Magnificent 7 Race Series

The Mag 7 does not manage/direct any races, except for the Mag 7 Kickoff 5k. All other races in the Series are autonomous, managed by independent race directors who set their own race logistics and policies. However, all races that are part of our Series must agree to abide by a set of minimum standards to be included as a Series race.

It is strongly recommended that all race directors have both a severe weather policy and an emergency plan in place prior to race day. The Mag 7 organization and individual committee members do not bear any liability in relation to the planning and implementation of any races that are a part of the Series, with the exception of the Mag 7 Kickoff 5k. It is the responsibility of each individual race director to have an appropriate safety plan in place for their event and implement it, if necessary.

Race Organization

• Races may not be a part of any other formal race series. The Mag 7 Committee will consider exceptions to this policy, if the race meets all other requirements and has a unique element that could enhance the Series experience.
• A benefitting organization or individual (i.e. the entity receiving the proceeds from a race) may only have 1 race included in the Series.
• A race director may serve multiple races in the Series, as long as each race has a different benefitting organization or individual.
• Only races located in Monroe, Owen, Lawrence, Morgan, Brown, Greene, Washington, Orange, or Jackson Counties are eligible for potential inclusion in the Mag 7 Series.
• Each race in the Mag 7 Series must be on a different date. Races may potentially "double up" on a weekend (i.e. one race on Saturday and one on Sunday) but two races cannot take place on the same day.

Race Structure

• Beginning in 2026, only "road races" will be eligible for the Series (i.e. no cross country, trail/dirt, or gravel courses). A course does not need to be on an actual road to meet this requirement, but the route must be on pavement/asphalt. It is acceptable to have an intersection where participants must briefly cross over grass/gravel/dirt, but this is not preferable and should be avoided if at all possible.
• Races must be no longer than 10K to be considered for the Series. If a given race event offers multiple race distances within this guideline, only one of those distances can be included in the Series.
• Races must include a separate competition category for Walkers. If possible, race directors are encouraged to schedule the start of the Walk for at least 5 or 10 minutes prior to the Run.

Race Registration

• Race directors must offer an online registration option. 
• Race directors are responsible for setting up their own registration, using the website of their choice. 
• The online registration link must be supplied to the Series a minimum of 6 weeks prior to the race date.
• Advance registration must close no earlier than 48 hours prior to the race start.
• The advance entry fee cannot exceed $30 per person (with a t-shirt) / $25 per person (no t-shirt), not including any online processing fees. This amount will be reevaluated by the Mag 7 Committee on an annual basis and may be adjusted upward in future years.
• Advance registration must include a no-shirt option (if shirts are offered). This option must give entrants a minimum discount of $5 off of the advance race entry fee, if selected.

Race Awards/Results

• At the absolute minimum, races must provide formal recognition (an award) to the top overall male and female finishers in the run category and the top overall male and female finishers in the walk category. 
  • Additional awards (i.e. age categories for each gender in the run/walk) are at the discretion of the race director. However, keep in mind that races which provide very minimal awards are typically viewed poorly by participants. 
  • Directors are welcome to ask the Mag 7 for guidance on determining appropriate award age categories (5-yr groups, 10-yr groups, etc.) and depth (how many awards to give in each age category) for their race. As a general rule, though, consider that a race anticipating 300 people should plan on giving out more awards than a race anticipating 100 people!
• Race results should be provided to the Series within 48 hours of the race’s conclusion. In general, it is easiest for the race timer to provide these to the Series directly; however, it is the responsibility of the race director to ensure that this happens. Results must include the following for all participants, in an Excel/CSV format:
  
  • Name
  • Race category (i.e. run or walk)
  • Age on race day
  • Gender
  • Finish time
  • Overall finish place
• Email addresses for all advance registrants, and same-day registrants when possible, are to be provided to the Series within 7 days of the race’s conclusion. 

Race Mismanagement

If a race fails to comply with the Series rules for Race Organization, Structure, Registration, Results, or if there are incidents of serious race mismanagement due to factors within the race director’s control (i.e. problems that are within a race director’s control, for example: no water provided, lack of appropriate signage/direction, significant differences between advertised and actual distance), the Mag 7 committee will make a determination on whether the race should be removed from the Series or issued a warning.

• If the incident (for which a warning has already been issued) is repeated in the subsequent year, the race will be removed from the Series.
• If the incident (for which a warning has already been issued) is fully rectified but a different incident occurs in the subsequent year, a second warning will be issued. 
• If a race experiences serious mismanagement incidents for three consecutive years, regardless of whether the incidents are of the same or different types, the race will be removed from the Series.
• Once a decision has been made by the Mag 7 committee, it is final.

If a race has been removed from the Series due to failure to comply with Series rules or serious mismanagement incidents…

• The race will be ineligible for inclusion in the Series during the subsequent calendar year.
• If a race is interested in rejoining the Series in the future, it must provide assurances, to the satisfaction of the Mag 7 Committee, that the issue(s) that led to its removal have been fully rectified. 

 

The above policies were last updated on October 28, 2025.