A FAIR, COMPETITIVE MODEL
How It Works
The Marathon Team Series (MTS) uses a time-based scoring system based on national qualifying standards to create a level playing field across all ages and genders. Our model rewards performance, strategy, and team cohesion so every runner has an opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
1
Assemble your running team.
Teams must have between five and seven team members to compete.
2
Join us for an MTS run and compete with your team.
Our events are held within larger races, so you’ll be competing solo within the larger race AND as a team within the MTS competition.
3
Top five finishers per team are scored.
The first five finishers from each team, based on adjusted MTS scoring, contribute to the team score. Any additional finishers are designated as “alternates.”
Average team finishing time is calculated.
Adjusted time for each team’s top five finishers are averaged to achieve one final Adjusted Team Score.
4
Scores are adjusted based on age & gender.
Equalizing adjustments are based on NYRR for half-marathons & BQTs for full marathons.
5
Lowest Adjusted Team Score wins!
In the case of a tie between teams, the lowest adjusted time of the fastest alternate runner determines the winner.
6
Time Equalization
To ensure fairness in MTS competitions and reflect the real performance differences in age and gender we apply age adjusted time deductions based on recognized national standards.
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For the Marathon distance, we use the most recent year’s Boston Marathon Qualifying Times (BQTs).
For the Half Marathon distance, we use the most recent New York Road Runner (NYRR) Half Marathon qualifying standards.
The use of Adjusted Time enables team competition to include strategy and fosters the competitive inclusion of all age categories and genders.
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Baseline:
Male runners (18–34 age group) serve as the baseline with no time adjustment.
All other male age groups, female, and non-binary runners receive time bonuses based on the qualifying time adjustments posted by BQTs or NYRR used to calculate the Adjusted Time.
Applying Bonuses to Determine Adjusted Times:
For each runner, the appropriate age/gender bonus is subtracted from their raw time to determine their Adjusted Time.
Scoring Overview
In the Marathon Team Series scoring model, each team’s performance is measured by the average adjusted finish time of its top 5 runners - not points based on finishing place, as in traditional cross-country scoring.
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Finish times (HH:MM:SS) are converted to minutes or seconds.
Converted finish times are then adjusted by any applicable age or gender bonus, the Adjusted Time.
The top 5 runners’ Adjusted Times are averaged to calculate the Adjusted Team Score.
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Teams are ranked from lowest average time to highest with the top score being the lowest Adjusted Team Score.
In the case of a tie between any of the top three finishing teams, the lowest adjusted time of the fastest alternate runner (number 6 or 7) determines the winner.
Every team member counts and every second matters as a strong performance by any team member lowers the overall team average.
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The two team members with the highest adjusted run times are considered “alternates.” While their times don’t count toward the team’s official score, they still play a critical role in team ranking; in the event of a tie, the fastest alternate’s adjusted time determines the winner.
SAMPLE HALF-MARATHON TEAM
Team Name: Fictional Finishers
ACTUAL TIME:
BONUS:
ADJUSTED :
JOHN
MALE, 37
1:22:00
0:02:00
1:20:00
EMILY
FEMALE, 28
1:28:00
0:11:00
1:17:00
ACTUAL TIME:
BONUS:
ADJUSTED :
MALE, 44
DERICK
AMY
1:24:00
0:04:00
1:20:00
MALE, 53
1:52:00
0:28:00
1:24:00
Alternate
FEMALE, 47
ACTUAL TIME:
BONUS:
ADJUSTED:
ALEX
NONBINARY, 56
1:52:00
0:33:00
1:19:00
JESSICA
1:39:00
0:21:00
1:18:00
Alternate
MARK
1:39:00
0:20:00
1:19:00
ACTUAL TIME:
BONUS:
ADJUSTED :
MALE, 61
Average Adjusted Time = 1:18:48
2026 Half-Marathon Bonus Table
| MEN’S BONUS | WOMEN’S BONUS | NON-BINARY BONUS |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00:00 | 0:11:00 | 0:11:00 |
| 0:02:00 | 0:13:00 | 0:13:00 |
| 0:04:00 | 0:16:00 | 0:16:00 |
| 0:07:00 | 0:21:00 | 0:21:00 |
| 0:11:00 | 0:28:00 | 0:28:00 |
| 0:15:00 | 0:33:00 | 0:33:00 |
| 0:20:00 | 0:41:00 | 0:41:00 |
| 0:25:00 | 0:51:00 | 0:51:00 |
| 0:36:00 | 1:04:00 | 1:04:00 |
| 0:46:00 | 1:17:00 | 1:17:00 |
| 0:54:00 | 1:27:00 | 1:27:00 |
| AGE GROUP |
|---|
| 18–34 |
| 35–39 |
| 40–44 |
| 45–49 |
| 50–54 |
| 55–59 |
| 60–64 |
| 65–69 |
| 70–74 |
| 75–79 |
| 80+ |
2026 Marathon Bonus Table
| MEN’S BONUS | WOMEN’S BONUS | NON-BINARY BONUS |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00:00 | 0:30:00 | 0:30:00 |
| 0:05:00 | 0:35:00 | 0:35:00 |
| 0:10:00 | 0:40:00 | 0:40:00 |
| 0:20:00 | 0:50:00 | 0:50:00 |
| 0:25:00 | 0:55:00 | 0:55:00 |
| 0:35:00 | 1:05:00 | 1:05:00 |
| 0:50:00 | 1:20:00 | 1:20:00 |
| 1:05:00 | 1:35:00 | 1:35:00 |
| 1:20:00 | 1:50:00 | 1:50:00 |
| 1:35:00 | 2:05:00 | 2:05:00 |
| 1:50:00 | 2:20:00 | 2:20:00 |
| AGE GROUP |
|---|
| 18–34 |
| 35–39 |
| 40–44 |
| 45–49 |
| 50–54 |
| 55–59 |
| 60–64 |
| 65–69 |
| 70–74 |
| 75–79 |
| 80+ |
