The Standard Awards Scheme is designed to recognise members’ individual achievements on an age related basis.

The first level is the Club Award, which is awarded to anyone who completes any four races as a Bedford Harrier.  This includes, for example, cross country races and multisport events with a running element (such as triathlons or duathlons) but does not include parkruns, time trials, the Club Charity Mile or cycle-only, swim-only or aquabike events.

To attain an award above Club level, members must achieve age graded percentages greater than or equal to the target percentage at four different distances from the following six standard race distances:

• 5k
• 5 mile
• 10k
• 10 mile
• Half marathon
• Marathon. 

If you achieve, for example, Tin in your first year, that's the award you'll receive - you won't get Club, Aluminium and Zinc as well.  The following year, you'll need to achieve at least Copper to get another award.

Standard	Target %
Aluminium	40%
Zinc	45%
Tin	50%
Copper	55%
Bronze	60%
Silver	65%
Gold	70%
Platinum	75%
Diamond	80%
Crystal	85%
Fire	90%

The Awards Year runs from the Monday after the 1st Sunday in December to the following 1st Sunday in December (so from 8 December 2025 to 6 December 2026 inclusive for 2026).

To qualify for an award:

• you must be a fully paid-up member at the time of each race;
• you must wear Club kit for each race, ie an official Bedford Harriers racing vest or t-shirt, being gold with a diagonal black stripe.  Current exceptions are the London Marathon (where kit representing a charity may be worn) and when the member is representing their country (where national kit may be worn);
• you must be shown on the official results lists as a Bedford Harrier (unless, for example, the results list does not show UK club names);
• the results must be shown on your Runners Page before the published deadlines;
• each race must hold a current Certificate of Course Accuracy to World Athletics standards.  You can check whether a race has a certificate here.

The age graded percentage will be calculated using the chip time (where available) and will be calculated as a percentage of the world best time for a runner of the same age and sex, using the WAVA World Best tables from 1986.  Age graded times for each age, distance and sex can be found here for males and here for females or can be calculated using this table.