Grand Prix

The Richmond Road Runners Club Grand Prix contest is designed to encourage fun and competition among club members, as well as participation and service to the diverse activities of the club.

2008 Grand Prix Results

2009 Grand Prix Q1 Results

2009 Grand Prix Q2 Results

2009 Grand Prix Q3 Results

Eligibility
To be a Grand Prix Finalist, and thereby become eligible for a Grand Prix award, you must fulfill the following requirements within the contest year from 10/1/2008 to 9/30/2009. You must be a club member from the start of the contest and throughout the year. You must race (and/or race-direct) in a minimum of five (5) Grand Prix race events (defined below). You must also volunteer in at least one club/Grand Prix race AND one contract race. Upcoming eligible Grand Prix, club, and contract races are listed each month in the Miles & Minutes newsletter and on the website. Note that some of the largest local races, the Richmond Marathon and the Monument Avenue 10k, are not Grand Prix races, nor are they club races, nor contract races [please note the Special Comment on Volunteering, below].

Awards at Year End
Grand Prix Champion (one male and one female): Finalist with the greatest total points. Grand Prix Age Group Awards: Top 3 Finalists in each age group. Grand Prix Prize: Every Grand Prix Finalist will receive a highly coveted Grand Prix prize.

Point Standings
The calculations for this contest are derived from published race results, volunteer lists, club minutes, etc., which are generally found on the club website (www.rrrc.org). Year-to-date point standings will be published quarterly on the website. Correction of errors will be the responsibility of the member within two months of posting.

Age Groups
Male and Female: 9 and under, 10 – 14, 15 – 19, 20 – 24, 25 – 29, 30 – 34, 35 – 39, 40 – 44, 45 – 49, 50 – 54, 55 – 59, 60 – 64, 65 +.

Age group placing at any particular race will be based on your age on the day of the race; however, age groups used for end of the year calculations will be determined by your mid-year attained age.

Grand Prix Racing / Placing Point Scoring
There are 14 Grand Prix race events in 2009. Most Grand Prix races will be scored in the following manner (the exceptions for Culde-Sac follows).

First, second, third, fourth, and fifth place overall, male and female, receive 11, 10, 9, 8, and 7 points respectively. Top five overall runners will not get any other points for their age group placement.

Age group points awarded to the first five in each group, receiving 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 points respectively. The top five overall finishers will be removed from age group finishers when determining the first 5 age group finishers for points. 1 point will be awarded for any non-placing finish in any Grand Prix race.

Exception: Cul-de-Sac Series--Triple Crown Race Scoring
For this series, Grand Prix racing/placing points will only be scored, and credit for one race event given, if the participant races in at least two races of the series. In that case, the participant will receive the highest racing/placing points they earned at any of the races, multiplied by 2 or 3 depending on the number of races run. However, running all three races still counts as one Grand Prix race. Note: volunteer credits at these events will be awarded as one credit per day of volunteer service.

Volunteer Point Scoring
1 point for each club race (see exceptions in Double/Triple Volunteer Points) or contract race volunteer participation, assisting the RRRC services to the race. No Grand Prix volunteer credit will be given for events at which the volunteer is also racing that day. A race director of a Grand Prix race will receive, in lieu of running the race, a Grand Prix race credit that counts as one of their five required-to run Grand Prix races. The race director will receive 9 club race volunteer points, instead of the 1, 2, or 3 points other volunteers at that race get. In the case of co-race directors, the extra points may be shared among the co-directors, but only one of the co-directors may count that race as one of their five required-to-run Grand Prix races.

Double/Triple Volunteer Points
Due to longer duration and/or potentially harsher weather, some race volunteering will receive 2 or 3 points instead of the usual single point. 2 volunteer points will be awarded for working at Frostbite 15k or Patrick Henry Half Marathon. Two volunteer points will be given for the following contract races: Waterboy events, and races in Amelia, Hanover and Powhatan. 3 volunteer points will be awarded for working at the Swinging Bridge 35k/50k, Scholarship 10k/20k/30k, or Bear Creek 10 Miler.

Activity Point Scoring
1 point per issue for contributing one or more credited photographs or other graphical content that appears in the RRRC newsletter, Miles & Minutes, 2 points per issue for contributing one or more credited articles to the newsletter. No more than 3 points per month may be earned in this way, regardless of the number of newsletter submissions. 1 point for each monthly club meeting attended. 1 point for performing a scheduled event shift, recognized by the RRRC event coordinator, at major race expos (Monument 10k, Marathon), packet pick-up or race coordination, etc. done the day before the race (race director must indicate who these volunteers are.), Scholarship Committee, Banquet or other social event. Only service which has been pre-scheduled and fulfilled will receive a point.

2009 Grand Prix Race Events
- 2008 SCHOLARSHIP 10K/20K/30K [Triple Volunteer Points]
- 2008 TURKEY TROT 10K
- 2008 BEAR CREEK 10 MILE [Triple Volunteer Points]
- 2008 TOY RUN 5K
- NEW YEARS DAY 10K
- SWINGING BRIDGE 35K/50K [Triple Volunteer Points]
- FROSTBITE 15K [Double Volunteer Points]
- SWEETHEART 8K
- HUGUENOT 3 MILE
- CARYTOWN 10K
- STRATFORD HILLS 10K
- CUL-DE-SAC 5K SERIES (3 races on 3 dates)
- MOONLIGHT FOUR MILER
- PATRICK HENRY HALF MARATHON [Double Volunteer Points]

2009 Non- Grand Prix Club Races
(Although all Grand Prix races are club races, some club races are not Grand Prix races. The following are club races that are not eligible for racing / placing points, but award single volunteer points to all workers who are not racing there.) - 2008 NO FRILLS 5K (counts as club race for volunteer purposes only. Race director will receive 6 volunteer points, but this race may not count as one of their five required to run Grand Prix races) - SUMMER TRACK SERIES (evening meets on several dates; each meet counts as a club race for volunteer purposes)

2009 Contract Races
Each year, the Richmond Road Runners Club, for a reasonable fee, supplies race support services to several dozen local running events, using club equipment, club communications in the newsletter and on the website, and the labor of our volunteer members on the day of the event. Some of these events are long-standing, others are lined up just a few months in advance, and some may be cancelled close to the scheduled date. Check the RRRC newsletter and website (www.rrrc.org); they will regularly identify the known upcoming contract races.

Remember that GP participants, in order to be eligible for Finalist status, must volunteer for at least one contract race – performing RRRC services at the finish line, and volunteer for one club or Grand Prix race – in any capacity.

Special Comment on Volunteering
Members provide valuable support to the club and to our running community through a variety of volunteer services, whether on specific occasions or throughout the year. Some of these services are easier to track than others, and not all volunteer services are even foreseen. In addition to the race support services that the Grand Prix contest tracks in awarding points, members make major contributions of time and effort in the following ways: - the club’s general operation, as officers, board members, or function heads of ongoing club programs; - special running events that are neither club races nor contract races (notably, the Monument 10k race and the Richmond Marathon); - other special programs, such as scholarship awards and training groups. Just because the Grand Prix contest does NOT award points for all these useful services, members should not mistake this for lack of appreciation. The strength of the club--and the positive experiences for individual members--comes from ALL the generous--though frequently unrewarded--ways in which our members support running in Richmond.