-old Walt Washburn there were more than 1750 ranked times for runners in the region. Yes, we have a new division for the up and coming youth, 19 & under. As with our sub masters and masters division, they do not want to be left out of the open division either. Running legend Darrell General will soon be forty but he still plans to end all his races by breaking the tape.
Six races had more than one thousand finishers. All the major distances were represented. More than thirty-six thousand times were sorted through the system to determine the rankings. Thirty races had more than twenty qualifying times.
The top eleven races had more than thirty-five qualifiers each. These were evenly split with Virginia and Maryland having each a half marathon, a 5K, a 5 Mile, and a 10K. Virginia had two more 5Ks, while Maryland had the most potent race, a ten-mile race with just short of twenty-five percent of its runners with ranked times.
Two new things: Runners who win the race or win their division in a race earn an asterisk beside their name. The Speed Alone is the fastest qualifying time run for each division. In red, it means the current division champion ran it.
Six hundred different men and four hundred and fifty different women ran at least one qualifying time. With the new qualifying times in place, some may be surprised at how many runners make the rankings. The answer is between one and two percent of all the runners. Now let's see who made it to the top.
Women's Winter 2005 Rankings
Men's Winter 2005 Rankings
Rankings Explained: What It Is and How We Do It
The goal of the runner rankings is to rank the best runners of Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia, in five-year age groups, for the purpose of stimulating competition in the Washington region. 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 Web site
* 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 included, a race must meet all of the above criteria. If you place well in a race and want it included in the rankings, 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 ranked by age divisions for both men and women, with the divisions being Open, 19 & under, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80 and over. The open divisions will be ranked according to gun time, and age groups will be ranked according to chip time, if chip timing is in effect.
Runners may be ranked in a ranking period by meeting the following criteria:
* Reside in Washington, DC, Maryland, or Virginia (or race here frequently)
* Better the time standard in two included races
The rankings are established using a nearly completely objective rating procedure. A preliminary sort, followed by an intensive analysis of competitive results, forms the rankings. The preliminary sort is based on number of qualifying marks and best times. The final ranking is based on head-to-head competitive results against the other top placers (50%), with time playing a major but secondary role (40%). Our general philosophy is that competition is about beating other runners, and we intend to place an increased emphasis on competitive results.
To qualify for the end-of-year rankings, top priority will go to runners who qualify in two ranking periods. If there are fewer than ten runners, then a top ten may be filled out with single qualifiers. A preliminary sort, followed by a more involved analysis of competitive results, also forms these rankings. The preliminary sort is based on seasonal rankings and best times. The final ranking is again based on head-to- head competitive results, with time playing a secondary role, though at times a deciding role. One special race can at times put a runner over the top, though consistency is a valued asset.
Qualifying times are set in each age division for the 10K, and then adjusted for other distances. We believe in a constant time so that, while a runner may not make the top ten, he or she may consider himself or herself a ranked runner. Our primary concern is that of believability. There should be few surprises. Competitiveness will always find a few squabblers. Most runners know whom they can best and who remains unbeatable. The rankings should fairly reflect that.
The Current Qualifying Standards for the 10K
Age Group Men Women
Open 34:20 41:15
19 & younger 38:20 46:05
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 - 79 1:32:30 1:39:00
80 & up 1:45:00 1:50:00
The ranking periods for the remainder of the 2005 ranking year are:
* Spring Runner Rankings, March 12, 2005 to May 22, 2005, reported July-August '05
* Summer Runner Rankings, May 23, 2005 to September 5, 2005, reported November-December '05
* Fall Runner Rankings, September 6, 2005 to November 20, 2005, reported January-February '06
* Best of 2005, reported March-April '06
Races Used in the Winter Ranking Period
Event Location
4-H Barnyard 5K Virginia Beach, VA
Alexandria Turkey Trot 5M Alexandria, VA
Angel Flight 5K Virginia Beach, VA
Anheuser-Busch Col HM & 3-Mile Williamsburg, VA
Arctic Road 10K Lynchburg, VA
AS Anniversary Run 15K Annapolis, MD
AS Valentines Day 5K Millersville, MD
Ashburn Farm 10K & 5K Ashburn, VA
B&A Trail Mar & Half Mar Severna Park, MD
Blacksburg 10M & 5K Blacksburg, VA
BRRC Masters 10K Baltimore, MD
By George 10K & 5K Washington, DC
Celtic Solstice 5M Baltimore, MD
Cold Turkey 10K Edgewater, MD
Cox Commcns Star City 5K & HM Roanoke, VA
Cranberry Crawl 5K & 10K Washington, DC
Creeds 5K Virginia Beach, VA
Dancer Dash 10K Westminster, MD
Davis Corner VRS 5K Norfolk, VA
DCRRC Al Lewis 10 Miler Kensington, MD
DCRRC Belle Haven 25K Alexandria, VA
DCRRC Bread Run 10K Glen Echo Park, MD
DCRRC Custis 12K Arlington, VA
DCRRC Gar Williams HM Alexandria, VA
DCRRC JFK 20K Washington, DC
DCRRC MLK 5K Washington, DC
DCRRC New Year's Day 5K Arlington, VA
Fall into Winter 10K Reston, VA
Freeze Your Gizzard 5K Leesburg, VA
FSC Charity Run 5K Frederick, MD
Genesis Hse. Turkey Trot 5K Run Lynchburg, VA
George Washington Birthday 10K Alexandria, VA
Governor's Landing 5K Williamsburg, VA
Greenbelt Wright Stuff 5K Greenbelt, MD
HCS Atholton 5K Columbia, MD
HCS Burleigh Manor 5M Columbia, MD
HCS Longfellow 10K & 15K Columbia, MD
HCS Swansfield 5K Columbia, MD
Healthy U Annual 5K Salisbury, MD
Herndon Turkey Trot 5K Herndon, VA
Hugenot Park CC 3 Mile Richmond, VA
Jake's Reindeer 5K Richmond, VA
Jennifer Braun Memorial Run 5K Virginia Beach, VA
Jingle Bell Run 3.25M Baltimore, MD
Jingle Bell Run for Arth. Roanoke, VA
Jingle Bell Run for Arth. 5K Norfolk, VA
Jingle Bell Run for Arth. 5K Richmond, VA
Jingle Bell Run for Arth. 5K Solomons, MD
Joe Moore Mml PTC Scholar'p 5K Hampton, VA
Lake Montebello 10M Baltimore, MD
Lower Potomac River Marathon Piney Point, MD
MCRRC Country Road Run 5M Olney, MD
MCRRC Jingle Bell Jog 8K Rockville, MD
MCRRC Little Bennett's 5K Clarksburg, MD
Might Medford 5K Westminster, MD
Mud in Your Eye CC 5K, 6K, 8K Virginia Beach, VA
New Year Stagger 10K Millwood, VA
Norfolk 5K Norfolk, VA
N Central Trails Marathon Sparks, MD
Outback Steakhouse 8K Hyattsville, MD
Oyster Point 5K Run Newport News, VA
Peaks of Otter Christmas 5K Bedford, VA
Potter Homes Turkey Trot 5K Fredericksburg, VA
Prediction Run 5K St. Mary's City, MD
PVTC Christmas Caper 10K & 5K Washington, DC
Quantico Turkey Trot Quantico, VA
RASAC Fox 5K Bel Air, MD
RASAC Hinte Tune Up 15K Bel Air, MD
RASAC Holiday Run 5K Bel Air, MD
RASAC Turkey Trot 5K Bel Air, MD
Red Ribbon Run 5K Alexandria, VA
Richmond Turkey Trot 10K Richmond, VA
Rotary Resolution 10K Leesburg, VA
RRC Frostbite 15K Richmond, VA
RRCA Challenge 10M Columbia, MD
Rudolph's Red Nose 10K Fairfax, VA
Santa Claus Shuffle 5K Norfolk, VA
Sentara 5K Hampton, VA
Shooting Starr Run 5M Hillandale, MD
Super Bowl 5K Dundalk, MD
SVR Jingle Bell 5K Blandy Farm, VA
SVR Predicted Time 4 Miler Winchester, VA
SVR Tandem 5K Strasburg, VA
SVR Treasure Hunt 5K Berryville, VA
Sweetheart 8K Midlothian, VA
Tim Kennard 5-Mile River Run Salisbury, MD
Towson YMCA Turkey Trot 5K Towson, MD
Toy Run 5K Richmond, VA
Toys for Tots 10K & 5K Yorktown, VA
Tri-CitiesRRC Championship 7M Petersburg, VA
TS Tune-up Series 10K Fort Story, VA
TS Tune-up Series 20K Fort Story, VA
TS Tune-up Series 25K Fort Story, VA
TS Tune-up Series 30K Fort Story, VA
Turkey Burnoff 10 Mile Gaithersburg, MD
Union Mills 8K Union Mills, MD
VAB Turkey Trot 10K Virginia Beach, VA
Valentine 4 Miler Baltimore, MD
Valentine's Couples Race 5K Charlottesville, VA
Virginia Run Turkey Trot 5K Centreville, VA
Washington's Birthday Marathon Greenbelt, MD
Way Station 5K Frederick, MD
WRC Bear Run 4M Westminster, MD
WRC Predicted 4M Westminster, MD
YMCA Turkey Chase 10K Bethesda, MD