A runner's handicap score is the average of their top 5 performances (those marked with a +) and is calculated using various elements including the SSS, the VSSS, a time decay (if someone hasn't raced for a while) and a conversion of the time over the distance to a number.
A typical/average value would be 1.0, indicating conditions that were neither of particular help or hindrance to runners; 1.0 is also normally assigned if there were too few with runbritain handicaps to generate an accurate measurement.
A handicapped race is one in which all participants' abilities are leveled, so that every participant, regardless of speed, has an equal chance at being the winner. Of course, there's an if. "Every participant, regardless of speed, has an equal chance at being the winner ... IF they are honest about their abilities."
The club 5k handicap is a monthly competition based on member's performances at a parkrun. Each person is allocated a handicap based on previous performance at the parkrun of their choice. It is a free competition, open to all members and which you can join in at any point during the year.
The SSS is a difficulty score based on how easy or difficult it was to run a quick time in a given race. The harder it was to run a quick time, the higher the SSS score. The way it is worked out is by looking at people's times in a particular race and comparing it against their previous performances.
runbritain's revolutionary handicap scoring system is designed to give runners of all abilities the ability to benchmark their progress and compare their results across a range of distances and terrains.
It has been raced every year since, except for four years during the Second World War, and in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gift is a handicapped race – meaning that runners are not all standing on the same start time, as you would see in an Olympic race.
Not considered races, parkrun events are classified on the Power of 10 and runbritain websites simply as 'parkrun'. This classification encompasses all of our events regardless of terrain or UKA course certification, allowing all parkrun events to be included.
Individual running records
Male world record holder: Andrew Baddeley set a time of 13:48 at Bushy Parkrun on 11 August 2012.
Total prize money for the Gift is $60,000, with $40,000 going to the winner.
Formerly named the Easter Gift, the race was originally 130 yards (118.9 metres); however, in 1973, the race was adapted to the metric system, and the distance changed to 120 metres (131.2 yards).
Women's – Open to all female athletes aged 14+ on the day of competition. Masters – Open to all athletes ages 35+ on the day of competition. Women's & Masters – Open to athletes aged 35+ as well as females aged 14+ on the day of competition.
The idea of the handicap system is that all runners should, theoretically, cross the line at the same time. The handicapper works out what mark or handicap the runner will have according to their previous performances in sprint events.
The Gift distance of 130 yards is believed to have originated from the distance between two local pubs in the English town of Sheffield.
The Powercor Stawell Gift, returns to Central Park April 16-18, 2022 over the Easter long weekend with three action-packed days of elite athletic racing.
The Ineos 1:59 Challenge was a successful 2019 attempt by Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge to break the two-hour mark for running the marathon distance. The event was specifically created for Kipchoge and held in Vienna, Austria, on 12 October 2019.
The women's marathon was introduced at the 1984 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles, USA) and was won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.
In 1993, he won the Stawell Gift off the mark of 7.5 metres. Also won the 1992 'novice' 100m at Stawell, and followed his Gift win in 1993 with a win in the backmarkers 120m invitation in 1994 - one of only two athletes in the history of the Stawell Gift to win all three in successive years.
Harrison Kerr and Carla Bull claimed the crowns at the 140th Powercor Stawell Gift Carnival today (Easter Monday). Harrison Kerr ran the fastest winning time in the final of the Powercor Stawell Gift since 1995 to take home the $40,000 prize purse.
Stawell Gift 2021 results: Edward Ware breaks ten-year hoodoo; Hayley Orman wins women's Gift. Edward Ware has overcome a false start and ten years of pain to complete an historic double at the Stawell Gift. A decade after losing by a whisker Edward Ware has finally got his hands on the Stawell Gift trophy.
Queenslander finds a yard – and her voice – to claim women's title. Sprinter Carla Bull lost her voice earlier this weekend, but managed to find her form to win the women's Gift in 13.77 seconds off a handicap of six metres.
Crowds bring welcome tourism boost. A capacity crowd of 5,000 people watched the 139th Stawell Gift, including visitors from Melbourne.
Richardson is playing in the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league.
Jason Richardson began his journey in elite sport by winning the 1993 Stawell Gift and went on to race at national and international level over the 100m – 400m, winning the 1996 British Professional 200m Championship. Jason's sports media career started with Channel 10 as guest reporter on Sydney 2000 Olympics.