Age grading basics
What is age grading in running?
Age grading adjusts running results for age and gender so runners can compare performances more fairly across age groups.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Articles
Running guides for age-group performance.
Practical articles on age grading, race times, calculator results and fair comparisons across age groups. Start with the guide below if you are new to the site.
Start here
Start here: age-graded running explained
A practical starting guide to age grading, the TruePace Run calculator, useful articles to read next and the limits of the numbers.
10K age grading
Why a 55-minute 10K means different things at 35, 52 and 57
A 55-minute 10K can represent different performance levels depending on age. See why age grading gives runners a fairer comparison.
7 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Parkrun
Parkrun age grading explained
Parkrun age grading turns a 5K time into a percentage based on age and gender. Learn what it means, what it does not mean, and how to use it sensibly.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Masters running
What happens to running performance as you age?
Running performance changes with age, but the pattern is not simple. Learn what matters for age-group runners and why age grading helps add context.
6 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Age grading basics
What is a good age-graded percentage in running?
Age-graded percentages help compare running performances across age and gender. Learn what 60%, 70%, 80% and 90% usually mean.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Race conditions
How heat and humidity affect running performance
Heat and humidity can slow running performance and increase effort. Learn why age grading does not account for weather and how to interpret hot-weather race times.
8 min readLast updated: 24 May 2026
Half marathon age grading
Half marathon age grading explained
Learn how age grading adds context to half marathon results and why raw finish times are not always enough for age-group runners.
8 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Marathon age grading
Marathon age grading explained
Learn how marathon age grading adds context to finish times, age-group comparisons and long-term running progress.
8 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Masters running
Compare current race times with old PBs using age grading
Age grading can help runners compare current race results with old personal bests more fairly as they get older.
9 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Age grading basics
The honest runner's guide to age grading
A practical complete guide to age grading for runners, with examples across 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon, plus honest limits.
12 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Masters running
How running performance changes with age, and why the clock is not the whole story
Running performance changes with age, but raw times do not tell the whole story. Learn what research says, what runners feel, and how age grading helps.
10 min readLast updated: 25 May 2026
Age grading basics
How to use age grading without kidding yourself
Age grading is useful, but it is not magic. Here is how to use it honestly when comparing race times, old PBs and younger runners.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Race comparison
How to compare two runners of different ages fairly
Two runners can finish with the same time, but the age-graded context may tell a different story. Here is how to compare performances fairly.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Methodology
Why age-graded results are estimates, not rankings
TruePace Run age-graded results are useful estimates, not official rankings. Here is what the calculator can and cannot tell you.
5 min readLast updated: 13 May 2026
Calculator guide
How to interpret your age-graded result
Learn how to read raw time, pace, age-graded percentage, age-adjusted equivalent time and source notes without overclaiming the result.
7 min readLast updated: 24 May 2026
Masters running
Why age grading is a benchmark, not your ageing forecast
Age grading helps compare completed running performances, but it cannot predict how quickly one runner will slow down.
7 min readLast updated: 22 June 2026
Resources
Useful references for age-group runners
A short curated list of running, age grading, masters athletics, parkrun-distance and research links.