User:Time4cake/sandbox/Friday 5K

Friday 5K (often cited as Friday5K or Friday Fivek) is the name given to a series of five-kilometer [3.1(ish) mile] running events that take place on prime numbered Fridays between April and October at Beachwood Park in Muskegon, MI. The runs are free to participants and the cost is entirely supported by contributions from individuals.

Runners are required to register online in advance for a unique member number. Using proprietary technology, runners' results are processed and uploaded online in real time. Each registered runner has an individual page cataloging the details of each event in which they have participated. This individual page also provides direct video links of the runner finishing each event in which they participated.

History
Created by Mark Paulson, the first Friday5K took place on June 12, 2012, with events taking place on alternating Fridays for a total of ten events during its inaugural season. For the second season the prime numbered date concept was introduced and another ten events were offered. Also during the second season the name was changed to Friday5K, as the events were previously referred to as Friday Night Flash Mob 5Ks and would take place at various locations. Throughout the first two seasons, participants were notified by covert emails the night before the event of the location. In season three, the series was temporarily reduced to 4 events and the locations were published in advance. In 2015 it was decided that a static location would be used, and the Beachwood Park course became the permanent residence of Friday5K. To keep data consistent, results from events not taking place at the Beachwood Park course have been expunged from the database. Friday5K was named one of Michigan's 10 best road races in 2016. In addition to the real time results, Friday5K has also introduced innovations including the individual tournament and team play.

Course
The five kilometer course takes participants along the shores of Lake Michigan and features over 800 feet of boardwalk, on which participants run in both directions. Additionally, the course passes the neighborhood of, perhaps Muskegon's most famous historical resident, silent movie actor Buster Keaton, as depicted in this linked image of the famed actor in his later years, under the street sign that bears his name.

Tournament
The annual tournament is conducted in the single elimination format, that takes place, concurrently, over the last 6 events of the season. The tournament is designed to reward attendance and improvement, not maximum speed. The first four events of the season are qualifying rounds. The 64 members that have the best attendance in the first four events of the season are entered into the tournament. Advancement in the tournament is based on personal improvement. The participant, in the head to head match, that improves by the largest percentage over their previous personal best for the season to date advances to the next round. To limit sandbagging, improvement is limited to 1% during each round. If a participant improves by more than 1% of their previous personal best for the season they get credit for the 1% improvement, but their new personal best is increased by the full amount for the measurement of subsequent rounds.

Team Play
Team play was introduced for the 2017 season. Team play is referred to as the "League of Race Assassins," and, like the tournament, is conducted concurrently with the standard events. Team play allows ten teams of 5 members each to face off in head to head matches during each of the first nine events. The final event of the season has the two teams with the best records meet in a championship match, which also runs concurrently with the final event of the season. Points in team play are based on the number of participants each individual beats on an age graded basis.

Technology
Friday5K makes extensive use of a proprietary hybrid of analog and digital timing to generate the results of each event in real time. Immediately upon crossing the finish line, unofficial results are populated across all elements under the banner of Friday5K, including the tournament, team play and individual reports. The real time results are available on the official website and are displayed on the real time results kiosk at the event. To negate the possibility of human timing error and lag, all participant finishes are video reviewed and times adjusted to an accuracy of 1/60th of a second. Photo and video evidence of each finish is provided as proof to the participant of their correctly recorded time. The use of the unique runner number allows the web site to collate historical data including personal bests, overall performance, total number of runs, etc...

50(ish) Mile Club
Participants that complete 17 events, at the Beachwood Park course, are made members of the "50(ish) Mile Club" and receive an award commensurate with the achievement.