Space Coast Runner's Runner of the Year Series is a collection of local races at which club members can earn points based on  their finish time in two categories: Performance and Age Grading. Members can also receive Participation credit towards the Ran All Races Challenge.

The points are tracked, compiled and posted after each ROY series race. The runner with the highest point totals (overall and age groups) is considered the club's Runner of the Year. The purpose of the series is to determine the "best" runners during the past year by his or her performance at selected races. The races are selected by the SCR Race Committee as to not favor runners who excel at only one distance or for a few months. The rules are designed to encourage race directors to put on quality races and promote the running of these races both of which benefit members and other runners. The ROY Series also promotes and rewards club members for supporting club sanctioned races. Awards are given out at Celebration Night at the conclusion of the season. 

AWARDS 

• Runner of the Year (Male & Female)
  • ​​1st Overall - $300 + award & ROY Series entry for next season
  • 2nd Overall - $150 + award
  • 3rd Overall - $75 + award
  • Masters (40+) - $50 + award
  • Grand Masters (50+) - $50 + award
  • Senior Grand Masters (60+) - $50 + award
  • Top 3 Age Groups - individual award
• Age Graded Runner of the Year (Male & Female)
  • ​Top 3 Overall - individual award
• Ran All Races Challenge
  • ​Anyone completing all 10 of the ROY Series races - exclusive SCR jacket

ROY SERIES RULES

Calendar: The Runner of the Year Series will begin no earlier than August and end no later than May. The series should end in time for awards to be presented at the club's yearly Celebration Night.

Eligibility:

• Runners must be members of Space Coast Runners.
• Active members will be eligible for points in series races and participation credit. 
• Members who let their membership lapse during the season will not be eligible for participation credit or points scored during the lapsed period.
• To be eligible for both open and age group championships, members must finish at least six (6) or more of the required races except the 0-9, 10-14, 15-19 and 75+ age groups which must finish at least 5 of the required. 
• For series runners in the age groups, 0-9, 10-14, and 15-19 the series will be 9 races, the Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon will not be included for the young age groups. If young runners in those designated age groups participate in these races they will not receive series points.
• Runners in the age groups, 75-79 and 80+ are not required to race either the Space Coast Marathon or Half Marathon. If they so choose to compete in either race, they will be awarded ROY series points.
• To be eligible to receive any points or participation credit, runners must follow race instructions such as, but not limited to, no head sets, no running with animals and/or no baby joggers.
• If a member prefers to participate in a ROY series race virtually instead of the physical race, virtual participation will be accepted towards Ran All Races eligibility if the ROY series race offers a virtual race. It is not required. It is up to the members to register with the ROY series race's corresponding virtual race and submit their results per the virtual race instructions.
• If eight (8) or more of the 2023-2024 ROY Series points races are canceled and/or converted into a virtual race, the 2023-2024 Runner of the Year Series points competition will be canceled and no awards will be given.
• If any of the Runner of the Year Series races cancels, it will be up to the discretion of the SCR Board of Directors to add a backup points race.
• If any of the Runner of the Year races cancels and offers a virtual race, the virtual race will not be considered for ROY points. Points will only be awarded at a physical race. 

Age:

• The age division a runner will compete in for the entire series is based on the runner's age at the time of the first series race (even if this is not the runner's first series race). Runners will receive points based on their finish in that age group for the remainder of the series. For the 2023 - 2024 season this will be the runner's age as of September 9, 2023.
• Age groups will be 0-9 years, then 5-year increments up to 79 and then 80 and over.
• Runners in the following age groups will be eligible for awards in all races but will receive ROY points only in the distances indicated: 0-9 and 10-14, 5K or less. 15-19 all except Half Marathon & Marathon.
• Race age qualifications will follow the RRCA guidelines for youth running. To learn more about these guidelines, click here.
• In addition to the series 5Ks, the Space Coast Classic and Tail of the Lizard offer 2-mile series races for the 0-9 and 10-14 age groups and 75+. For those 14 & under, points will be awarded for age group only and will not be awarded for overall points.
• The 75+ age group can run the SCC and EOD 2 mile races for ROY points. The 75+ runner can run either race for points and will get ROY points allocated by finish time in the chosen race. 

Ran All Races Challenge Scoring:  

• Participants who finish all 10 of the 2023-2024 Series races will win the Ran All Races award (see race schedule).
• This year, winners will receive an exclusive Space Coast Runners "Ran All Races" jacket.
• All regular ROY Series rules apply.
• Runners age 19 & under or age 75+ are not required to participate in the Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon. 
• Virtual races will be counted for 2023-2024 per ROY Series rules.

Individual ROY Points Race Scoring: 

• Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon: Score ROY points for Marathon or North side Half Marathon. To score series points in the Half Marathon, runner must be in the 20-24 age group+ and in the Marathon, 20-24 age group+. Runners 75+ are not required to run either distance. Receive Ran All Races participation for South side Half Marathon. 
• Eye of the Dragon 10K & Tail of the Lizard 2 Mile: Members 14 years or younger score points in the 2 Mile. 75 years or older may choose to run the 10K or the 2 Mile distance to score ROY series points.
• Space Coast Classic 15K & 2 Mile: Members 14 years or younger score points in the 2 Mile. 75 years or older may choose to run the 15K or the 2 Mile distance to score ROY series points. 

Regardless of finishing position, each participant will receive ROY points just for finishing. The better the finishing position, the more points are awarded. At the end of the series, the runner with the highest points total (overall and age groups) wins the competition and is considered the club’s Runner of the Year.

Points:

Open Division: All members will be awarded points in the overall.  Awarded points are 1000, 990, 980, 970, … down to 10 points in the open competition.

Age Group: The first 10 members within each age group will receive 11, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point in their age group competition. All other members who finish will receive 1 point in their age group competition.

There are no double points for any races this season.

Scoring: After each series race, points are computed based on the runners' order of finish within the open or age groups. At the end of the series, the points for each runner's races will be totaled. 

• Scoring is done separately for both the male and female open and the age groups.
• Age group points are not included in open point totals, nor are open points included in the age group totals.
• Only SCR members will count in the finish order for these standings.
• There will be two (2) drop races for the 2023-2024 series for those age 20 years and older. Under 19 years of age will have one (1) drop race with the Space Coast Marathon & Half Marathon counting as their second drop.
• At the end of the series, only the points for each runner's eight (8) highest scoring races will be totaled. 
• The runner with the highest overall points at the end of the series is the winner.
• Until the results are tabulated after the final race results web page will state that "Scores shown are not final until after the last race of the season".
• Discrepancies or corrections should be emailed to info@spacecoastrunners.org.

Ties: There will be only one runner assigned to each place, in each division, in the final standings. In the case of a tie, the following tie breakers will be used:

• The runner who has the most head to head victories in competition against all tied competitors will be awarded the prize associated with that place.
• If there is still a tie for this place, then the runner who won the last head to head meeting of all tied competitors will be awarded the prize associated with that place. The other runner(s) will be assigned the next lower place. These tie breakers apply to both overall and age groups and for as deep as necessary. All runners with lower scores than the tied runners will be moved down in place by a count equal to the number of "displaced" tied runners.
• If more than two runners tie for a place (for example 3 tie for first place), only the races where all (three) runners competed will be used in determining the head to head victories. Total head to head and last head to head will be determined for the next place (second place) between the remaining (two) runners without the previously removed (first place) runner being a factor (just those races where both the "second" and "third" place runner competed).
• If there is a tie between the last place age group finisher and the next eligible runner, then both runners will get an award.

Overall Awards:

• Awards will be announced at the club’s annual Celebration Night..
• 1st place male & female winners will be presented an award and will receive $300 plus an entry into the 2024 - 2025 ROY Series.
• 2nd place male & female winners will receive an award and $150.
• 3rd place male & female winners will receive an award and $75.

After the first three places are decided, awards based on the open division points will be presented to the top:

• Master (age 40+)
• Grand Master (age 50+)
• Senior Grandmaster (age 60+)

Each male and female winner in a Masters category will receive an award and $50. First, the Master award will be given to the runner with the highest number of points who is 40 or older, then the Grand Master will be given to the runner with the highest number of points who is 50 or older, and finally the Senior Grandmaster will be given to the runner with the highest number of points who is 60 or older. 

Age Group Awards: ​

Are given to the top 3 male and female runners in each age group.

• The open and master winners will be considered an eligible runner for his or her age group, but will be removed from the age group awards, and all runners who follow in those age groups will be moved up 1 place in the standings.

Age Graded Awards: 

Scoring will be kept for age graded standings.

• The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner will be presented an award.  
• Age graded is the ratio of the time compared to the world record time in that gender/age group.

*Any awards not distributed within six months will be forfeited. The awards may then be used for other SCR events.

​Disputes

All disputes will go to the SCR Racing Committee first. If an agreeable decision can not be reached, then the dispute will be decided by the SCR Board of Directors. All races are weighed equally to both men and women.

Changes Since Last Year

Series races have been updated to the new schedule. Drop races are continuing. There will be 2 for the upcoming series.  Ran All Races is all subject to final approval by the Board of Directors prior to the race season. Must run 6 ROY races to be eligible for an award.

Scope

All of the above items apply to all 10 races.