Awards Criteria

AWARDS CRITERIA (4/2024)

DSE offers many opportunities DSE members to receive awards.

  1. Weekly Sunday Races
  2. Annual Age Division Awards
  3. Annual “Mongo” Awards
  4. Annual Kids Race Awards
  5. Annual Top 5 Awards
  6. Other Awards

Weekly Sunday Races

  • Participation – Each participant receives a race ribbon (including self-timers).
  • Top 5 – The Top 5 Overall Male, Female, and Non-Binary finishers in each race win a race place ribbon.
  • Age Division Points –DSE Members can earn Age Division Points at weekly races. The Top 5 eligible Age Division winners in each gender category for the year are acknowledged at our annual Awards Social. See the Annual Age Division Awards section below for more info on eligibility requirements.
  • Course Record.Anyone that breaks a course record receives a special ribbon.

Annual Awards and Recognitions

If you are in the running for Mongos, Total Race Miles, and Total Miles recognitions, , you MUST submit the Awards Reporting Form which will become available online around mid-December for viewing and is due by the announced deadline, typically a date in early January.  If you want to receive a trophy or certificate for Age Division or Fast Runner, you will also need to fill out the Awards Reporting Form.

Eligible member recipients who submit the Awards Reporting Form by the stated deadline have the choice of receiving a trophy, a certificate, or no award (recognition only) at the Awards Social generally scheduled in March of the following year.  We will not be able to order trophies or print certificates for anyone that does not submit the form by the deadline.

Volunteer hours (points) must be earned at an official DSE race or event. DSE officers, operations committee members, or coordinators automatically fulfill their volunteer requirement. Volunteering at the aid stations at the Kaiser Half Marathon or SF Marathon does not count towards this requirement. For more information on how to earn volunteer points, see the volunteer tab on the website.

Annual Age Division Awards

You can check your points on the website under the “Awards” tab, “Age division points”

In order to receive an age division award at the annual Awards Social, you must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be a current DSE Member – your membership must be current in order for you to receive points. New members earn points as soon as membership is active. Points are not awarded retroactively.
  2. Age division points are tabulated as follows: The first DSE member in each age division receives 10 points, second 9 pts, etc. down to tenth place who receives 1 pt. If there are more than 10 members in the division, then the 11th place (and subsequent finisher(s) will not receive any points.
  3. Rank in the top five (5) age division point earners (by gender) in one of the following age groups: 18 & under, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69,70-74, 75-79, 80+. A member will move up to the next five-year age division on their birthday, no matter what month their birthday occurs. The points they earned in the previous division will be transferred to their new division once they complete a race in their new age group.
  4. Earn at least three (3) volunteer points for the year (see volunteer tab).
  5. Participate in at least five (5) DSE Sunday races during the year. In order to correctly receive age division points, members must ensure that their name and age are clearly printed on their race tag. Points will not be awarded if this information is missing.
  6. The Race Director receives twelve (12) age division points. If there are co-Race Directors for one race then each person receives six points. If there are two races held on the same date (i.e. a 5K and a 1 miler) and the same person is the Race Director for both distances then they will receive a total of fifteen (15) points for both races.

Age division points are updated and posted to the website on a weekly basis. Please direct any questions regarding age division points to Janet Nissenson at jLnissenson@gmail.com.

Annual “Mongo” Awards
We’re not quite sure where this particular term originated from but it seems to have stuck. These awards – large and small – can be earned by DSE members by meeting all three (3) of the criteria outlined below for each award AND submit their information on the Annual Awards Reporting Form by the stated deadline.

Small Mongo Award qualifications are:

  • Run/walk 250 miles (self-reported)
  • Participate in at least 10 DSE Sunday races (either by running/walking or volunteering — Thursday Evening Summer races and any DSE Fun Runs do not count) (self-reported)
  • Earn a minimum of three (3) volunteer points (self-reported and validated by DSE)

Large Mongo Award qualifications are:

  • Run/walk 750 miles (self-reported).
  • Participate in at least 20 DSE Sunday races (participation either by running/walking or volunteering— Thursday Evening Summer races and any DSE Fun Runs do not count). (self-reported)
  • Earn a minimum of six (6) volunteer points. (self-reported and validated by DSE)

Annual Kids’ Race Awards
Kids’ awards are presented to kids who complete five (5) or more of the 12 monthly kid races. This award is specifically for participation in kid races; participation in adult races does not count towards this award. Kids who run adult races can earn age division points and qualify for an age division award if they meet all the criteria.

Annual Top 5 Awards
Presented to the top five male, female, and non-binary DSE members in the following categories:

  • Total Racing Miles (includes DSE and non-DSE races, self-reported)
  • Total Miles Run/Walked (includes race miles, self-reported)
  • Fast Runner Awards – The Top 5 male, female, and non-binary DSE member finishers in each Sunday race will accrue points throughout the year based not only on their finishing place in their gender category (1st to 5th place, DSE members only), but also factoring in the number of races that the runner participates in as well. This is the only category that does not require volunteer points or self-reporting (unless you want to receive a trophy or certificate). You can check your points on the website under the “Awards” tab, “Fast Runner Points”.

Volunteer Awards – Volunteer points are tracked throughout the year and can be found on the website under the “Volunteer” tab, “Volunteer Points”

In order to receive volunteer points at our weekly races, members sign up on the race pre-registration sheet that is emailed to all members every month. Be sure to check in with the Race Director on race day to receive the correct number of points.

Members who earn at least three volunteer points in a calendar year are eligible to win Annual Awards and participate in DSE-sponsored Bay to Breakers centipede and Christmas Relay teams.

3 points: Minimum requirement to qualify for a Small Mongo award, Age Division, and Top 5 awards at the annual Awards Social.  Eligibility for DSE-sponsored Bay to Breakers centipede and Christmas Relay teams.

6 points: Minimum requirement to qualify for a Large Mongo award.

Other Awards – The recipients of these awards are determined by the current officers but suggestions are welcome

  • Lifetime Service Award – Presented to one individual annually who has unselfishly devoted many years of volunteerism to the DSE.
  • Walt Stack Award– Presented to one member each year who has gone above and beyond the call of duty for the club.

Past Winners
To see past winners of the Walt Stack, Lifetime Service and RRCA Volunteer Awards CLICK HERE.