2025 Grand Prix Races
2025 Grand Prix series - EXPLAINED!
Arkansas Grand Prix EXPLAINED:
A Road Racing Series for All!
You may have heard us talking about the Arkansas Grand Prix and wondered what it is. Well today we will explain it! In short, the Arkansas Grand Prix is a series of pre-selected road races, that can range from 1 mile to marathon distance, that teams (running clubs) and individuals compete at over the course of a calendar year.
Points are awarded to both teams and individuals at each race, and the top 5 teams and top 5 age group individuals are presented with awards at a ceremony at the end of the series. It's a great way to stay engaged in the local running community, keep accountable, and experience a little friendly and fun competition.
If you complete all of the races in the series over the year, you will be awarded with the "Iron Runner" distinction. This is a special honor complete with its own award at the ceremony.
How and When to Register:
The Grand Prix starts over every calendar year, and the first race (the one hour track run) is held in late January. You must first be a registered member of a local running club, like the Cabot Cruisers. After you are registered as a member with a club, you must then register for the Grand Prix as a Cabot Cruiser. It is a one-time, $20 fee that goes towards the awards at the end of the series. Keep in mind, most awards overall and age groups are awarded a gift card, so essentially you can get this fee back via gift card if you place in your age group.
You MUST register for the Grand Prix at least 2 days prior to the race you will be running in order to receive points for your efforts. You may register for the Grand Prix anytime throughout the year, but points will not be given retroactively for any races you competed in prior to registering. Therefore, if you plan to compete at all, it's best to register for the Grand Prix as soon as the new year registration opens, which it is open NOW for 2025!
Also note that you must register for any Grand Prix races using the SAME NAME as was used to register for the Grand Prix series. Otherwise, you may not receive points for your race.
Award Eligibility:
In order to be eligible for an award at the end of the series, you MUST compete in at least 5 Grand Prix races. So even if you win 4 races and have more points than your age group competitors, you will not be eligible for an award if you don't compete in a fifth race.
Championship vs. Non-Championship:
There are two categories of races in the Arkansas Grand Prix - championship and non-championship. You can just think of them as higher point scale (championship) and lower point scale (non-championship). Championship races award points on a 30-point scale, whereas non-championship races award points on a 20-point scale. Therefore, if you're looking to get the most points possible, you'll need to race in as many championship races as you can.
Individual Scoring:
For individual scoring, you will be competing within the age group based on your age as of December 31st of the series year. Individuals will receive points for every race they complete based on both their overall and their age group placing. Championship races are scored on a 3-point descending scale with 30 points being awarded to 1st place. Non-championship races are scored on a 2-point descending scale with 20 points being awarded to 1st place. For example, the first place 30-34 female will receive 30 points at a championship race, the second place 30-34 female will receive 27 points, and third place will receive 24 points... and so on to 11th place. Anyone in 11th place or more will receive 1 point.
Individual scoring is based on the top 5 championship race scores and top 5 non-championship scores. These will be used to determine end of the year awards. That means that even if you run 6 championship races and 4 non-championship races, only the points from the top-5 championship races will be used to calculate your end of the series score. You would only receive points from 9 races, not 10. Therefore, if you're serious about getting an individual award, you should try to race in 5 championship AND 5 non-championship races at the very least.
Team Scoring:
Each running club has a men's and women's team. A team must have 4 male finishers to earn points in the Men’s Team Competition, and a team must have 4 female finishers to earn points in the Women’s Team Competition.
Teams will be scored on a cross-country basis (e.g. 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points. etc.) with the first 4 male participants' and the first 4 female participants' points counting toward the team total. The team with the lowest point total gets 1st place, and the team with the highest combined point total gets last place. The team placings are then converted to the Grand Prix scoring scale. For example, at a championship race, if X team has the lowest combined point total (1st place), they will receive 30 points, and the second place team will receive 27 points. If there is a tie between two or more teams after the initial calculation of points, each team’s 5th place participant shall be included in the points total. Only a certain number of team scores count toward a club’s year-end total. Teams will always get to drop their 3 lowest scores.
Awards:
Awards will be presented at the end of the season to men and women in each of the categories listed below.
-Top Five Arkansas Grand Prix Clubs (five awards per club)
-Top Three Overall
-Top Three Masters (40 and Over)
-Top Three Grand Masters (50 and over)
-Top Three Seniors (60 and over)
-Top Five in each Age Group
Participants eligible for an award in more than one category will receive the higher award based on the following hierarchy:
Overall > Masters > Grand Masters > Seniors > Age Group
For example, a 42-year old participant who finishes in 2nd place Overall, 1st in Masters, and 1st in the 40-44 Age Group will only receive the award for 2nd Place Overall. The awards for the subsequent categories will be awarded to the next eligible participant in that category.
IRON RUNNERS:
Participants who complete all races in a given Grand Prix season will be awarded the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Award. To receive this award, participants must complete each Grand Prix race on the day in which the race is held and may not receive accommodations for any reason, to include if a race is rescheduled for any reason. If a race is cancelled, and no one is able to run it, that race will not count toward the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Award. Virtual races are not eligible for points in the Arkansas Grand Prix Series under any circumstances. Youth Participants qualify for the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Awards if they complete all races that their age group is eligible for in the series (i.e. participants in the 10-14 age group do not have to complete the marathon distance). Should the Arkansas Grand Prix Series schedule have a shortened schedule, the AGPC reserves the right to set the number of races required to complete an Iron Season. Any participant who completes 100 consecutive races within the Arkansas Grand Prix Series shall be awarded the Joe Milligan Award.
Other Resources:
If you're still confused, here's a link to the Arkansas RRCA website with the Grand Prix info. Here's a link to the Grand Prix Series and Participant Standards as well.
https://arkrrca.com/
What are you waiting for?? Get signed up today for the Cabot Cruisers as a club member, and then for 2025 Grand Prix Team. We value every person on our team. You all are a huge part of the overall success as a team. Every person helps the team!!!!!
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/LittleRock/ArkansasGrandPrix
https://runsignup.com/Club/AR/Austin/CabotCountryCruiser
(If you have paid 2025 dues you are good on the club part and only would have to sign up for the grand prix with the above link)
Our RRCA representative Eugene Atha is a great resource if you still have questions. You can email him at
eatha@swbell.net
A Road Racing Series for All!
You may have heard us talking about the Arkansas Grand Prix and wondered what it is. Well today we will explain it! In short, the Arkansas Grand Prix is a series of pre-selected road races, that can range from 1 mile to marathon distance, that teams (running clubs) and individuals compete at over the course of a calendar year.
Points are awarded to both teams and individuals at each race, and the top 5 teams and top 5 age group individuals are presented with awards at a ceremony at the end of the series. It's a great way to stay engaged in the local running community, keep accountable, and experience a little friendly and fun competition.
If you complete all of the races in the series over the year, you will be awarded with the "Iron Runner" distinction. This is a special honor complete with its own award at the ceremony.
How and When to Register:
The Grand Prix starts over every calendar year, and the first race (the one hour track run) is held in late January. You must first be a registered member of a local running club, like the Cabot Cruisers. After you are registered as a member with a club, you must then register for the Grand Prix as a Cabot Cruiser. It is a one-time, $20 fee that goes towards the awards at the end of the series. Keep in mind, most awards overall and age groups are awarded a gift card, so essentially you can get this fee back via gift card if you place in your age group.
You MUST register for the Grand Prix at least 2 days prior to the race you will be running in order to receive points for your efforts. You may register for the Grand Prix anytime throughout the year, but points will not be given retroactively for any races you competed in prior to registering. Therefore, if you plan to compete at all, it's best to register for the Grand Prix as soon as the new year registration opens, which it is open NOW for 2025!
Also note that you must register for any Grand Prix races using the SAME NAME as was used to register for the Grand Prix series. Otherwise, you may not receive points for your race.
Award Eligibility:
In order to be eligible for an award at the end of the series, you MUST compete in at least 5 Grand Prix races. So even if you win 4 races and have more points than your age group competitors, you will not be eligible for an award if you don't compete in a fifth race.
Championship vs. Non-Championship:
There are two categories of races in the Arkansas Grand Prix - championship and non-championship. You can just think of them as higher point scale (championship) and lower point scale (non-championship). Championship races award points on a 30-point scale, whereas non-championship races award points on a 20-point scale. Therefore, if you're looking to get the most points possible, you'll need to race in as many championship races as you can.
Individual Scoring:
For individual scoring, you will be competing within the age group based on your age as of December 31st of the series year. Individuals will receive points for every race they complete based on both their overall and their age group placing. Championship races are scored on a 3-point descending scale with 30 points being awarded to 1st place. Non-championship races are scored on a 2-point descending scale with 20 points being awarded to 1st place. For example, the first place 30-34 female will receive 30 points at a championship race, the second place 30-34 female will receive 27 points, and third place will receive 24 points... and so on to 11th place. Anyone in 11th place or more will receive 1 point.
Individual scoring is based on the top 5 championship race scores and top 5 non-championship scores. These will be used to determine end of the year awards. That means that even if you run 6 championship races and 4 non-championship races, only the points from the top-5 championship races will be used to calculate your end of the series score. You would only receive points from 9 races, not 10. Therefore, if you're serious about getting an individual award, you should try to race in 5 championship AND 5 non-championship races at the very least.
Team Scoring:
Each running club has a men's and women's team. A team must have 4 male finishers to earn points in the Men’s Team Competition, and a team must have 4 female finishers to earn points in the Women’s Team Competition.
Teams will be scored on a cross-country basis (e.g. 1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points. etc.) with the first 4 male participants' and the first 4 female participants' points counting toward the team total. The team with the lowest point total gets 1st place, and the team with the highest combined point total gets last place. The team placings are then converted to the Grand Prix scoring scale. For example, at a championship race, if X team has the lowest combined point total (1st place), they will receive 30 points, and the second place team will receive 27 points. If there is a tie between two or more teams after the initial calculation of points, each team’s 5th place participant shall be included in the points total. Only a certain number of team scores count toward a club’s year-end total. Teams will always get to drop their 3 lowest scores.
Awards:
Awards will be presented at the end of the season to men and women in each of the categories listed below.
-Top Five Arkansas Grand Prix Clubs (five awards per club)
-Top Three Overall
-Top Three Masters (40 and Over)
-Top Three Grand Masters (50 and over)
-Top Three Seniors (60 and over)
-Top Five in each Age Group
Participants eligible for an award in more than one category will receive the higher award based on the following hierarchy:
Overall > Masters > Grand Masters > Seniors > Age Group
For example, a 42-year old participant who finishes in 2nd place Overall, 1st in Masters, and 1st in the 40-44 Age Group will only receive the award for 2nd Place Overall. The awards for the subsequent categories will be awarded to the next eligible participant in that category.
IRON RUNNERS:
Participants who complete all races in a given Grand Prix season will be awarded the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Award. To receive this award, participants must complete each Grand Prix race on the day in which the race is held and may not receive accommodations for any reason, to include if a race is rescheduled for any reason. If a race is cancelled, and no one is able to run it, that race will not count toward the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Award. Virtual races are not eligible for points in the Arkansas Grand Prix Series under any circumstances. Youth Participants qualify for the Arkansas Grand Prix Iron Runner Awards if they complete all races that their age group is eligible for in the series (i.e. participants in the 10-14 age group do not have to complete the marathon distance). Should the Arkansas Grand Prix Series schedule have a shortened schedule, the AGPC reserves the right to set the number of races required to complete an Iron Season. Any participant who completes 100 consecutive races within the Arkansas Grand Prix Series shall be awarded the Joe Milligan Award.
Other Resources:
If you're still confused, here's a link to the Arkansas RRCA website with the Grand Prix info. Here's a link to the Grand Prix Series and Participant Standards as well.
https://arkrrca.com/
What are you waiting for?? Get signed up today for the Cabot Cruisers as a club member, and then for 2025 Grand Prix Team. We value every person on our team. You all are a huge part of the overall success as a team. Every person helps the team!!!!!
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/LittleRock/ArkansasGrandPrix
https://runsignup.com/Club/AR/Austin/CabotCountryCruiser
(If you have paid 2025 dues you are good on the club part and only would have to sign up for the grand prix with the above link)
Our RRCA representative Eugene Atha is a great resource if you still have questions. You can email him at
eatha@swbell.net
Remaining 2025 Races are listed below, Championship races in bold:
Wildcat Extra Mile
Sat May 3, 2025, in Searcy, Arkansas (Rescheduled date)
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Searcy/WildcatExtraMileRace
Hogeye Half Marathon
Sat April 12, 2025 in Springdale, AR US
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Springdale/HogeyeMarathonandRelays
Hogeye 10k
Sun April 13, 2025 in Springdale, AR US
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Springdale/HogeyeMarathonandRelays
Andy Buschmann 4 Mile Classic
Sat June 7, 2025 in Batesville, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Batesville/PokeBayou4MileClassic
Arkansas Runner 2 Mile
Sat June 14, 2025 in Benton AR
https://runsignup.com/Register/?raceId=16704
The SoMa Main Street Mile
Fri June 27, 2025 in Little Rock, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/LittleRock/TheSoMaMainStreetMile
Brent Morrison Memorial No Runners Forgotten 8K
July 12, 2025 in Fort Smith, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Barling/4thAnnualBrentMorrisonMemorialChickenRun
Peach Festival 4miler
Sun July 19 2025 in Clarksville, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Clarksville/JohnsonCountyPeachFestival4Miler2021
Hope Watermelon 5k
Sat August 9 2025 in Hope, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Hope/HopeWatermelon5k
ARK 5k Classic
Sat August 30, 2025 in North Little Rock, Arkansas
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/NorthLittleRock/ARK5kClassic
Stampede 10k
Sat September 20, 2025 in Fort Smith, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/FortSmith/theStampedeRun
The Great 5K Pumpkin Run
Sat September 27 in Lonoke, Arkansas
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Lonoke/TheGreatPumpkinRun5k
Arkansas 20k
Sat October 25, 2025 in Benton, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/Benton/Arkansas20k
Spa 10k
Sat November 15, 2025 in Hot Springs, Arkansas
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/HotSprings/Spa10k
Jacob Wells 3 Bridges Marathon
Sat December 6, 2025 Little Rock, AR
https://runsignup.com/Race/AR/LittleRock/3BridgesMarathon
