How to get the best from Open Podium

So you've signed up to Open Podium, maybe entered a race, but aren't quite sure what else the site offers. Let me explain.

Target Times

This is the fundamental aspect of the site. If we have 2 race results from the last 180 days, you'll automatically be given target times for upcoming races. If your race results don't appear on the site, you can send them to us.

Sadly, if you've raced once, or not at all, in that period, you won't get a target time — we need enough data to make it fair for everyone.

Target times can change daily, because they're based on a rolling 180-day window. If a previous result falls out of that window, your target time might update. For example, just prior to BBB10K, Paddock Wood Half Marathon falls out of the 180-day window, meaning that result — which may previously have contributed to your target time — will no longer count.

Can I run slowly in my next race to inflate my target?

If you're thinking of cheating like this, shame on you. But it's a fair question, and here's the honest answer: only your strongest recent results count toward your target — so one slow race, whatever the reason behind it, won't drag your future targets down.

I'm pacing BBB10K this weekend at 60 minutes. My normal 10K is around 43-44 minutes. Because of that gap, my 60-minute effort at Battle won't affect my future target times.

Prize Races & Qualifying Races

A Prize Race is where a partner has kindly put up a prize — much like BBB10K, where they're offering a trophy for whoever beats their target by the biggest margin.

Prize Races are marked and highlighted on the listings.

Qualifying Races contribute towards your overall stats — Wins, Podiums, Top 10s, and Top 20s. Right now, a race needs 10 runners or more to be deemed a qualifying race.

Why? Because while numbers are low, we didn't want someone being credited with a win when they had no one to compete against. Hopefully, as the site gains traction, all races will have enough entrants to count towards your overall stats.

Series

I'll be combining races into series with ongoing leaderboards. These are designed to reward runners who participate more often, but are also consistent in their performances.

I hope in time there'll be a lot more series available. If you're a running club or an organiser and want to create your own series, get in touch. Series can be limited to club members only, if you want to create one just for your running club.

If you enter a race that's part of a series, you'll automatically appear on that leaderboard.

Prizes

I intend to announce prizes a few days after each race. This is deliberate, not just a limitation — I'm reliant on organisers providing accurate results, and I want runners to have a fair chance to check their own results before winners are announced. It also means the race stays talked about for a few extra days after everyone else has moved on — no bad thing.

Reflections

Post-race, you can keep track of how your experience went, and leave valuable insight for both organisers and fellow runners who might do those races in the future.

Please do take the time to leave a Race Reflection once you've finished. It really does help.

Race Tips

This also lets you help other runners who may never have done that event before. Offer a tip about anything — parking, toilets, the best place to get cake from post-race, whatever you feel will help other runners have a better race day.

I plan to keep improving the site, adjusting the algorithm from time to time to improve its accuracy. So thank you to everyone who's signed up — and if you have any suggestions on how Open Podium can be improved, please do let me know.