Race Walking Grand Prix Rules

USATF Pacific Association Grand Prix Race Walking Rules

Revised 3 June 2015

For more information on the annual USATF Pacific Race Walking Grand Prix, please email one the the following:

• Jon Price, Race Walking Chair
• Alexander Price, RW Grand Prix Scorer

• I. Schedule:
  See the Race Walk schedule page for the dates, times, entry forms, current grand prix standings, and other relevant information.
• II. Eligibility:All athletes must be USATF Pacific members for the current year BEFORE they can score points in any race, either as individuals or for teams. Please don’t wait until race day to obtain your membership – we cannot guarantee that memberships will be available at all the races. The best way to get a membership is to go to the USATF web site. Any disputes about membership status shall be referred to the USATF Pacific Membership Committee for a ruling. Athletes who are members of a USATF association other than the Pacific Association but choose to compete in Pacific Association races can receive points in the Pacific Association grand prix competition only if they are not competing in another association’s grand prix that same year.
• III. Standings:This year’s USATF Pacific Race Walking Grand Prix shall consist of six (6) events. Points shall be awarded to teams and individuals at each of the grand prix races. Grand Prix standings in each division shall be calculated by adding up the points obtained at the best four (4) of the six (6) races for individuals, and by adding up the points obtained at the best five (5) of the six (6) races for teams.
• IV. Team Points Scoring:
  1. All Clubs must be registered USATF Pacific Association clubs for the current year BEFORE they can score points as a team. Athletes who are members of clubs that have not registered as a USATF club for the year will be considered unattached until their club registers (or they switch clubs).
  2. All USATF rules for team scoring and eligibility shall apply unless specifically excepted in these Rules.
  3. There is only one team division – an age graded division open to athletes of any age or gender.
  4. Teams shall be scored based on the average age graded percentage of the top three (3) athletes for each club. A club may have as many athletes as it likes entered in each race, but only the top three age graded percentages shall count for team scoring.
  5. In order to score for a club, the athlete MUST be registered for that club before the race. Either the athlete must be affiliated with the club in the USATF membership database before the race, or the athlete must have been approved to walk for the club by the USATF Pacific Membership Committee.
  6. Teams do not need to declare for a race beforehand or submit information after the race. All Pacific Association USATF Member clubs and individuals (who are current for this year) shall be scored according to their official club affiliation.
  7. Only one team from each club may score – no “B” teams will score.
  8. Points are scored at each race as follows. All USATF Pacific Teams with at least 3 USATF Pacific member finishers shall receive at least one point:

  1st: 10 points

  2nd: 8 points

  3rd: 7 points

  4th: 6 points

  5th: 5 points

  6th: 4 points

  7th: 3 points

  8th: 2 points

  9th place and lower: 1 point

   

• V. Individual Points Scoring:
  1. All Individuals must be USATF Pacific members for the current year BEFORE they can score points.
  2. All USATF rules shall apply unless specifically excepted in these Rules.
  3. There are three individual divisions: The overall age graded division, the men’s non-age graded division, and the women’s non-age graded division.
  4. For the overall age graded division, the age grade percentage is the score.  All USATF Pacific member finishers shall receive a score.  The overall grand prix score is the average of the best four age grades (rather than the sum of the scores like in the other divisions, because it’s easier to understand the score as an average), in which zeroes are included in the average for athletes who completed fewer than four races.  And in the case of races at high altitude, the approved altitude-corrected age grade is used to make the scores more fair.
  5. Points are scored at each race as follows in the two non-age grade divisions. All USATF Pacific member finishers shall receive at least one point in each division for which they are eligible:

  1st: 10 points

  2nd: 9 points

  3rd: 8 points

  4th: 7 points

  5th: 6 points

  6th: 5 points

  7th: 4 points

  8th: 3 points

  9th: 2 points

  10th place and lower:1 point

   

• VI. Rulings:All interpretations and decisions based on these rules shall be made by the USATF Pacific Race Walking chair. Such decisions may be appealed to the USATF Pacific Race Walking Executive Committee.
• See the Meetings and Admin page for the full version of the latest race walk operating procedures, which includes more details about these grand prix rules (such as the tie-breaking algorithm) and also many other important details about the administration of our grand prix and the race walk committee.