A handicap represents the percentage your time is behind a par time or National Standard Par, in this case a time that Ryan Cochran-Siegle would have gotten on the course. (e.g. 15 handicap = 15 percent behind Ryan’s time). The National Standard is the Par Time or Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s “0” handicap which every racer competes against when they race NASTAR.
Pacesetters earn certified handicaps that are used to set Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s Par Time for their course. Participants earn a handicap each time they race which represents the difference between the racer’s time and the Par Time expressed as a percentage. Your handicap can vary from race to race.
Does a handicap change or get better with your age and gender?
ABSOLUTELY NOT! A handicap is a straight percentage. It’s math. We take your time and compare it to the par time. Then we determine what percent slower your time is compared to the par time. So, the person in the race with the lowest time has the lowest handicap in a given run. Age and gender DO NOT change straight times or handicaps!
What does age and gender do to affect scoring?
Once a handicap is determined, we then take that handicap and look at your age and gender to determine what medal you earn. This is where age and gender make a difference. As you get older (or if you are very young) you can have a higher handicap to receive medals. If you’re a female, you can receive a medal using a higher handicap than a male would need to receive the same medal.