How do runbritain rankings work?

 RunBritain Rankings gives each athlete a handicap score based on their best recent* five races.

So how does their algorithm work?

The vSSS score you get is how well you ran relative to your (a) previous performances and (b) other athletes in the race. The lower the number the better you did. ...and there is a slow decline in the relevance of the run as time passes (hence the asterisk * above).

Looking at my current best five performances (25/4/23):

  • All of these are in the last three months (so recent) 
  • All are performances where I have put in strong times (17:22 to 18:00 parkruns).
  • Al are parkruns - which is relatively speaking my best event - notice my 10K PB and my 20mi PB races are not scoring top 5 runs even though they were the best I have ever done
  • Note that Durham parkrun is top scoring run even though it was 38s slower than Hartlepool. This is because that day it was windy and part of the course was a muddy field (see SSS score further down the field)

vSSS scoring

The SSS score is how hard the race was. This is calculated by looking across the field and seeing relatively how well they did compared to their current form. Looking at my races ordered by highest SSS every single one of these was a 'race from hell' either terrain you would not believe or a day where the mud was knee deep... (anyone who has run Whinlatter Forest parkrun knows it's not flat!).
SSS scoring - most difficult

The lowest SSS scores are the easiest races. Just looking at the top two below. (a) Heaton 10k measured 80m short!!! so much so it was struck off all records as a 10k PB (b) Pitstop 10k was on a still day around a perfectly flat motor racing track.
SSS scoring - easiest

So, if you want to get the best possible RunBritain Ranking, when in form of course, then smash out five races at your best distance and terrain. Don't worry about weather conditions as the results will be adjusted accordingly.

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