Competition this summer was surprisingly active, with 108 rated races, including the once-in-17-years Cicada Crunch 5K in Cheverly, Maryland. The 108 races compares to 80 a year ago. The competitive level was similar to that of the always competitive Spring and Fall ranking periods.

Several runners have now led their age group in all three ranking periods this year. Those outstanding runners are Chuck Moeser (50-54) of Sterling, Virginia, Patrick Griffith (55-59) of Alexandria, Virginia, Walt Washburn (80+) of Vienna, Virginia, and Alice Franks (55-59) of Rockville, Maryland. The battle of the states was again a tie, with both Maryland and Virginia having 11 winners.

The youngest ranked runners were 22-year-olds Mike Styczynski of Clarksville, Maryland and Samia Akbar of Herndon, Virginia, and the oldest was 81-year-old Walt Washburn.

Women's Summer 2004 Rankings

Men's Summer 2004 Rankings

About the Runner Rankings
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 included races.

To be included, 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
- 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 included, a race must meet all of the above criteria. There will be no exceptions. 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 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, 75-79, and 80+. As participation warrants, these age divisions will be extended or combined. 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
- Better the time standard in two included races

The rankings are established using a completely objective rating procedure. The rankings are formed by a preliminary sort, followed by an intensive analysis of competitive results. The preliminary sort is based on 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 rankings, top priority will go to runners who qualify in two ranking periods. If there are fewer than ten runners, then a top ten will be filled out with single qualifiers. These rankings 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.

Autumn 2004 Qualifying Standards for the 10K

Age Group	Men		Women
Open		33:16		38:11
35-39		35:23		41:48
40-44		36:06		42:41
45-49		38:21*		47:38
50-54		40:15		51:09
55-59		43:39		53:40
60-64		45:48*		63:06
65-69		52:50*		76:24
70-74		59:03		95:47
75+		95:00		99:00
* indicates standards recently changed

The ranking periods for the remainder of the year are:

- Fall: September 7 to November 14 (reported January-February 2005)

- Winter: November 15 to March 11, 2005 (reported May-June 2005)

Happy racing and good luck!

Summer 2004 Ranked Races

5K Run for Autism               	Henrico, VA
AEP Festival 10K & 5K           	Roanoke, VA
Allen Stone 5K                   	Virginia Beach, VA
Annapolis 10 Miler              	Annapolis, MD
Bastille Day 4 Mile                   	Washington, DC
Battlefield Half Marathon            	Varina, VA
Bay Cafe Labor Day 5K                	Baltimore, MD
Bel Air Town 5K                 	Bel Air, MD
Belle Haven 8K                      	Alexandria, VA
Bethesda 5K                       	Bethesda, MD
Bon Air 5K                           	Arlington, VA
Burning Tree 5K                  	Bethesda, MD
Caboose 5K                        	Clifton, VA
Capital Crescent 5K             	Bethesda, MD
Capital One Toucan 10K              	Vienna, VA
Capitol Hill Classic 10K         	Washington, DC
Cascades Fire Chase 10K         	Sterling, VA
Charles Village 5K                   	Baltimore, MD
Charm City 20 Miler                  	Hunt Valley, MD
Check It Out Challenge 5K & 10K 	Baltimore, MD
Chestertown 10 Mile                    	Chestertown, MD
Chicken Run 5 Mile              	Charlottesville, VA
CHIPS Run for the Children 5K     	Chesapeake, VA
Cicada Crunch 5K                      	Cheverly, MD
Coast Guard Day 5K              	Yorktown, VA
Crofton 10K                        	Crofton, MD
Cross Country 5K                   	Comus, MD
Cul Du Sac 5K                   	Richmond, VA
Cure Autism Now 5K                    	Potomac, MD
Damien's Run for Recovery 5K         	Columbia, MD
Dawson's Father's Day 5 Mile         	Annapolis, MD
Dog Days 8K                           	Arnold, MD
Dreaded Druid Hills 10K              	Baltimore, MD
East Coast Surfing Championship 8K	Virginia Beach, VA
Equi-Kids 5K                        	Chesapeake, VA
Father's Day 5K                 	Towson, MD
Friends of Ian 5K               	Gaithersburg, MD
Germantown 5 Miler              	Germantown, MD
Glenmore Piper Challenge 5 Mile 	Keswick, VA
Go Forth 8K                      	Alexandria, VA
Heritage Festival 5 Mile          	Fredericksburg, VA
Herndon Festival 10K & 5K             	Herndon, VA
Hometown Festival 5K                  	Round Hill, VA
Innsbrook 5K                         	Richmond, VA
Iron Furnace 5K                     	Lonaconing, MD
Kiwanis 4th of July 5K               	Charlottesville, VA
Langley 8K                            	McLean, VA
Larry Noel 15K                       	Greenbelt, MD
Laurel 5K                           	Laurel, MD
Lawyers Have Heart 10K                	Washington, DC
Lee's Friends Run on the Wild Side 5K	Norfolk, VA
Leesburg 10K & 20K              	Leesburg, VA
Life 5K                         	Washington, DC
Lynchburg Half Marathon         	Lynchburg, VA
MCRRC Gaithersburg Cross Country 5K	Gaithersburg, MD
MCVET 10K & 5K                   	Baltimore, MD
Metro Run & Walk 5K                  	Vienna, VA
Mud Run 8K                         	Norfolk, VA
Oy Vay 10K                      	Rockville, MD
Police, Fire & Sheriff 9-11 Memorial 5K	Arlington, VA
Presbyterian Homes 5K           	Lynchburg, VA
Race Against Domestic Violence 5K	Richmond, VA
Race for Leukemia 5 Mile        	Frederick, MD
Race for the Cure 5K               	Washington, DC
Riley's Rumble Half Marathon          	Potomac, MD
Rock & Roll Half Marathon       	Virginia Beach, VA
Rotary Rotary Twilight 8K          	Rockville, MD
Run for Animals 5K                  	Wheaton, MD
Run for Mental Health 5K           	Williamsburg, VA
Run for Shelter 5K                	Fredericksburg, VA
Run for Sight 5K                    	Norfolk, VA
Run for Roses 5K                    	Wheaton, MD
Run through History 10K           	Sharpsburg, MD
Run/Walk for the Whisper 5K         	Reston, VA
Salem Distance Run 5K & 10K          	Roanoke, VA
Schoolhouse 5K                   	Abingdon, VA
SPCA 5K                          	Richmond, VA
Spring Forward 5K                	Kingstowne, VA
St. Mary's Infant Home for Children 5K	Norfolk, VA
Stoneleigh Stampede 5K                	Towson, MD
Stonewall Jackson 5K                 	Manassas, VA
Stratford Hills 10K             	Richmond, VA
Sue Wen's 4 Mile                      	Rockville, MD
Sunrise 5K                            	Herndon, VA
Superday 5K                      	Fort Eustis, VA
Take Back the Night 5K              	Olney, MD
Tim Harmon 5K                          	Fairfax, VA
Tom Bashara 5K                        	Norfolk, VA
Vince Tantillo Memorial 5K          	Hagerstown, MD
Vineyards of Williamsburg 5K      	Williamsburg, VA
Warhill 5K                         	Williamsburg, VA
Wawa Hartwood Ten Miler             	Stafford, VA
Women's 4 Miler                     	Charlottesville, VA
Women's Classic 5K               	Baltimore, MD
Women's Distance Festival 5K        	Reston, VA
Women's Distance Festival 5K    	Norfolk, VA
Women's Distance Festival 5K        	Columbia, MD
Women's Distance Festival 5K       	Annapolis, MD
Women's Distance Festival 5K        	College Park, MD
WW II Veterans Memorial Bridge 5K	Richmond, VA
YMCA Civitans 10K                 	Fredericksburg, VA
YMCA Independence Day 5K         	Virginia Beach, VA