Masters

Welcome to the BCA Masters Page

In this section:

Masters Cross Country - BC Champs - at Jericho Beach

Masters News

CMA Annual Meeting

The Canadian Masters Athletics (CMA) 2012 Annual Meeting of Members will be held in Toronto on Thursday, December 13th, 2012. Details at www.canadianmasters.ca.

Outdoor Records set in 2012

Masters Outdoor T&F Records set in 2012 to Aug 25 (PDF)

2012 BC Masters Track & Field Championships Results

Results from BC Masters T&F Championships Jun 15-17, Langley (PDF)

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Who is a Master?

Your entry to an Athletics event could be simply to have fun, have a healthy workout, pick up an attractive t-shirt, support a charity or, as a serious competitor, attempt a personal best performance.

The only requirement for being a masters member in any BC Athletics sanctioned event is to be 35 years of age or older.

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Age group results—age graded results

Proposed and Unapproved New Masters Age Graded Tables: 2006

Competition results can be calculated on an overall performance basis where athletes compare their performance to how other competitors in their age group performed. Some events now provide age graded results. These results are generated from tables developed by reviewing the performances of a large number of athletes over a long period of time, in each of the age categories, as well as the world records by age groupings. The tables then indicate an ultimate performance that could be expected from any age. There are separate tables for males and females.

Age graded results can be used in several ways. Using these tables, each athlete's performance can be calculated as a percentage of these extremely high standards for both male and female at each age. New results are then processed based on percentage achievement. Hence the playing field is leveled by compensating for age and sex. These age graded results can be very different from the overall results. It's possible that a 45-year old woman would displace a 28-year old male overall winner as the age graded winner. This, of course, is competitive and many (in fact most) participants don't enter events solely for competition. There are other effective ways of using performance percentages.

For example: if your performance in a 5K race was @ 78.3%, you could apply this percentage to the table for 10K at your age and calculate your expected finish time at 10K for the same effort. This would enable you to establish your mile pace to ensure that you don't go out too fast in the 10K event.

As you age you can use age graded results to compare your fitness and conditioning from one year to any other year. It's also useful in tracking your progress over any number of dissimilar events.

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Reasons to join BC Athletics - Masters

  • Receive the annual publication of the Events Calendar
  • Liability and Sport Injury/Accident Insurance
  • $3.00 deduction from entry fees at BC Athletics sanctioned events
  • Discounts on merchandise from selected sports stores
  • Registered member of BC Athletics
  • Branch member of Athletics Canada

Supporting BC Athletics through an annual membership fee of $50 + GST (for Masters athletes) helps to fund the governing body of our sport and helps to ensure that:

  • BC Athletics sanctioned events meet standards for safety, officiating and organization
  • workshops and seminars are provided to enhance the overall well-being of athletics as a sport
  • there is co-ordination of the many volunteer efforts provided by the athletics community
  • there is direct contact for Athletics information by telephone or the internet

As a member you are welcome to attend the Masters Committee Annual General Meeting or stand for election to the Masters Committee Board itself.

For coaching, for group workouts, for increased social activities and for team events such as the Whistler 50 Relay, there are a number of BC Athletics affiliated clubs that welcome all levels and all ages of Masters Athletes.

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Masters achievements awards

These awards are in the form of pins in bronze, silver and gold which represent increasingly higher standards of performance. These pins are available for purchase by masters who have achieved the required standards. The standards are adapted from those that the Canadian Masters Athletics Association used to have for their crests, and cover a wide range of events.

The standards may be viewed by clicking on one of the following links:

To apply for a pin

Please print the Masters achievement award application form ( 16 KB) and mail (with the $9.04 fee) to BC Athletics, 120 - 3820 Cessna Dr., Richmond, BC  V7B 0A2.

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Master of the Year Award Criteria

For 2013, the age grading will be based on five year tables. In other words, for a 5 year age group, the entry for the lowest age in the group will be used to calculate the age graded result for all 5 ages in the group. This means that the best performances within an age group will get the best age graded result. This change was made in order to reward direct competition within an age group and to provide more opportunities for athletes entering a new age group.

Age grading calculator may be found at www.howardgrubb.co.uk/athletics/wmalookup06.html

Track Master of the Year Award Criteria (male and female)

The awards will be based on the Five Best Age Graded performances for the year (may be the same event or different events)

For example, an athlete could have results for: 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m or five results for 100m.

Road Running Master of the Year Award Criteria (male and female)

The awards will be based on the Five Best Age Graded performances for the year (may be the same event or different events)

Cross Country Master of the Year Award Criteria (male and female)

The awards will be based on the best age graded performance in the BC Championships and the Canadian Championships. Normally, the winners must also have participated in at least one other cross country race during the year.

Field Master of the Year Award Criteria (male and female)

These are new awards for 2013. The awards will be based on the quality of performances based on a percentage of the Canadian 5 year age group records. Consideration will be given to records set. A minimum of five performances will be required.

Sport BC Master of the Year Award Criteria (only one award)

Normally, the nominee is a winner of one of the above awards. Top 3 age graded performances plus international ranking will be considered.

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Masters Events 2013

  • Frontrunners Island Race Series begins January 13 with Prairie Inn Pioneer 8k
  • Lower Mainland Road Race Series begins January 27 with Steveston IceBreaker 8k
  • "First Half" Half Marathon, Vancouver, February 10 — BC Half Marathon Championship
  • Canadian Tire Interior Road Race series begins February 10
  • Canadian Masters Indoor T&F Championships, Toronto ON, March 16-17
  • USATF Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships, Landover, Maryland, March 22-24
  • BMO St. Patrick's Day 5k, Vancouver, March 16 — BC 5k Championship
  • Vancouver Sun Run, April 21 — BC 10k Championships
  • Canadian Half Marathon Championships (proposed), Montreal, April 28
  • CMA 10k Road Running Championships May 12, St. Hyacinthe, QC
  • Running Room Shaughnessy 8k, May 26, Vancouver — BC 8k Championship
  • Canadian Marathon Championship (proposed), May 26, Ottawa
  • 2013 BC Masters Track and Field Championships, June 14-16, Langley
  • USATF Outdoor Masters Championships, July 11-14, Kansas City
  • Canadian Masters Track and Field Championships, Regina, SK, July 26-28
  • World Masters Games August 2-11, Torino, Italy
  • BC Senior Games, Kamloops, August 20-24
  • BC Marathon Championship, Victoria, October 13
  • World Masters Athletics Championships October 15-27, Porto Allegre, Brazil
  • Whistler 50 Relay & Ultra October 19
  • BC Masters Cross-Country Championships, Abbotsford, October 26
  • Masters Only Cross-Country, Vancouver, November 11
  • Canadian Masters Cross-Country Championship, Vancouver, November 30

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Records

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Links & Miscellaneous

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