Racing doesn’t have to stop just because the weather went to hell. Yes, you will question your life choices as you wait for the windshield to defrost so you can safely make it to the start line. Yes, you will spend the entire drive toiling over how many layers to wear (only to inevitably realize mid-race that you chose poorly). And yes, it will take an alarmingly long time for the feeling to return to your fingers and toes afterwards. But, fun can still be had. You just need to have the right goals and motivation.
And that’s where the Rhode Island Winter Medley comes in (the Rhode Island Grand Prix’s cold, gruff, and reclusive uncle).
The Main Idea
The Rhode Island Winter Medley includes 15 different events across the track and road that range from 400m to 50k (hence the name Winter Medley). Teams can score up to two performances in each event for a maximum of 30 scoring performances (but are not required to score in every event). Points are based off of age-grades, so team members can be of any age or sex. There are limits to how many events a single person can do, but teams can have an unlimited number of members. People can run whenever, wherever they want throughout the qualifying window, but will get bonus points for racing in Rhode Island as well as trying new things. Together teams must strategize to determine who does what to maximum the total number of points earned and take a shot at the team title!
2025 RI Winter Medley Overall Standings
Performance Submission Form
Rules
- Overview
- Registration
- Eligibility
- Events
- Timeframe
- Qualifying Races
- Submitting Performances
- Scoring
- Age-Grading
- Awards
- Fairness (Or Lack Thereof)
Overview
While we do hope you’ll take the time to read through this page carefully (mainly so we don’t get inundated with emails asking questions that could have easily been answered had you read through this page carefully), here is a rundown of the key things you need to know:
Registration
To participate in this competition, you need to officially register and join a team. New team members can join a team at any point throughout the qualifying window, but no new teams will be allowed to join after January 1st, 2025.
Also, if you’re wondering why you have to pay $10-$15 to register (on top of the actual race registration fees), there are two reasons. First, we need to keep the metaphorical lights on here somehow and your small contribution will help with that. But also, if enough teams register we will be able to offer prize money. So tell your friends to sign up (so you can take their money)!
Eligibility
All teams must be comprised of individuals from the same Rhode Island-based running club. A single running club may enter multiple teams, but each individual may only compete for one team. Team members can be of any age or sex.
Rhode Island-based Criteria
For a running club to be eligible for team competition, a majority of its members’ primary residences must be in the state of Rhode Island. Bona fide club members who live in Connecticut or Massachusetts are allowed to compete for their club.
Running Club Criteria
Although a strict definition of a running club will not be applied (i.e. needing to be officially registered with USATF or RRCA), groups looking to enter the team competition should have some of the following characteristics:
Launching a new running club so you and your friends / family / coworkers can compete as a team is absolutely allowed! However, recruiting a bunch of top individuals and creating a sham club (i.e. one that exists only in name) for the sole purpose of winning violates the spirit of the rules and is therefore prohibited.
Events
The 15 events that you may compete in to score points for your team are outlined below. If your favorite hometown holiday road race is awkwardly 7.65 miles long, we encourage you to run it and hopefully win a turkey to feed your family (but please don’t try to submit it in either the 10k or 15k/10M event categories).
Timeframe
You can compete anytime between December 1st, 2024 and March 20th, 2025 (yes, we know winter technically doesn’t begin until December 21st, but indoor track starts in early December so we’re expanding the qualifying window to appease the trackies).
Qualifying Races
You can compete wherever you want, including outside of Rhode Island (though you do get bonus points for racing here). Races on both indoor and outdoor tracks are allowed (so if you’re spending the holidays with family down South, hop in the local polar bear track meet!). However, all races must be professionally timed with public, verifiable results (so no time trials or virtual races).
Submitting Performances
We can’t be out here monitoring the entirety of the running world looking for every single person’s race results, so the onus will be on you to submit each of your performances using the Google form below. You can submit performances at any time during the qualifying window, but this whole thing will be a lot more entertaining if people submit them regularly so we can update the overall standings and follow each team’s progress.
Scoring
Individual Performances
All individual performances will be age-graded and converted into points using the equation below. Bonus points will then be applied (if applicable) to produce a final individual score. The two highest individual scores in each event will be added to the team’s score (as long as they do not violate either of the individual scoring limits outlined below).
# of points = age-grade percentage x 1000
Example: a performance with an age-grade of 78.2% would earn 782 points
Overall Team Score
A team’s final score will be the summation of all individual scores. With 15 events and 2 performances scored per event, a team can have a maximum of 30 scoring performances. However, teams are not required to score in each event and can skip any ones they choose.
Individual Scoring Limits
Per Event
A single person can only contribute one score in each event.
Example: If a team member submits two 5k performances, and the corresponding individual scores are the two highest out of all team members, only the higher of the two scores will be added to the team score. The third highest individual score, which comes from the performance of a different team member, will then also be added to the team score.
Overall
A single person can only contribute three scores overall (in three different events).
Example: If a team member submits four performances in four different events, and the corresponding individual scores are the highest out of all team members in each of the four events, only the three highest individual scores will be added to the team score.
Bonus Points
Racing in Rhode Island
If you compete in a race held here in Rhode Island, your performance will receive 100 bonus points.
Trying New Things
If you do one of the things outlined below, your performance will receive 100 bonus points. If you do two of these things in a single race, your performance will receive 200 bonus points. If you claim that you did three or four of these things in a single race, you are a liar and your performance will be docked 300 or 400 points, respectively.
Note: We do not have the time or energy to verify your claims so we’re relying on the honor system here. Also, for simplicity’s sake, let’s say that any untimed ‘fun runs’ you did as a kid don’t count towards having already done one of the above things.
Age-Grading
For the uninitiated, age-grading is a way to compare the performances of runners of all ages and both sexes. When a runner’s time is “age-graded”, it is calculated as a percentage of the “ideal” time for their age and sex at that distance.
For road races, we’ll be using this calculator, which uses the most recent set of “ideal” times, also known as standards, which were developed and approved by the Masters Long Distance Running Council (MLDR) of the USA Track and Field Federation (USATF). For track races, we’ll be using this calculator, which uses the most recent set of standards which were developed and approved by World Masters Athletics.
Note: performances of non-binary runners will be age-graded using male standards unless otherwise instructed. Also, the track age-grading calculator has a minimum age of 30, so the performances of everyone 29 and younger will be age-graded as if they were 30.
Awards
As with the Rhode Island Grand Prix, the total cash prize purse will be proportional to the number of teams competing and allocated according to the table below:
| # of Teams | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 3 – 5 | $200 | – | – |
| 6 – 10 | $300 | $200 | – |
| 11 – 15 | $400 | $300 | $200 |
| 14 – 19 | $500 | $400 | $300 |
| 20+ | $600 | $500 | $400 |
Fairness (Or Lack Thereof)
Unlike the Grand Prix, where everyone runs the same race, on the same day, in the same conditions, the Winter Medley is decidedly less fair. Yes, we will be requiring professional timing and age-grading performances, but at the end of the day there are still so many variables that we can’t control or account for.
If you drive two hours to run a point-to-point, massively net downhill race and earn a shiny new (and ethically questionable) PR, kudos to you for working the system! If you run a hard and hilly race with no course support because it’s five minutes from your house and entry is free, don’t complain when you run relatively slow and earn a less than impressive amount of points. And, if a Nor’easter hits in the middle of your race and you get lost in the white-out conditions, adding several minutes (if not hours) to your official time, well that’s just bad luck and we feel sorry for you (but still can’t do anything about it).
If you have a legitimate claim of nefariousness, such as photographic evidence that Jakob Ingebrigtsen was a bib mule for someone on a rival team, you should of course reach out and let us know. Otherwise, let’s just have some fun and let the chips fall where they may.