Runners competing in the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships on Saturday, June 14, 2025, hosted by the Steamboat Classic, should be aware of the following points of emphasis. Competitors who fail to comply with these and other applicable USATF Rules of Competition risk possible disqualification. There will be no Technical Meeting. All Masters Championship athletes, coaches and other interested parties should read these instructions carefully. Questions should be directed to the Championship Referee, Jamero Rainey.
Individual Registration. Entry information, and the online entry form for the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships may be accessed here.
Masters Final Team Declarations. As part of the online registration system, there is unlimited team registration. However, only five athletes are allowed to be on the final team declaration per team respective of team division. If you have listed more than five athletes on your team’s online declaration form, only the first five listed shall comprise your club's declared scoring team unless you revise your team roster. Revisions may be made by a team representative using the online form prior to the close of online registration at 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. No email, phone or fax declarations will be accepted. On site, hand-written revisions to teams may be submitted by filling out a Team Declaration form at Packet Pickup on Friday, June 13th from 10 AM until 6:00 PM only. Please consult one of the Masters LDR Liaisons at Packet Pickup.
Deadline. Online registration closes at 11:59 PM EST on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2025.
No Late Entries. No entries will be accepted via phone, fax or email after the close of online registration. No entries will be accepted at packet pick-up. No entries will be accepted on race day. Per USATF Competition Rule 341.12, absolutely no changes will be allowed to runner team affiliation after the close of online registration.
Eligibility. You must be at least 40 years of age on the day of the race. You must be a 2025 USATF member to enter the USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships. All Masters athletes must be citizens of the United States and eligible to represent the United States in international competition to be eligible for team scoring and for USATF medals and prize money. Non-citizens who are USATF members are welcome to compete but may not score for a team nor win USATF medals and prize money. If you do not have a 2025 membership, please complete a membersip application first here.
The Race Course. The 4 Mile race starts on NE Washington Street, near the intersection with Hamilton Boulevard and finishes on Main Street, near the intersection with Water Street. The course is defined as the roadway between the edges and curbs and will be closed to vehicular traffic. Please follow the directions of course marshals and any road cones. A course map is available here.
Cutting the Course. Any competitor who has been found by the Referee to have gained an unfair advantage by intentionally shortening the route of the race (“cutting the course”) shall be immediately disqualified.
Illegal Assistance. Anyone found to have received illegal assistance is subject to disqualification. “Assistance” is the conveying of advice, information, or direct help to an athlete by any means, including a technical device. It also includes pacing in running or walking events by persons not participating in the event, by competitors lapped or about to be lapped, or by any kind of technical device. Verbal or other communication, without the use of any technical device, from an individual not on the course shall not be considered assistance. The course is defined as the roadway and bike path between their edges and curbs. Pacesetting, by a person entered in an event as an officially designated pacesetter, is permissible. There are no designated pacesetters for this event. All athletes should compete honestly with bona fide effort in all Masters LDR Championship events. To that end, pacing by an athlete of the opposite gender in mixed gender championship race could be considered ‘illegal assistance’ and dealt with accordingly by the Referee. We discourage all instances of a ‘faster’ spouse pacing a ‘slower’ partner in Masters LDR mixed gender championship events. The ‘faster’ spouse is not competing honestly with bona fide effort.
Water. Water will be available at the start and the finish, along with 4 water stations along the course. Runners may at any time carry water and other refreshments by hand or attached to their body provided it was carried from the start or received at any official water station.
Parking. Parking is available in surface lots and parking decks in downtown Peoria. There is a surface lot at Hamilton and Water Street that is right next to the start (it will be closed at 5:45AM).
Wireless Devices. The use of wireless devices (I-phones, I-pods, etc.) is not permitted. Competitors may carry or wear articles of personal equipment such as wrist chronometers and heart-rate monitors. The use of I-phones during the race is not permitted.
Competition Front Bib Numbers/Timing Tag and Age/Gender “Back” Numbers. Competition bib numbers must be pinned on the front of the outermost layer of clothing that you will be wearing in the race. Per USATF Competition Rules “bibs are to be worn as issued”. They should not be crinkled, folded, or cut. The timing antennae or “B” tag is a part of the bib number and is disposable after the race. All Masters entered in the USATF Masters 4 mile Championships must also wear an age/gender “back” number pinned to the back of the outermost layer of clothing that they are wearing in the race. Athletes must use 4 pins to affix the “back” number in such a manner that it is visible to any runner behind them and will not flip up. Any competitor failing to wear a competition bib number on the front and a visible age/gender “back” number will be subject to disqualification. If your packet is lacking a “back” number, extras will be made available at packet pick-up and at the start line.
Packet Pick-up. Packet pickup will be on Friday, June 13th at the Four Points by Sheraton, 500 Hamilton Blvd, Peoria, IL 61602, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM CT. Packet pick-up will take place on the main floor, just down the hall from the USATF Open Packet Pick-up. Packets may also be picked up on race day, Saturday, June 14th from 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM at the USATF tent, located near the intersection of Water Street and Main Street (see map below). We strongly discourage runners from waiting until Saturday morning to pick up their bib numbers. It can be very hectic right before the race.
Lodging Information can be found here.
Bag Drop. Masters championship runners may drop their gear at the USATF Masters tent, located near the intersection of Water Street and Main Street (see map below). The tent will be fenced off, but will not be supervised during the race. Valuable items should not be left in the tent. Event staff and volunteers are not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen items.
Start Time. Each competitor is responsible for knowing the starting time of the USATF Masters 1 Mile Championship race. Masters will start with the citizens 4 mile at 7:13 AM CT.
Start Line. All competitors are responsible for being at the starting line on NE Washington Street, near the intersection with Hamilton Boulevard no later than 7:00 AM with their competition bib number and age/gender “back” number properly affixed. The masters race will start on the left side of the road, which will be separated from the mass participation race by fencing and a median.
Start Details. Team Uniform Checks. All complete teams must report together to the USATF Clerks at the USATF tent, located near the intersection of Water Street and Main Street (see map below), from 5:30 AM to 6:30 AM, to verify their team uniforms (see below for uniform apparel requirements for complete teams). All Masters Championship runners on a Team will be checked for proper front bib and back numbers prior to the start. The entire team must be present for the uniform check. Do not wait until the last minute to verify team uniforms.
Club teams. All clubs must be registered with USATF for 2025. Only teams consisting of duly accredited representatives of a member club shall be eligible to score as a team. The formation of club teams must meet all of the parameters found in Regulations 4 and 6 in the 2025 USATF Governance Handbook found here. USATF Association, Regional, or National “all-star” teams are not eligible to compete in Masters Long Distance Running Team competition. According to USATF Competition Rule 341.8, “Only one athlete per team (for example, Club M50+ team) who is a non-resident member of an Association is eligible to compete for a team in that Association”. Consult: Rule Books | USA Track & Field (usatf.org) Club affiliation. Athletes must be bona fide members of a 2025 USATF club in order to represent a club and score team points. All athletes entering as part of a club must be affiliated with that club as part of their USATF online membership profile. Per USATF Competition Rule 341.12, absolutely no changes will be allowed to runner team affiliation after the close of online registration. An athlete can view their current affiliation by logging into their USATF Connect account by using the ‘CURRENT MEMBER LOGIN’ here. Note that this request must be made by the athlete at least one week prior to the date of the race and finalized prior to the close of online registration. This is the athlete’s responsibility. Rule 341.12 reads as follows: “In Masters Long Distance Running including Masters Cross Country, an athlete may not change affiliation prior to the Championships or be eligible to represent or score points for the club to which he/she seeks to change affiliation after the closing of online entries for Masters LDR and Master Cross Country Championships. If the athlete does not desire to compete for their original club, if any, then they may compete unattached, representing no club. Changing club affiliation prior to Master Championship online entry deadlines is the responsibility of the athlete. For the 90-day rule on changing your club affiliation see the USATF Governance Manual Regulation 4.C.2 here. Also, contact your local Association’s Membership Chair for help.
Sponsor Affiliation. In addition to a club affiliation, athletes can represent one (1) corporate sponsor. This corporate sponsor must be a registered USATF Corporate Member and be part of the athlete's membership profile. Corporate Membership applications can be obtained by sending an e-mail to membership@usatf.org. All sponsor affiliations must be finalized by close of entries. No sponsor changes will be accepted after this date.
Age Verification. If your date of birth/age has not already been verified according to your USATF online membership profile, please upload a copy of your passport or birth certificate. Log into your USATF Connect account and upload the copy under the ‘Athlete Verifications’ tab. If you need help with this process, there is a step by step video to assist you with the uploading process here. Runners whose ages are incorrect at the time of the race are subject to possible protest and subsequent event disqualification.
Drug Testing. All competitors entered in the USATF Masters 4 Mile Championships are eligible for “in-competition” drug testing. Any questions regarding prescriptions or other over-the-counter medication should be directed to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) at 1-888-233-0393. If the 2025 USATF Masters 4 Mile Championship is selected for drug testing, prize money checks will be mailed following our receipt of the drug testing results. The race has no control over when the results of the drug tests are released, and USATF cannot release the prize money until we have official results as it can directly affect the distribution amounts.
Elite Performance Medals will be given to all competitors achieving at least 80% age graded, in accordance with the USATF tables. You can find a link to a calculator consistent with the 2025 tables at: Calculators | USA Track & Field (usatf.org). Gold medals will be given to 90% or better; Silver for 85-89.99%; Bronze for 80-84.99%.