Running For My Rank
Virtual XC Competition
A solo, performance-normalized*,
Testimonials
"Being able to accurately rate the difficulty of cross country courses as OCRS has been doing for years now, and calculate the differences in performances on them, now makes it possible for runners from different parts of the country to compete with each other safely for a national rank without all having to race on the same course. RUNNING FOR MY RANK could sure be something to look forward to every year but especially during this terrible time of virus."
- Jack Daniels, “ World’s Greatest Coach”, RUNNERS WORLD
I have known [about Coach Tucker and OCRS] for several years through the Virginia running community... I have followed him closely as he has developed OCRS Performance Equivalences. I have been impressed by both his passion as well as his commitment to accuracy. The results are in: this program works! It allows not only a comparison of performances at different venues, but assists in training and race preparation. Participants will love RUNNING FOR MY RANK, allowing virtual and safe but true competition. Runners take your marks!
- Bob Wilder, MD, FACSM Medical Director, The Runner’s Clinic at UVA Co-Editor, The Textbook of Running Medicine
Until now, performances on one cross country course could not be objectively compared to performances on another. When I was approached about OCRS Performance Equivalences (or PEQs) last year, I was intrigued but honestly doubtful that an "apples to apples" comparison was possible. But when we applied this to our top runner, following him from Pole Green Park in Virginia all the way to Balboa Park in San Diego, CA, I was amazed how consistently accurate this information would be. My only wish was that we had this all through his career. PEQs and the newest OCRS competitive advantage for runners called PaceTargets could not have come at a better time. The pandemic has led to the cancellation of most traditional races, but the RUNNING FOR MY RANK virtual competition utilizes these methods where runners can compete on one of 9 courses while running safely on their own and get a national rank. I think this will prove to be one of the most reliable and exciting nationwide events offered this year!!
- Pete O'Brien, MD, Virginia Episcopal School assistant coach
Questions About the Event
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What does performance-normalized mean?
Using ON COURSE RATING SYSTEMS' patented course difficulty rating method, its Performance Equivalence (PEQ) Calculator will normalize all submitted RFMR performances on each unique course to a common standard and rank them accordingly. That means running on a difficult, hilly course will not put you at a disadvantage to someone who runs on a flat, fast course. All submitted RFMR performances on all the courses in the competition will be normalized and then ranked fastest to slowest, showing the names of the runners who performed them and their actual times on the courses.
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What data do I submit?
You help validate a performance (also explained on the entry form) by sending us:
- Your name if you're the participant, or if you're supervising a participant under the age of 16, their name
- Participant's age
- Participant's gender
- The course on which the participant will compete
- A link to a GPS map of the participant's run: *must be identical to the course map
- The duration of the participant's run in minutes and seconds
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How accurate are the time conversions?
While we have a high degree of confidence in the performance equivalences, we prefer to let the data speak for itself.
Will it cost anything?
For first-time participants the cost is $19.95. That includes:
- $9.95 entry fee
- $5.00 will go to Tunnel2Towers Foundation to help catastrophically injured veterans and first responders in each course location.
- $5.00 will be donated to the parks and schools where the courses are located as a gratuity for the use of their facilities.
If you want to improve your rank and submit additional RFMR performances on the same course, it will cost only the entry fee of $9.95 plus the $5.00 facility gratuity, for a total of $14.95. If you want to run additional performances but on different courses, the $19.95 fee will apply for each RFMR performance on a separate course.
As part of your participation in the event, you'll also get a discount to pacetargets.com, a revolutionary new training aid produced by ON COURSE RATING SYSTEMS. This technology not only accuarately normalizes your times between two courses, but it also breaks those times down into the optimal time to run for each mile of the course in order to hit your goal. There's nothing else like this on the market, so make sure you take advantage of it!
To learn more about PaceTargets, you can read a report on them here.
Also note, you can run and submit performances on as many courses as you like, you'll just need to purchase an entry for each one. As this is the first RFMR event with limited administrative staff, unfortunately we're unable to offer refunds at this time. If, for any reason, you or the person you're supervising is unable to participate in the event, please contact us and we'll grant a $9.95 entry fee credit to the next event.
Are there any restrictions?
There are a few.
First, you'll need to be at least 10 years old to participate. A parent or guardian must also supervise the run and complete the online purchase(s) for any participant under the age of 16. There is no upper age-limit, but by entering the event you, or your parent or guardian, will warrant that you are fit and prepared enough to participate, and that you assume personal responsibility for any injury or illness that may come from your participation.
Second, participants must obey all local laws, park regulations, and/or university or school rules on course use by the public.
Third, all participants and parents or guardians must abide by local and/or federal COVID-19 social distancing and other guidelines.
Fourth, in order to participate, you must run on a course from our catalog, and you must agree to the Rules & Conditions.