Masters vs Open Prize Money Rules

I think most races do (and should) double dip with prize money.

Trophies, no. And who really cares about trophies and medals anyway.

But prize money I think the should double dip.

Most of our local races that offer prize money have a "no double dipping" policy and handle it pretty much the way you described, which seems fairest. I don't have a simple statement of that algorithm, although I could probably invent one with a little thought.

OK, I took a shot at it. Feel free to copy, paste, and edit

"For the purpose of distributing prizes, finishers shall be sequentially added to either the master's or overall categories in order of finish according to the following rules. Non-master's finishers are added to the next available position in the overall category. Master's finishers are added to the category whose next available position offers the greater prize. If the next available prizes are equal, the master's finisher is added to the overall category."

It becomes a very common situation now that we have Masters, Grand Masters and Senior Masters. An accomplished runner in his or her 60s (a Sr. Grand Master) runs fast enough to beat out all but 2 of those in their 40s. Most race results I've seen would then jump that 60+ yr. old to 3rd place Masters. If prize $$ is involved, that's a problem.

Or:

”Double dipping if awards is permitted”

Seriously, can someone explain why a masters runner should not be entitled to both awards if they earned it? Why would a masters runner’s age no longer matter if they’re in the overall awards?
I was in a 5k where the top masters ran 15:3x for 5k and landed in the overall awards. They factored him out of the masters awards and a guy who ran 17:xx took home that prize. It doesn’t seem fair that a masters runner’s age only matters if their competition is good enough to push them out of the overall awards.

They should be eligible for both but the masters' prizes should be significantly lower. That way it doesn't really matter too much. It is race after all.

Been a winner and a loser in those situations.

In my 50s I was second overall in state road mile championship. I got $50, I think. In the second heat, a 40+ ran about 20 sec slower, but since they'd placed me second overall, he got first master, and I believe $100 (or more). Guy was a good guy, so it wasn't a big deal. It was just funny, that if I'd have slowed down and finished fourth overall, I'd have got first master, and a bigger check.

On the other hand at a 10k that paid good $$$, I got first 50-year-old, and was also third master overall, so they gave me that too, and I ended up with $400.

Funniest one was a small non $$$ race, where I think the organizers were definitely amateur. The race itself was well-enough organized, until it got to the prizes. I was second overall, so called up for a trophy for that; then they gave me a trophy for first master; then they gave me the trophy for 50-54!

Runners shall be entitled to maximum unclaimed prize based on the runners’ ranking in open and masters division.

Open means everybody. You take the top 5 regardless of age and award them prize money. Then, you take the top 5 masters who did not finish in the top 5 open and give them prize money. This was the key to my masters wins and placing as the guy who was ahead of me was a Div I runner who never really stopped training and would usually grab a top 3 spot overall.

Why is that a problem? Masters does not necessarily mean 40-49. It's 40+. I recently ran a larger race and masters division was won by a 50+ year old and he deserves the overall prize money, not the 40-somethings that ran a minute or two slower.

Read the OP’s conundrum. The top masters finisher finished in the top of the open division and would have made less than the winner of the masters division who finished in a slower time

I am surprised the top 5 open prize money is the same as the top 5 master money / also surprised master prize money goes 5 deep (I usually see 3 deep) open money should be more, master runners should be eligible for open and master money IMO

example 10K

Open

1st Jim (31) 500.00

2nd Derick (28) 400.00

3rd Rob (42) 300.00

4th Seth (29) 200.00

5th Troy (44) 100.00

Master

1st Rob 150.00 (total 450.00)

2nd Troy 100.00 (total 200.00)

3rd Theo 50.00

I've seen a few ways of handling it. Personally, I'd rather be recognized as 3rd Overall than 1st Masters. BUT that sometimes means less prize $ (or in many cases gift card to the local running store). One race director would put me in Open division, rather than Masters if I was top 3 but then make up any deficiency in prize $ by giving me an extra gift card to the local running store. It really wasn't necessary for me but it was a nice way for the race director to resolve any unfairness.

All the races with prize money for masters offer no more money for master first place than the last overall place that gets money. Problem solved.