Many of our members responded to the survey. Most wanted to keep things simple and light. Still, there were two camps. One wanted virtually everything to count, the other wanted stricter standards. Running is a very personal sport. I welcome everyone to retain his or her own personal standards. As to the club's official view, below is the updated version of the rules based on the original intent and the majority rule of the members.

When I started the club, I wrote these words.

The rules are simple. Races run must be 1500M or longer. Relay races with distances that long can count as one race, i.e., (a two-person six-time one mile race = one race per person). Counting races you were forced to walk in, such as marathons, is acceptable. The finishing time is not important. This is a case where quantity is as good as is quality. Everyone is welcome.

1. First, the race must be 1500M or longer [Races intended to be that long but obviously shorter are out.] The races are listed in nine categories.
1. 1500M\1M
2. 3K\2M
3. 3M\5K
4. 8K\5M
5. 6M10K
6. 15K\10M
7. 20K\HM
8. Marathon or longer
9. Other
The tenth field will be the total.

"Race" Definition: A contest of speed; Steady or rapid onward movement
"Racing" Definition: To compete in a race

"Quality Control" should be whether someone officially entered, started and finished a running event executed by a formal race management organization performed on a measured course and timed from the start to the finish.

The participant must be "officially" entered into the race event. I.e., have signed an entry log sheet or completed a formal registration form that may include paying a fee to participate in the event. Running as a "bandit" does not count as participating in a race event.

A participant must finish the race to count as a race event. If a participant registers and starts a 10K race and completes the first 5K distance and pulls up injured and does not finish, the event does not count as a race event. The same holds true for any race event, to include marathons/ultra marathons started but not completed.

Relay races can count as one race event as long as the leg run by the participant is at least 1,500 meters or longer. Where a relay has multiple segments (participant runs two or more segments), at least one of the segments must be 1,500 meters or longer and will count as one racing event. The category becomes OTHER for all relay where the club member runs more than one leg, meaning if the legs are of different lengths. (We have allowed runners to pick a specific category.)When only one leg is run, that qualified distance is used. Included in this section are Triathlons and Duathlons. They will be accepted as ONE race, if the running leg distance qualifies.
The Vote was 63% in favor.

Racewalking is a formally accepted running activity and counts as a race event. If you are disqualified, then it does not count (you did not finish the event). If you start and finish the event and feel you properly performed to the requirements of racewalking it may count as a race event. Those who have not been trained need to ask an official or trained racewalker, if the event is not being judged, for an objective view. As this type of race needs a judge, the runner must have a legitimate independent opinion that they were legal.
The Vote was 74% in favor.

Walking in races - As the runner's time/pace is nearly irrelevant, if a runner needs to walk that is permissible. However, just walking is not racing and would not count. If you are not trying to do well and /or walking not because of need but desire then you must 'come clean' and not count that race.

If you are injured, you must decide (if you are not being foolish to try to run) whether you are meeting the spirit of RACE.
The Vote was 62% in favor.

There are many reasons for a sub par race. We cannot always run are best. There are insistences when a runner may not be running as hard as they can that are still acceptable. A runner could be running a predicted time race. A race could be a tactical race. Only the runner knows whether he or she is really racing. However, finishing well, including winning, does not in itself make the event a race. Further, if you are just 'showing up' to get another race, you need to disqualify that race.
The Vote was 54% in favor.

If there are multiple heats, run consecutively, not concurrently, in a race, you may run in more than one heat. You must start with the other runners. In some events, the heats are listed by category (Elite, Open, Master's, Men, or Women). In others, they are heats by pace group i.e. open. As long as they are separate heats with unique starts/finishes, they are acceptable.
The Vote was 80% in favor.
There are grey areas here but creating an event to be run more than once must have a specific category designation to make it a unqiue event. Otherwise, similar to allowing only one of the runs in a relay race or triathlon, a runner can only get one race credit for running an event more than once.

Fun Runs - This is perhaps the hardest one to decide. Just because you run hard does not make it a race. Some races are called races by the organizers but nobody runs them as races. Some fun runs are very competitive races while some shorter secondary races are entirely fun runs. For now, MCRRC and FSC fun runs are not considered races. They are specifically not timed or recorded and their spirit is of being a warm-up. The vote was split evenly but most of the concern was for more legitimate fun runs to be viable.
The Vote was split 50%/50%.

Many races do not print results at all but are obviously races. Times are not even requisite; races may be won by place alone.
The Vote was 87% in favor.

Calling out times is adequate as long as it is an official of the race. Timing yourself is not sufficient except in the case where the race is by place only.
The Vote was 74% in favor.

Pacing a slower runner is not racing whether you are entered in the race or not. It is not officially allowed in races. On a low-key level, it is not racing and does not count.
The Vote was 70% in favor.

The race must be open to the public.

Your race must have a separate/unique start and a separate/unique finish.

This cannot include all the possible examples. I want our club to be as inclusive as possible. I do not want hurt feelings. I want to encourage runners to strive for excellence in quality and in quantity. Still, there needs to be some quality control. Records will always get broken but nobody wants them to all have asterisks after them.

Addendum

For a number of reasons a virtual races is NOT a race. The only difference between a workout on your own and a virtual race is that you entered and/or paid some entity to list your name. Self timing is not acceptable for our records, even in legitimate races. (If the race messes up and does not give you a time or correct time, your watch can only give you a PR, not a 50 Plus time.) Otherwise, any run of any person at any time could be listed as a weak sister virtual race. Note that paying a fee does not validate whether it is a race or not. If the race is cancelled or designated a fun run, it does not count.
A Race must have a declared winner.
A Race must have a race director.
If the race has a 5K/10K starting at the same time, it would be impossible for you to RACE both events, even if you keep running for a total of 15K.

In the past, it was agreed that a race could have a single contestant. We decided that it was not the fault of the runner if no one signed up for the event/showed up to race. However, as much as we trying to be inclusive, we do not want to be manufacturing results/records. Thus, starting October 1, 2021, races with a single runner do not count as a race. The line between racing and just running/padding statistics can be fine. However, for our endeavors to being meaningful, we must have standards. Again, it is not just a fast time (or a normal fast time) for a given runner. Time is not the only component to racing and place not time determine the award. Please re-read the definitions above and help us to ensure that only legitimate races are added to your racing totals. 6:36 PM 10/21/2021

For Age Group wins Runners winning overall in a race get an age group win Runners winning a master or grandmaster special award are considered age group wins. First only in age group is an age group win. We use the race’s divisions to decide what the age group is. In a relay race a runner with the fastest time in their ten year age group counts as an age group win as long as it is at least 1,500 meters. Team victories do NOT count as age group wins. When a race has no age groups listed the generally accepted age group is ten year. (Second place would always be first in an age group as the winner is excluded) The exception is when a race had no age groups listed and list runners only in overall, then only the winner can get an age group win.

After some soul searching, we have decided make some changes for 2022. We have had a race definition page that by consensus is used to make it known what is a race and what is not a race. Much of it is very clear. However, there is a grey area that is more subjective. This has been discussed and members’ consensus entered on the definition page. I have heard a lot of comment that some races are not really races. We changed the definition to disallow races with only one runner. Many members have stated that there has to be a certain number of runners to be legitimate. I do get runners calling me before hand to ask if an event will count as a race or not. Most times there are allowed. Runners have asked about the Park Runs and even the Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin is less formal then Park Runs but we believe it has a substantial history as a racing event though it has been many years since the numbers were more than 25 or fewer runners. Park Runs are for many a fun run (their choice) similar to the weekend runs that MCRRC has conducted for decades (at times they had more than a hundred runner and they asked people to write down their finishing times). This was more a way of establishing that all the runners had returned safely and was not intended to be a race. Park Runs are clearly racing even though their emphasis is on comradery first.

That said, there are for now, several events that going forward will NOT be considered races. These are Linway Terrace Park that is generously hosted by James Scarborough; Lancaster Park which has had Liza Recto timing; FARC Track Meet and Pratt Park. These events come close to the technical standard we set forth but they are in reality local workout events. They are valuable running tools but they are NOT really races. This will make some runners unhappy but we feel these events do not enhance the standards this club wants to uphold.

More will be added as answers to permissibility