Age Graded Running Calculator

What Is Age-Graded Running?

Age grading compares your race time to the open world standard for the same distance, then adjusts for age and sex. It answers a simple question: how strong was that performance relative to your age? A 45-year-old running 25:00 for 5K may score lower than a 25-year-old running the same time, because the age factor accounts for the physical changes that come with age. Use the 5K Pace Calculator to check raw pace and the Marathon Pace Calculator for longer races.

How the Calculation Works

The tool uses World Masters Athletics style age factors and an open standard time for each distance. Your age-graded time is your actual race time multiplied by the age factor:

$$\text{Age-Graded Time} = \text{Race Time} \times \text{Age Factor}$$

The age performance percentage divides the open standard by that age-graded time:

$$\text{Age Performance} = \frac{\text{Open Standard}}{\text{Age-Graded Time}} \times 100$$

The age standard is the time you would need to match the open standard at your age:

$$\text{Age Standard} = \frac{\text{Open Standard}}{\text{Age Factor}}$$

Factors are supplied for 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon, and are interpolated between age anchors from 25 to 90.

Worked Example

A 45-year-old male runs 25:00 (1500 seconds) for 5K. The male 5K factor at 45 is about 0.961, so the age-graded time is 1500 x 0.961 = 1441.5 seconds, or 24:02. The male open 5K standard is 834.82 seconds (13:55), so the age performance is 834.82 / 1441.5 x 100 = 57.9%, which the tool classifies as recreational. Scores of 60 to 69% are local class, 70 to 79% regional, 80 to 89% national, and 90% or more world class.