Jun 6, 2007 Demand Certified Courses By Doug Kurtis :: Views- 749

Runners that compete in races should have a right to expect an accurately measured course. Race directors that plan to keep their courses in existence more than one year should plan to have them certified for accuracy by the sport’s governing body, USA Track and Field.

After completing a race, runners want to know their time to compare it with others in their age group, with their previous best time or against their time from past years on the same course. Without an accurately measured course it’s difficult to make a comparison.

Every year Michigan Runner magazine publishes a list of best in times for Michigan runners. The only way they can fairly compare times is by using certified courses.

Runners may complain that some of their times haven’t been included from races that have been in existence for years. I would suggest that runners demand that those courses be certified.

Runners should understand the difference between races that advertise their event as USATF sanctioned and one that has a certified course. Races are often sanctioned for liability and medical insurance purposes. It’s also a promise to follow national and international rules and regulations. A certified course is one that has been measured according to USATF regulations.

There are currently 261 Michigan courses that are certified. Half of those are 5km courses. Some of these are no longer used. Certifications expire automatically after ten years. You can go to: http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/search to find any certified course and print a map.

Anyone can certify a course. USATF provides a free download of information required to certify. It’s takes a fair amount of work to calibrate the measuring tool, measure the course and provide the proper documentation. It’s a lot easier to hire someone who has some experience in measuring.

Most course measurers use a Jones counter on a bike to provide an accurate measurement. This must be calibrated each time a measurement is taken. Courses need to be measured more than once for accuracy.

There are currently eight course certifiers listed on the USATF web site. I’ve been most impressed with Mark Neal’s use of the latest software and also his digital work to determine the exact location of mile and kilometer markers.

Scott Hubbard is the official road course certifier for Michigan and in charge of the certification program. He can provide guidance for any measurer by contacting him at: runningshorts@aol.com. I asked Hubbard for his thoughts on certifying courses.

“I can think of a handful of fundamental things each race should have and an accurate course is right near the top of the list. There are only a couple ways I know of to ensure a course is as accurate as advertised and they involve measurement with a calibrated bike or wheel. The calibrated bike is faster, safer and more accurate than the wheel. Domestic certified course guidelines adopted by USATF have been improved upon and streamlined for about 40 years.”

“In my experience, every course I've been asked to measure has been previously laid out short. This is not a good thing regarding previously run races. It should make runners wonder what their PR's are worth if run on an uncertified course.”

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