Club Handicap Races

About our events

Each year the club holds a series of handicap races from which points are scored in relation to finishing positions. These points count to towards a league table. Prizes are presented at the presentation evening. This is an in house competition but guests runners are most welcome to run with us.

Each runner is given a predicted time and then the runners are set off with the slowest first and fastest last. Everybody is staggered accordingly to their time in-between. The idea being that everybody finishes pretty much at the same time.

Our Races

• 5km (Cromer) - Thursday, May 11th, 2023
• Beach Race 8.8 Miles (Mundesley) - Thursday, May 25th, 2023
• 10 Mile (Cromer) - Thursday, June 8th, 2023
• 5ish Mile (Aldborough) - Thursday, June 22nd, 2023  
• 10km (Cromer) - Thursday, July 20th, 2023
• 7 Mile (Holt) - Thursday, August 10th, 2023
  

What is a handicap race?

A running handicap race is a type of running event in which runners are given a "handicap" or head start based on their expected finish time. The goal of a handicap race is to level the playing field for runners of different abilities, so that everyone has an equal chance of winning.

In a handicap race, the fastest runners will start last, while the slower runners will start first. The idea is that the faster runners will have to work harder to catch up to the slower runners, while the slower runners will have the advantage of a head start.

Handicap races are often used in club and community running events, as well as in charity races. They can be organized as both road races and trail races, and can be held at distances ranging from 5K to marathon.

The handicaps are usually calculated based on a runner's past performance, or on their estimated finish time. Some races will use a formula to calculate the handicaps, while others will rely on the judgment of the race organizers.

In the race, the winner is not the one who finishes first, but the one who crosses the finish line first after all the handicaps has been taken into account.

Overall, the Handicap Race is an exciting way to make the race more fair and keep the competition fierce, as well as create an encouraging environment for all the participants by providing everyone with a chance to win, regardless of their running abilities.