General Eligibility
To be eligible for awards, athletes must complete at least six series races and record their official finish time in the RUNColumbus Team Portal.
Championship Titles
- Grand Champions: Presented to the top male and female athletes.
- Division Champions: Awarded to the top male and female athletes in each division: 14U, 15–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, and 70+.
- Age Group Champions: Awarded to the top male and female athletes in each age group: <9, 10–14, 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, and 80+.
Championship Award Limitations
One Championship Title Per Series: An athlete may earn only one championship title within a single series. If an athlete is named Grand Champion, they are not eligible to also receive a Division or Age Group Championship within that same series. Division Champions are not eligible to also receive an Age Group Championship in the same series.
Multiple Series Eligibility: Athletes may earn championship titles in more than one series. For example, an athlete may win a Division Championship in the Full Series or Challenger Series and also win a Division Championship in the Trail Series.
Race Series
- The RUNColumbus Race Series (“Full Series”) includes two mini-series: the Challenger Series and the Trail Series.
- All three series offer shared awards and series-specific awards, each with defined qualification criteria.
Points Accumulation and Scoring
- All races are scored, and points accumulate throughout the season.
- An athlete’s cumulative scores in the Full Series determine Grand Champions and Division Champions.
- An athlete’s top six scores in the Challenger Series determine Grand Champions, Division Champions, and Age Group Champions.
- An athlete’s top six scores in the Trail Series determine Grand Champions and Division Champions.
Tiebreaker Policy
In the event of a tie, head-to-head competition serves as the tiebreaker. If tied athletes have the same number of head-to-head wins, the cumulative time difference in those races will determine the winner. The athlete with the greatest total time spread across the tied races will be declared the winner.
Reporting Finish Times
- Athletes have 14 days to record their official finish time in the RUNColumbus Team Portal.
- Times must match the race’s published results.
- Finish times cannot be accepted after the 14-day reporting window.
- Athletes may correct their time entry during the 14-day window.
- Only one finish time may be recorded per event offering multiple distances.
- Points may fluctuate during the 14-day reporting window as other athletes report their times.
Types of Points and Virtual Races
- Distance Points: One point per full race mile completed.
- Finish Points: Awarded to the top 50 male and female finishers in descending order, with first place earning the most points.
- If two athletes finish in a tie, both receive the same points.
- Race Score: Distance Points + Finish Points = Race Score
- Virtual Races: Athletes who complete a race virtually receive Distance Points only. To qualify, the event must offer an official virtual option with publicly posted results.
- Mileage and Races: An athlete’s cumulative mileage and race totals count toward mileage and race participation awards across all series.
Age-Based Scoring
- Points are awarded based on the athlete’s age on the race date.
- Final standings for the Full Series are determined by the athlete’s age on the date of their final race.
- For the Challenger and Trail Series, final standings are determined by the athlete’s age at the time of their six scoring performances. If an athlete advances to a new age group and one of their six counting scores occurs in that division, final standings will reflect the new age group.
| Award Name | How It’s Earned | How Many Are Awarded | Applicable Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finishers Medal | Complete 6 Series Races | Unlimited | All Series |
| Grand Champion | Top Six Scores | 1 Male, 1 Female | Challengers Series |
| Division Champion | Top Six Scores | 1 Male, 1 Female Per Division | Challengers Series |
| Age Group Champion | Top Six Scores | 1 Male, 1 Female Per Age Group | Challengers Series |
| Grand Champion | Top Six Scores | 1 Male, 1 Female | Trail Series |
| Division Champion | Top Six Scores | 1 Male, 1 Female Per Division | Trail Series |
| Ultimate Endurance Champion | Total Score | 1 Male, 1 Female | Full Series |
| Ultimate Endurance Division Champion | Total Score | 1 Male, 1 Female Per Division | Full Series |
| Mileage Challenge | Complete 50, 100, 150, or 200 Miles of Series Races (only eligible for one) | Unlimited | All Series |
| Races Challenge | Complete 12, 24, or 36 Series Races (only eligible for one) | Unlimited | All Series |
| All-Terrain Challenge | Complete 3 Trail Series and 3 Road Series Races | Unlimited | All Series |
| Distance Challenge | Complete Six Race Distances: 1 Mile, 5K, 4 or 5 Mile, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon | Unlimited | All Series |
| Spirit of RUNColumbus | Peer Voted Based on Criteria | 1 | All Series Participants |
| RUNColumbus G.R.I.T. | Peer Voted Based on Criteria | 1 | All Series Participants |
| Founders Award | At the discretion of the Founders | 1 | NA |