What age grading is
Age grading compares your time with the best time expected for your age and sex at that distance. 100% is world record level for your age. It lets a 62 year old and a 25 year old compare runs fairly, and it lets you compare your own 5K with your marathon.
The formula is simple: age standard divided by your time. A 25:00 5K against an age standard of 16:15 is 65%. The age-graded time is your time multiplied by the age factor: what the same run would be worth for a runner in their prime.
How to read your percentage
The usual labels: 60% local class, 70% regional class, 80% national class, 90% world class. Anything over 60% is a strong club standard run. Age grades also give you a goal that doesn't get harder each birthday: holding 65% at 55 is as good as 65% at 35.
The tables behind it
We use the 2025 WMA and USATF road tables. They are published openly by Alan Jones for World Masters Athletics and USA Track and Field, cover ages 5 to 100, and are the latest version of the standard parkrun and clubs use.
Want to raise your number? A plan built from your current time does it. Try the race time predictor to see what your 5K says about your 10K, or build a free plan.