The summer ranking period spans a long period of time, running from late May through Labor Day weekend. Hot, humid Washington weather, however, never seems to keep the faithful running community in this area away from the racecourse. Even with the requirements that races must have 100 participants, and must have been run in Washington, Virginia, or Maryland, we were able to include more than sixty races this summer. Some of the highlights of the summer include, as always, the Annapolis Ten Miler, Riley's Rumble Half Marathon, and the Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K. This year, we had a new race to figure in -- the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, which drew a field of 15,000 runners. Many of our strong southern Virginia runners had an opportunity to shine at this race, and it is reflected in the rankings.

Before we proceed with the summer rankings, we've included just a few notes on exactly what it takes to get ranked for those of you who may be new to reading our rankings, or unsure about the criteria for earning a ranking.

How to Get Ranked

First, one must meet the qualifying time twice in at least two included races in a given ranking period. A great many factors go into compiling these rankings--head-to-head competition, average times, number of races included, and performance at big races. We also took into account the number of qualifying times posted, as well as, in some cases, the variety of race distances tackled.

In order for a race to be included in the rankings, the race must have:

1. Full race results available on the Web, or submitted to the Washington Running Report.
2. Been run in Virginia, Washington, DC, or Maryland. At this time, there are too many races for us to consider races outside this area.
3. Include runners' name, gender, age, and time. We prefer the results to also include hometown and placement information.
4. At least 100 participants.

Here are the qualifying times for the different divisions:

Division	 Men	 Women
Open	        34:20	 41:15
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
75-99 	        95:00 	 99:00

Also, if you want to be ranked and for some reason feel you aren't getting proper consideration, please drop a line to the Washington Running Report via e-mail to the Editor: kathy@runwashington.com.

Races Used in This Ranking Period:

AEP Festival 10K
AEP Festival 5K
Annapolis 10 Miler
Annapolis Striders Dogs Days 8K
Annapolis Women's Distance Festival 
Annapolis Women's Distance Festival 5K (men's & women's 5Ks)
Bastille Day 4 Miler
Battlefield Half Marathon
Bel Air 5K
BRRC Women's Distance Festival 5K
Capital Crescent 5K
Charles Village 5K
Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler
Chicken Run 5 Miler
Columbia Women's Distance Festival 5K
Commomwealth Games 5 Miler
CTC Independence Day 5K
Cure Autism Now 5K
Daily Bread Run 5K
DCRRC Age Handicap 4M
DCRRC Women's Distance Festival 5K
East Coast Surfing Championship 5K
Firecracker 5 Miler
Frederick County Striders Women's Distance Festival 5K
Fredericksburg Lions Club Heritage 5 Miler
Hadassah Race for Research 5K
Hillandale 5 Miler
James River Scramble 10K
Katie DeRosa Women's Distance Festival 5K
Kentlands 5K
Larry Noel Greenbelt 15K
Laurel 5K
Leesburg 10K
Lewis Gale 10K/5K
Liberty 5K
Lions Journey or Sight 5K
Lisa's Run 5K
MCRRC Run for Roses 5K
Meadfest 5K
Mental Health 5K
Mitzvah 5K
Norfolk Naval Station Open 8K
Norfolk Sheriff's 5K
Norfolk Tides - Joy Fund 5K
Orioles 5K
Oy Vay 10K/5K
PGRRC Women's Distance Festival 5K
Reston Women's Distance Festival 5K
Riley's Rumble Half Marathon
River Run
Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K Runfest
Run for Recovery 5K
St. Agnes Labor Day 5k Run
St. John's 5K
Stoneleigh Stampede 5K
Stratford Hills 10K
Sunrise 5K
Thomas Brisben 5K
Urbanna 10K/5K
WaWa Hartwood 10 Mile
YMCA Independence Day 5K