Serpentine Age Grading New Year Update
As we look forward to the new year, we are announcing an important update to how we measure performance within the club. Effective 1 January 2026, we will be updating our age grading calculations for all club races to use the international factors World Masters Athletics started using in 2023. (Age gradings for races before 2026 will remain unchanged.)
We have previously updated our scoring systems in 2006, 2010 and 2015, and this latest update ensures that our club championships and handicaps reflect the most current landscape of global running performance.
What is Age Grading?
For those new to the concept, age grading is a statistical method used to level the playing field. It allows runners of any age and gender to compare their performances directly against one another.
An age-graded score is a percentage value. It expresses your time as a percentage of the “Open Standard” (essentially the world record or world-best time) for your specific age and gender.
- 100% = Approximate World Record level
- 90% = World Class
- 80% = National Class
- 70% = Regional Class
- 60% = Local Class
The World Association of Veteran Athletes (WAVA), now known as World Masters Athletics (WMA), published the very first age grading tables in 1989. Since then, they have been periodically updated to account for improvements in masters running.
The 2023 Standards: Sources and Methodology
The new data we are adopting comes from the 2023 WMA Age Grading Factors. For our road racing calculations, we are specifically aligning with the methodology used by the renowned Howard Grubb Road Calculator, which applies the WMA track factors to road distances with specific adjustments for road racing conditions.
You can view the source data here:
How we calculate the standards:
- Runners Over 30: We use the official WMA 2023 factors.
- Open Class (20–30): We treat this as the “peak” performance age, applying a factor of 1.0 (100%).
- Juniors (Under 20): Because the WMA focuses on masters, we use a specialized performance curve that accounts for biological development, consistent with the Grubb calculator’s approach for younger athletes.
- Ultra Distances: For distances beyond the marathon (50km, 100km, etc.), we use specific ultra-running standards where available, aligning with female and male world bests for those distances.
Handling Non-Standard Distances
Not every race is a perfect 5k or 10k. For races like our club handicap (which might be 6.975km) or cross-country courses of irregular length, we use logarithmic interpolation.
This mathematical approach assumes a constant rate of decay in speed as the distance grows. By taking the known standards for the nearest standard distances (e.g., 5km and 10km) and interpolating logarithmically, we can generate a precise, fair standard for any specific distance in between. Before 2026, we used linear interpolation.
Why the New Standards Are Harder
If you check your new age-graded scores in January, you might notice a slight dip compared to those in previous years using the 2015 standards. The new standards are generally harder.
Why? Simply put, the world is getting faster. Between 2015 and 2023, we saw significant advancements in training science, nutrition, and recovery. Perhaps most influentially, the widespread adoption of “super shoe” technology – lightweight, soft, high-energy-return midsole shoes with rigid curved plate or rods to stabilise them and help propel you forward.
Visualizing the Change
To illustrate how the standards have evolved, the graph below shows the time required to achieve a 70% Age Grade (Regional Class) for a 5km race. We have plotted the curves for 1994, 2015, and the new 2023 standards.
You can see that the curves have shifted downwards over time, meaning you have to run faster today to achieve the same 70% score that you would have in 1994 or 2015.
You can compare how your age-grading is calculated using different vintages of the age-grading tables on our website here.
Making Running More Inclusive
While the standards may be tougher, the philosophy remains the same: Inclusivity.
Age grading allows us to celebrate performance across the entire spectrum of our membership. It means a 65-year-old female finishing a 5k in 26 minutes can be recognized as having a “better” performance than a 25-year-old male finishing in 20 minutes. It keeps us motivated as we age, giving us realistic targets that adjust as we move into new age categories.
We are excited to implement these 2023 standards starting January 1st, ensuring our club remains at the forefront of fair and accurate competition.
Happy running!