Overview
Stocksbridge Running Club organises a number of competitions to provide some friendly
competition between members. All competitions run from January 1st 2025 until March 31st
2026 in line with the yearly membership of the club. In subsequent years the competitions will
start on April 1st. All competitions are open to any member of the club regardless of their type of membership. The only exception to this are club records (eligibility will be explained later in the document).
The following competitions are available:
- Club Grandprix
- Long Distance Championship
- Parkrun Competition
- Club Standards
- Club Records.
The rest of the document will explain the rules for each competition separately.
Club Grandprix
The Club Grandprix is a competition split over 8 local races where points are awarded for each
race. Only a maximum of 4 races, with the highest points, will count towards the members overall
total.
The races are split into 4 road races and 4 trail / fell races so that there is the chance for any
member to complete the maximum 4 races if they prefer one discipline over another.
Some of the races are split into a series, in the case where the race is a series then the highest
points value for the series will count towards the overall total. When highest points are calculated,
only one of the races in a series for a given race can count towards the overall total.
The Club Grandprix will be split into male and female categories with an overall winner being
announced for both at the end of the competition window.
Points calculation
Points are calculated based on the overall fastest for the race, male and female respectively. The
overall faster runner (not specific to club members) will be awarded 100 points. Each member
taking part will then be awarded points based on a percentage of the overall fastest time.
For example, if the overall fastest time was 30 minutes it would be awarded 100 points, if a
member ran 45 minutes they would get 75 points and if they ran 60 minutes they would get 50
points.
If the case of a race series, the fastest overall time will be the fastest time across the whole series
and for the members time this will be their fastest time across the series. The overall fastest time
and the members fastest time might not be at the same race in the series. This means that
potentially if a member just runs the first race and is awarded some points, the points for this race
might decrease over the course of the series if the fastest overall time keeps improving.
Races included in the competition:
Thirsk 10 mile
The Trunce
Run Greno
Dearne Valley 10k (extra one added for this year as Run Greno sold out quickly).
Loxley Lash 5k
Penistone 10k
Vale of York Half Marathon
Ladybower Half Marathon
Kimberworth Canal Race
The following races are included as part of a series
Thirsk 10 miles (treated as a series as the race takes part twice in the competition window)
Loxley Lash
The Trunce
Race Dates
16/03/2025 – Thirsk 10 mile
31/03/2025 – Trunce Race 1
21/04/2025 – Trunce Race 2
04/05/2025 – Run Greno
07/05/2025 – Loxley Lash
12/05/2025 – Trunce Race 3
18/05/2025 – Dearne Valley 10k
02/06/2025 – Trunce Race 4
04/06/2025 – Loxley Lash
22/06/2025 – Penistone 10k
23/06/2025 – Trunce Race 5
02/07/2025 – Loxley Lash
14/07/2025 – Trunce Race 6
04/08/2025 – Trunce Race 7
14/08/2025 – Trunce Race 8
07/09/2025 – Vale of York Half Marathon
08/09/2025 – Trunce Race 9
28/09/2025 – Ladybower Half Marathon
02/11/2025 – Kimberworth Canal Race
22/03/2026 – Thirsk 10 mile
Rules in the event of a tie
If two or more members at the end of the competition have the same number of points then the
points for the 5th highest race will be used as a decider. In the unlikely event that this is also a tie,
then we will use the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th races points as the decider.
If after all these deciding rules there is still a tie, the result will be decided by the committee
Long Distance Championship
The long distance championship encourages members to take part in races. Each race
completed is added to a running total of the overall distance and a league table is produced. This
league table is not separated into male and female members as it is about the distance covered
and not overall performance.
The distance for each race will be taken to be as advertised by the race, either on their website,
Facebook or anywhere else official information can be found. Only in situations where this cannot
be obtained will the distance be taken from the individual runners Strava.
For endurance events such as 6h, 12h, 24h, the distance will be the the official distance for a loop
multiplied by the number of competed loops. This information will be again taken from the official
results for the race. If the races allows for loops to be completed after the time limit, eg. as long
as you start the loop before the time limit, then this will also count towards the total distance
applied to the league table.
Any race where the member does not completed the full distance will not count towards the long
distance championship unless the race is further than a marathon distance. For races over a
marathon distance, any completed miles / kilometres will be added to the overall distance. This
difference in rule is to encourage members to try long distance races where they might not know
if they can complete them or not. Members will be rewarded for the distance they complete.
Although the race is greater than a marathon distance, if for some reason the member does not
competition at least 26 miles they will still be credited. The distance covered in the event of a
DNF will be taken from official results if available (for example if the member retired at a
checkpoint or aid station), or from the members Strava if not.
Rules in the event of a tie
If two or more members at the end of the competition window have the same distance then the
longest individual race completed by a member (in the decider a DNF will not count) will be the
decider. If this is the same distance then the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc longest distance will be the
decider. If after all these deciding rules there is still a tie, the result will be decided by the committee.
Parkrun Competition
Parkrun is a friendly 5k event which takes place each Saturday morning. It encourages anyone of
any ability to take part and get some exercise. Not ever member likes to take part in officially
organised races but likes to run a Parkrun each week. The Parkrun competition is provided to add
some competition between members in addition to the benefits of taking part.
Each week a member takes part in a Parkrun they can gain a number of points and this will be
added to their total. At the end of the competition the member with the most points will be
announced as the winner. Points are broken down in the following categories with the most
points that an individual can accrue each week is 13.
Taking part
If you are part as a runner / walker you will gain 1 point. If you take part as a volunteer you will
gain 1 point (multiple volunteer roles will still gain a maximum of 1 point). You can take part as a
runner / walker and a volunteer and gain a maximum of 2 points each week.
Best age grading
As part of the Parkrun results, an age grading is provided which is the percentage difference
between someone and the best in their age category in the world. For this competition, the top 3
each week will be awarded points. 3 points for first, 2 points for second and 1 point to third.
Seasons best
To encourage trying to better yourself over the course of the competition window, points are
awards if you beat your best time. The first Parkrun you enter in the competition window will set
the seasons best time. Anytime you beat the seasons best time you will be awarded 3 points.
When the time is beaten then that time will become the seasons best time and the process is
repeated. There is no limit on the number of seasons best points you can be awarded over the
course of the 12 months window.
Overall best
Beating your overall best time is something to be recognised and will be awarded 5 points. Your
best time will be taken from the official best time recorded on the Parkrun website. The only
exception to this is when it can be demonstrated this is incorrect. It can be notoriously difficult to
get changes made to results if they are incorrect now that this is handled centrally by Parkrun.
As it is also possible that you might no longer be able to beat your overall best time as Parkrun
has been running since 2004 and your best times are in the past, 5 points will also be awarded for
beating your best ever age grading. This age grading is a leveller no matter what age category
you are running in and is something that still can be achieved as we get older.
If you have never taken part in a Parkrun before then the first Parkrun will set your overall best and
then the second Parkrun will be your first opportunity to beat this time / age grading and get the 5
points.
Rules in the event of a tie
If two or more members at the end of the competition window have the same number of points
then the following will be used as a decider in the order of the list below.
- Most Parkruns taken part in (each Parkrun will count once even if you ran and volunteered at an
event). - Most seasons bests
- Most overall bests
- Most first place age gradings
If after all these deciding rules there is still a tie, the result will be decided by the committee
Club Standards
Sometime it can be difficult to find a target to try and achieve. If you are looking to improve your
times or if your overall PBs are in the past then what should your target be? The club standards are a series of suggested times split into age categories for male and female runners and split into a 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th class standard times. The times are based off age graded times so they are relative to the fastest runner at each distance for a given age category.
Age categories are broken down into 5 years blocks, starting at 40 years. Anyone below that age
will be counted in the senior age category. The age gradings for each standard are as follows:
1st class – 75%
2nd class – 65%
3rd class – 55%
4th class – 45%
There are 6 distances where a club standard are recorded they are:
5k
10k
10 miles
Half Marathon
20 miles
Marathon
In order for a race to count towards a club standard, it must be an officially measured race. There
is no requirement that the race should be road only, but it will be harder to find an officially
measured race that matches one of the above distances. As per the club records below, if the
race is slightly over the standard distance then it can still count towards a club standard but not if
it is below. NOTE: Parkruns cannot be counted towards the 5k distance as they vary in distance
and many are only approximately 5k.
Each year, within the competition window, a member can achieve an overall club standard which
will be the best 3 race distances that they have achieved a club standard, If the standard is
different for each race then the lowest standard is what has been achieved. For example, if a
member gets a 2nd class, and two 3rd class standards, the overall standard will be 3rd class.
A member will be awarded a overall club standard if they improve over the previous year in the
same age category. If it is the first year in a new age category then they will be awarded the
overall club standard if they have achieved at least a 4th class standard in 3 races.
As this is the first year of running the club standards, any member that achieves at least 4th class
in at least 3 races will be awarded a club standard.
The age category for a given year will be based on the age category you are in at the start of the
competition window. For this year only as the competition window started early, the age category
will be whatever you were on April 1st 2025.
The specific club standard times are listed below and will be reviewed each year if new age
gradings are announced. The committee will decide if the club standards should be updated in
line with new age gradings or keep them as they are. No club standard target times will be
updated in the course of the competition window.
Club Records
Club records are a way to recognise the achievements of current and past members at set
distances. In order to be eligible for a club record you should be a member of the club and not a first claim
member of another club. First claim members of another club can set records for the 1st claim
club but unfortunately not for Stocksbridge Running Club. Social members are able to set club
records providing they also meet the 1st claim criteria above.
Club records can be on any terrain but must be measured and be of at least the specified
distance. At least the specified distance refers normally to longer distance trail / fell races where
it might be advertised as a 50 miler, for example, but might be something slightly longer or
shorter. Shorter distance races will not count for a club record even if advertised as a specific
distance in its main advertisement. (Normally the actual distance will also be listed and this is
what will determine if it is a club record)
Summary
The club competitions are provided as a fun way to add competition and engagement in races for
members. The clubs committee are always interested in ideas for new competitions or changes
to the rules for existing competitions. The rules cannot be changed for 2025/2026 but can
influence next years competition.
All the information and results regarding the club competitions is currently collated by Dave
Napier and any queries should be directed to him in the first instance. He will be able to provide
information regarding any races recorded for an individual and correct any discrepancies.