How the Championship Series Works

The Annapolis Striders Championship Series is an eight-race competition held throughout the year. All eight races are open to everyone, while active Annapolis Striders members are automatically included in Championship Series scoring.

8
Series Races
5-Year
Age Groups
6 of 8
Best Scores Count
↓
Lowest Total Wins

The 8 Championship Series Races

Each race has its own overall race results. Active Annapolis Striders members are also scored against other Striders within their Championship Series age group.

How to Participate

Participating in the Championship Series is simple: maintain an active Annapolis Striders membership, register for the races, and run.

1
Be an active Annapolis Striders member.

Membership must be active before the first race of the season. Join or renew online.

2
Register for the races you want to run.

Individual race registration generally opens 4–8 weeks before each race. Before the first race of the year, runners may also pre-register for all eight Championship Series races.

3
Run!

Finish at least one Championship Series race to appear in the standings. You do not need to run every race, but you may miss no more than two races to remain eligible for end-of-year awards.

How Scoring Works

Your finishing place within your age group is your score.

1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, 3rd place = 3 points, and so on. Lower scores are better.

Scores accumulate throughout the season. Because runners may miss races due to vacations, volunteering, injuries, family commitments, or other circumstances, only a runner’s six best scores count toward the primary total.

The two highest scores are dropped from the primary total and are placed after the decimal point as a tiebreaker.

Scoring Example

Suppose a runner finishes in the following position within their age group in each of the eight races:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8
21
Six Counting Scores
.15
Dropped-Score Tiebreaker
Final Championship Series Score
21.15

Example Throughout the Season

Using the same example, the runner’s Championship Series total would progress like this:

Race 5K 10M 10K 1M 8K MM 5M 15K Total
1 1 1
2 1 2* 1.02
3 1 2* 3* 1.05
4 1 2 3* 4* 3.07
5 1 2 3 4* 5* 6.09
6 1 2 3 4 5* 6* 10.11
7 1 2 3 4 5 6* 7* 15.13
8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7* 8* 21.15

* Dropped score. The two highest scores are dropped at each point in the season. In this example, those happen to be the runner’s two most recent races.

Age Groups

A runner’s Championship Series age group is determined by their age on January 1 and remains the same for the entire year.

14 & Under
15–19
20–24
25–29
30–34
35–39
40–44
45–49
50–54
55–59
60–64
65–69
70–74
75–79
80–84
85–89
90–94
95–99

End-of-Year Awards

To remain eligible for an end-of-year award, a runner’s Annapolis Striders membership must remain active and the runner may miss no more than two Championship Series races.

The number of awards presented in each age group depends on the number of qualified runners:

Qualified Runners Awards
Up to 6 3
7–8 4
9 or more 5

Duplicate awards are given for ties and do not eliminate subsequent places from the award sequence.

🏅 IronMan Award

Runners who complete all eight Championship Series races receive an IronMan award.

Additional Scoring Rules

  • Runners receive a score of 49 for a missed Championship Series race.
  • Race Directors may organize a Workers Run to allow volunteers the opportunity to participate.
  • Workers Run participants must complete the same course used for the actual race.
  • Per Board decision, Race Directors receive Workers Run credit even if they do not actually run.
  • Workers Run participants are placed last in their age group for the race. For example, if the highest race-day score in an age group is 15, all Workers Run participants in that age group receive a score of 16.

Race Cancellations

Occasionally, a Championship Series race may be canceled because of weather or other unforeseen circumstances. A canceled race is removed from the Championship Series standings for that year and does not negatively affect a runner’s score or award eligibility.

Important Notes

  • If you are excluded from a race and receive a score of 49, check your Annapolis Striders membership status to make sure it has not expired. A member will be reinstated into the Championship Series if membership is renewed within two weeks of expiration.
  • The Championship Series 10-mile race is the Cherry Pit 10 Mile Run, not the Annapolis 10 Mile Run.
  • Please use the same name when registering for races that you used when joining the Annapolis Striders. This helps us correctly match race results with club membership records.

Questions or Corrections?

Contact the Annapolis Striders Championship Series Coordinator.

Email the Champ Series Coordinator