1. What is Age Grading?

Age grading allows runners to compare their race performances against others of different ages and genders. It provides a percentage score where 100% is the world record performance for your age and gender.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the age grade formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Best Time} \) — World record time for the distance (minutes)
• \( \text{Your Time} \) — Your actual running time (minutes)
• \( \text{Age} \) — Your age in years

Explanation: The equation compares your performance to the world record standard, then adjusts for your age using standardized tables.

3. Importance of Age Grading

Details: Age grading allows fair comparison between runners of different ages and genders, helps track performance changes over time, and provides motivation by showing how you compare to world standards.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the world record time for your distance (in minutes), your actual time (in minutes), and your age. All values must be valid (times > 0, age between 5-120).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Where can I find world record times?
A: Official world records are maintained by World Athletics (worldathletics.org) for track and road running events.

Q2: What is a good age grade percentage?
A: Over 60% is respectable, 70%+ is good, 80%+ is excellent, and 90%+ is world class.

Q3: Does age grading work for all distances?
A: Yes, from 5k to marathon distances, though the adjustment factors vary by distance.

Q4: How often are age grading tables updated?
A: Typically every few years as world records improve and more data becomes available.

Q5: Can I compare different distances?
A: Age grades allow rough comparison between distances, though event-specific comparisons are more accurate.