How to use the age-grading calculator

Age grading is the fairest way to compare running performances, whether you are comparing yourself to a younger runner or to your own results a decade ago. Here is how to find your score and read it properly.

Step 1: Enter your race

Open the age-grading calculator, type in your finish time, and pick the distance. Age grading works for standard track and road distances up to the marathon.

Step 2: Add your age and category

Enter your age and choose your category. The calculator adjusts the standard for your age and sex, which is the whole point. A 25 year old and a 60 year old can run very different times and earn the same age-graded score.

Step 3: Read your percentage

You get a percentage. Here is a rough guide to what it means.

• 90% and above is world-class.
• 80% to 90% is national class.
• 70% to 80% is regional class, a genuinely strong runner.
• 60% to 70% is local class, the level of a solid club runner.
• Below 60% is the recreational range, where most of us start.

Step 4: Use the open-age equivalent

The calculator also shows an open-age equivalent time, which is roughly what your run would be worth if you were in your physical prime. Masters runners love this number, because it turns a slower clock time into a result you can compare directly with your younger self.

Step 5: Track it over the years

This is where age grading earns its keep. As you get older your finish times will naturally slow, which can be discouraging if you only watch the clock. Your age-graded percentage strips the age out. If it holds steady or climbs year over year, you are genuinely still improving, even as the raw times drift. That perspective keeps a lot of runners in the sport for life.

One note: this calculator uses approximate standards and a smooth age model, so treat the score as a close, useful guide rather than an official certificate.