Below outlines the races and rules for the 2014 WRC Grand Prix series.
The idea behind a grand prix is to add some form of competition within our club and concentrate participation among a few local races. It lets members know these are races fellow runners are targeting and attending. The races are local, popular, easy to enter, and preferably have a team-scoring component. The rules are outlined below. It’s really very simple.
Here is the slate for the 2014 Grand Prix (also available on the Calendar)
- Sun Feb 16, 2014 George Washington Birthday Classic 10k—Alexandria, VA
- Sun Mar 9, 2014 St. Patrick’s Day 8K—Washington, DC
- Sat Mar 15, 2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon and Marathon—Washington, DC*
- Sun Apr 6, 2014 Cherry Blossom Ten Mile—Washington, DC
- Sun Apr 13, 2014 GW Parkway Classic 10M—Alexandria, VA
- Mon Apr 21, 2014 Boston Marathon—Boston, MA*
- Sun May 18, 2014 Capitol Hill Classic 10K—Washington, DC
- Sat Jun 14, 2014 Lawyers Have Heart 10k—Washington, DC
- Fri Jul 4, 2014 Go Fourth 8K—Vienna, VA
- Sat Jul 19, 2014 Rockville Twilight 8k—Rockville MD
- Sun Aug 24, 2014 Annapolis 10 Mile Run—Annapolis MD
- Sun Sep 14, 2014 Parks Half Marathon—Rockville MD
- Sun Oct 5, 2014 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon—Mt. Vernon, VA
- Sun Oct 26, 2014 Marine Corps Marathon—Arlington, VA*
- Sun Nov 9, 2014 Veterans Day 10k —Washington, DC
- Sun Dec 7, 2014 Jingle All the Way 8k—Washington, DC
Grand Prix Rules and Scoring
- Runners must complete 5 races to qualify for the grand prix.
- At least four must come from the above list. A fifth “at-large” race of any distance or setting is allowed.
- *New to 2014, marathons in the series count as two races.
- You can always run more, but your best five races will count toward your final score.
- If there are multiple races at an event, such as a half-marathon and full marathon, the distance listed above will count. The alternate distance can be used as an “at-large” or optional race.
- You must submit your race results to the Grand Prix Coordinator.
- We will use the Runner’s World Age-Graded Calculator to calculate points. So results will be represented by a percentage and be based on your age, gender, and performance at a given distance.
- We will use the sum of the points from your best five races to score the grand prix points. This attempts to level the playing field for competitors across ages and sexes.
- Also different in 2014, the men’s and women’s series will be combined.
- We will update standings monthly in our newsletter.
- The competition will only be open to active, dues-paying WRC members. If you join the club mid-year, the races you run after you join will count toward your total.
The overall winner will each receive an award and heaps of recognition at the annual meeting and party. This is in addition to our annual awards for men’s and women’s Runners of the Year, who are quite possibly different people than the singular Grand Prix winner.
Thoughts, ideas, or suggestions? Let the Grand Prix Coordinator know!