Terminology
We use a lot of acronyms and terminology in the Ware Joggers championship that can be very confusing to both our newer members and also some of the more established members. For this reason this guide has been generated to help you understand some of these terms that you may see used in the Championship Rules and Guidelines.
Terms and Acronyms
| Item | Acronym / Full Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Chip Time | This is your Mat to Mat time for a race. | |
| Gun Time | This is your Gun to Finish time for a race. | |
| PB | Personal Best | Championship PBs are based on your Chip Time and can only be set at championship races. |
| APB | Age Personal Best | Championship APBs are based on your Chip Time and can only be set at championship races. All APBs are reset to zero when you cross from one 5 year age category to another i.e. Senior, F35, F40, F45 etc or Senior, M40, M45, M50 etc. You must run one championship race at a given distance to establish your new benchmark time when you change age category. |
| WMA | World Masters Athletics / Association | The WMA are the organising body for world masters athletics. Please see below for a more detailed description of the WMA and how we utilise them. |
| MPB | Masters Personal Best | Your MPB is held as a %, often referred to as your WMA%. You only have one MPB unlike PBs and APBs where you have one per race distance. Please see below for a more detailed description of how your individual MPB is calculated. |
| FROD | First Run Over Distance | If you are a new runner to the championship or you have just crossed over an age category then your first run at each distance will be designated as a FROD. Your time will then be used to ascertain if you are eligible for PB or APB bonus points when you subsequently run that distance again. |
| Club Colours | Official club vest and red shorts is the preferred choice of kit. In order to score points
in the Club Championship, a member must wear the official club vest or T-shirt as the
outermost garment — i.e. red and white vest with club name and motif printed on the front
(or club T-shirt). Shorts (in any form — capris, skirts etc) should be predominantly red or
black. However, we are a "Run for Fun" club and mistakes are occasionally made. The Race
Secretary therefore reserves the right to use their discretion on the shorts ruling. New members may be excused the Club Kit Rule only if they have ordered but not received their club kit and at the Race Secretary's discretion. |
|
| CKR | Club Kit Rule | Used to identify members who have run a Championship Race but did not adhere to the Club Colours rule above. |
| CR | Championship Race | Any one of the designated 13 Championship Races. |
| XC | Cross Country | Ware Joggers participate in the East Herts and West Essex Cross Country League, of which there are 4 races each season. |
| Championship League | Please see below for a more detailed description of how the Championship League works. | |
| Trebles League | This involves 3 runners of mixed ability to form a notional team who take part in the League Championship races. Please see below for a more detailed description of how the Trebles work. | |
| Masters League | Please see below for a more detailed description of how the Masters League works. | |
| Over 6 | Over 6 Bonus System | There are 13 Championship Races each season. When you run more than 6 of these you are eligible for additional bonus points in the leagues. Please see the below for a more detailed description of the Over 6 bonus system. |
Leagues
Ware Joggers Championship race results are compiled within 3 different competitions.
- Championship League - a points-based league divided into competitive divisions, where you are pitted against others of a similar ability.
- Trebles League - involves 3 runners of mixed ability forming a notional team who take part in the Championship races.
- Masters League - ranks runners according to an age group and sex standard instead of finishing position.
Rules
Club Kit
Official club vest and red shorts is the preferred choice of kit. In order to score points in the Club Championship, a member must wear the official club vest or T-shirt as the outermost garment — i.e. red and white vest with club name and motif printed on the front (or club T-shirt). Shorts (in any form — capris, skirts etc) should be predominantly red or black. However, we are a “Run for Fun” club and mistakes are occasionally made. The Race Secretary therefore reserves the right to use their discretion on the shorts ruling.
New members may be excused the Club Kit Rule only if they have ordered but not received their club kit, and at the Race Secretary’s discretion.
Race Entry
All Ware Joggers must be officially registered in the race under their own name. Numbers can be swapped in accordance with individual race rules, but any runner listed in the official results under a different name will not score unless in the opinion of the Race Secretary there are significant mitigating circumstances. Please enter Ware Joggers as club or team name. Individual race rules and conditions should be adhered to at all times. Club membership must be up to date.
Chip & Gun Timing
Gun times will be used to establish race position. Chip times, when available, will be used to establish PB/APBs and Masters PBs. All times will be rounded up to the nearest second to conform to IAAF rules. There can be no dead heats even though the times may be the same.
Results
Results will be published as soon as available via the club notice board, social media (Facebook) and the club website.
Championship League Scoring
The Championship League is split into as many divisions as required to ensure each division is competitive. Existing members will be allocated a division based on their race performances over the last year; winners and runners-up of divisions in the previous season should expect to be promoted at least one division. New members will be allocated a division after their first race. There are normally 12 Club Championship events per season, though this may vary. Please see the Fixtures List for more information on the races.
- The 1st runner home scores 120 points, the 2nd runner home 119 points, and so on.
- Only your best 6 scores will count.
- 3 points are awarded for a PB or APB, and 5 points for a Masters PB. If you achieve more than one at the same race, only the highest applies.
- All races are eligible for PBs regardless of whether they are measured, provided they come in at race distance or over.
- Over 6 bonus points — for each race you finish after your 6th: 1 point for race 7, 2 for race 8, 3 for race 9, and 4 for race 10, giving a maximum of 10 additional points.
- 3 points for every East Herts and West Essex League Cross-Country event you finish.
- 3 points for helping at Ware Cross Country or assisting with scoring at away fixtures.
- 3 points for every competitive MWL event you finish.
- 3 points for helping at an MWL event we host or co-host.
- 3 points for helping at the Ware 10s.
Trebles League Scoring
The Trebles League involves 3 runners of mixed ability forming a notional team who take part in the League Championship races. The 4 highest scoring races of each team member are added together, giving 12 race scores in total. Team members do not have to participate in the same race to score. If all 3 team members take part and finish in the same Club Championship League race, 3 additional points will be awarded. Bonus points are awarded along the same lines as in the Championship League.
To qualify for the Trebles competition, you must have completed a minimum of 4 championship races in the previous season. Exceptions may be granted at the Race Secretary’s discretion. The formation of teams will be done as soon as possible at the beginning of each season; the way team members are allocated may vary from season to season.
Masters League
The Masters League runs in addition to the existing finish-sequence based league, but differs in that there are no divisions and everyone is placed in a single table. The intention is to enable all club members to compete against each other with age and sex factored into the results to provide an even playing field. All existing league rules apply, with two exceptions.
- Points are WMA % Sequence based rather than Finish Sequence based.
- Only Masters PB points are awarded — no PB or APB points are awarded in the Masters league.
WMA Explained
The WMA (World Masters Association) issue time standards for all race distances, ages and sexes. These standards are based on world records set by male and female athletes for ages 18 to 100. An individual’s WMA % is calculated by taking their exact age on race day (including months and days) and comparing their race pace to the WMA table equivalent. So, if you obtain a WMA of 60% it means you ran at 60% of the pace of the world record holder for your age group and sex. The calculation accounts for the fact that records are not set for every single age, so additional factors are applied to allow for this.