Chapter 16 Course Certification

Transcription

1 Chapter 16 Course Certification 16.1 DEFINITION OF A CERTIFIED COURSE What are USATF Certified Courses? A USATF certified course is a road race course whose distance has been certified for accuracy. Courses must be certified and sanctioned (see Chapter 12) for any road running performance to be accepted as a record or to be nationally ranked. Furthermore, running a race on a certified course allows you to accurately compare your time to performances run on other certified courses because you can be sure the distances were the same. No one can truly establish a personal best if the course distance is not accurate. How to get your course certified The easiest way to have your course certified is to hire someone who is already skilled at measuring courses for USATF certification. You can search our database of known course measurers on our website at Alternatively, you can measure it yourself if you are sufficiently motivated and willing to devote the time and attention that it requires. In either case, you may need to contact the USATF Road Course Certifier for your state. This person can refer you to qualified measurers that you might hire. Or, if you choose to measure the course yourself, the Certifier can provide guidance to help you through the process, and when you are finished, you will need to send paperwork to your state Certifier. A Course Measurement and Certification Procedure manual is available on our website at usatf.org/events/courses/certification/manual/. This is a great source of information and easy layout to answer frequently asked questions in regards to process of course measurement and certification. USATF Road Course Certifiers The USATF Road Course Certifier for your state can refer you to experienced measurers in your area that you may hire to get your course certified, or can provide guidance if you choose to measure a course yourself. For anyone who wishes to measure road courses for certification, our complete Course Measurement Manual is provided online at After measuring according to the procedures in this manual, the measurer must submit complete data and application forms and a detailed map of the course to the Certifier in the state where the course is located (most certifiers charge a fee for reviewing the application, up to a maximum of $30). The certifier will either approve the course or, if the measurer made a mistake, notify the measurer and explain how to fix it. Once a course is approved, the certifier will assign it a course ID number, and prepare a certificate which is combined with the course map to become the official documentation for this certified course. 16 1

2 16.2 COURSE MEASURING VERSUS COURSE CERTIFICATION I know we ve all heard of people measuring road courses not to mention cross country courses and even tracks using various methods. In the days gone by (well, we d like to think so, but it still happens...), road courses were often measured using an automobile speedometer. There are dozens of reasons why these measurements are inaccurate, sometimes outrageously so. We even heard of a former world champion measuring a course by running at her race pace and putting down mile marks according to her usual pace. Suffice it to say that simply applying any method of measurement to a course does not constitute a measurement in road course certification terms. Just like measuring a track must be done using accurate surveying techniques accepted by planners, engineers, and the rule makers of the sport, a road course must be measured using a specific technique to guarantee accuracy. This involves riding a calibrated bicycle along the shortest possible route of the course, and calculating the distance traveled. This constitutes the actual measurement of the course. However, this does not constitute certification. A surprising number of errors in calculations are made, and some parameters must be provided concerning complicated courses and the route followed. Therefore, the measurer must prepare a document showing the course details, including an overall course map and smaller inset maps showing particularly technical locations on the course and how they were measured. On the numbers side, show all of your calculations, including how and where you calibrated the bicycle counter, the statistics of your ride(s) over the course, and your re calibration of the bicycle counter after each measurement. This is then submitted to the certifier for your state, who may not reside in your state, but is an accepted expert of the RRTC. Once that individual accepts your paperwork, your course is certified WHO CAN MEASURE A COURSE Basically anyone can measure a course. They must have the proper equipment, which includes a bicycle which will accommodate a counter, the counter itself a Jones Counter specifically designed to fit on the hub of your front tire wheel (go to for information) and a course relatively free of traffic. NOTE: a GPS counter while of significant value in helping determine your route and backing up (in your own mind) your calculations is not a valid measurement tool for road course certification. It is a valid way for you to locate marks later, provided you have an instrument of sufficient computing power. Basic automobile GPS devices do not have such capabilities HOW TO MEASURE A COURSE There are seven basic steps involved in measuring a course for certification. These are: 1. Lay out an accurate calibration course. The calibration course must be a straight stretch of paved road that is level and relatively free of traffic and at least 300 meters in length. You may wish to check with the nearest regional certifier to determine if there is a suitable calibration course near you. 2. Calibrate the bicycle. Ride the bicycle over the calibration course, taking care to ride in as straight a line as possible. At least four calibration rides must be made immediately prior to measuring the race course. The working constant is the number of counts/km (or per mile) times the short course prevention factor of Measure the course. Ride the bicycle over the course, following the shortest possible route as it will be available to the runners on race day. At least two measurements over the course are required for certification. Use the first measurement to establish tentative start and finish marks. Use the second (and any subsequent) measurement to check the distance between those same marks. In particular, during the second measurement, simply record counts at the points already marked during the first measurement. Do not make new marks on the road during the second measurement. If you measure on different days, calibrate both before and after measuring on each day. 4. Recalibrate the bicycle. Ride the bicycle over the calibration course at least four times immediately after the course measurement(s). After recalibrating, determine your constant for the day, which is the larger of the pre measurement (working) constant, or post measurement (finish) constant. (Note: Measurements calculated using the average of the working and finish constants will also be accepted; however, use of the larger constant is strongly preferred.) 16 2

3 5. Determine the proper measured course length. Recalculate each measured distance using the appropriate constant for the day. If you only measure the course twice, the proper measured length is the smaller value. e.g., you measure between the same start and finish points and obtain distances of 10,000 and 9,993.7 meters. The proper measured length is 9,993.7 meters. If you measure three times, the proper measured length is the smallest value. If you only measure twice, the two measurements may not differ by more than 0.08% or you must take a third measurement. 6. Make the final adjustments to the course. If the proper measured length differs from the desired (or advertised) course length, you will need to adjust either your start, finish, or a turn around point. These adjustments may be made with a steel tape. Once all the measurements have been completed, the proper set of marks should be made permanent and all others should be erased. 7. Submit applications and supporting documentation to your regional USATF/RRTC certifier. Carefully record all data taken and prepare a map showing the course layout, details of the start and finish zones and turn around points, and any areas where the certification will require erection of barriers that restrict runners to a path longer than the shortest path available using the whole roadway (but note: for simplicity and to minimize the chance of having your course found short, it always best to lay out courses without any restrictions of this sort). In drawing the map, it is also highly desirable to include a line which displays the actual path measured through the course DATABASE OF CERTIFIED COURSES Maps of all certified courses are now available online. Measurers should be aware that their maps will be posted on the Internet for the entire world to see. Runners who are thinking of running a race may view its map at this site. And race directors who are thinking of hiring a particular measurer may view maps that the mea surer has produced, as evidence of the quality of this measurer s work. Duration of certification Because courses often degrade over time, all course certifications expire automatically 10 years after the year of issue Associations Manual

4 EXHIBIT 16 A USATF ROAD COURSE CERTIFIERS The USATF Road Course Certifier for your state can refer you to experienced measurers in your area that you may hire to get your course certified, or can provide guidance if you choose to measure a course yourself. An on line list of those below is at / Services/Course Certifications/ USATF Certified Courses/Course Certifiers.aspx and has clickable names to direct e mail addresses. RRTC Chair: Gene Newman 920 N Night Heron Dr Green Valley, AZ Vice Chair East: Justin Kuo 39 Oakland Road Brookline, MA Vice Chair West: Duane Russell 1484 E Easter Cir Centennial, CO AK Frederic Wilson 2420 Glenwood Anchorage, AK AL John DeHaye 824 Annlau Ave Huntsville, AL AR Don Potter 3165 Robert Ott Cir. Conway, AR AZ Joe Galope N. 13th Lane Phoenix, AZ CA Ron Scardera 5660 Valley Oak Dr Los Angeles, CA CO Duane Russell 1484 E Easter Cir Centennial, CO CT Jane Parks 5 W. Lake Blvd Morristown, NJ DC Robert Thurston 13 Kennedy St NE Washington, DC DE Larry Baldasari 3448 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square, NJ FL Everett McDowell 1256 Stony Brook Lane Dunedin, FL GA Woody Cornwell 1532 Harrington St Newberry, SC HI Gene Newman 920 N Night Heron Dr Green Valley, AZ IA Michael Franke 1007 Walnut St Dallas Center, IA ID Duane Russell 1484 E Easter Cir Centennial, CO IL Jay Wight 4556 Opal Drive Hoffman Estates, IL IN Tom Konieczny 110 Willow Bend Dr La Porte, IN KS Tom Riegel 3620 Peake Mountain Rd Fulks Run, VA KY Toni Youngman Downstream Circle Orlando, FL LA John Ferguson PO Box 6 Ouray, CO MA Justin Kuo 39 Oakland Road Brookline, MA MD Lyman Jordan Wallbrook Ct #3 Silver Spring MD ME Justin Kuo 39 Oakland Road Brookline, MA MI Scott Hubbard 200 Trealout Dr #11 Fenton, MI MN Rick Recker 19 S 1st St #B2203 Minneapolis, MN MO Louis Joline 64 Anchor Drive Lake Tapawingo, MO MS Matthew Studholme 452 Brookhill Drive Abingdon, VA MT Michael Franke 1007 Walnut St Dallas Center, IA NC Dick Forbis 117 W Carr Street Carrboro, NC ND Carol McLatchie 2949 NE Lotno Dr Bend, OR NE Karl Ungurean 203 E. Denison Davenport, IA NH Toni Youngman Downstream Circle Orlando, FL

5 2 NJ Larry Baldasari 3448 Nottingham Way Hamilton Square, NJ NM Carol McLatchie 2949 NE Lotno Dr Bend, OR NV Duane Russell 1484 E Easter Cir Centennial, CO NY Jim Gilmer 232 Van Wies Point Rd Glenmont, NY OH Mike Wickiser 93 Geoppert Rd Peninsula, OH OK Don Garrett Hickory Creek Blvd Oklahoma City, OK OR Lee Barrett 3027 NE 20th Ave Portland, OR PA Bill Belleville 2902 Morris Road Ardmore, PA PR Pedro Zapata PO Box 2780 Carolina, Puerto Rico RI Ray Nelson 23B Aborn St Cranston, RI SC Danny White 2119 Rice Rd Marion, SC SD Carol McLatchie 2949 NE Lotno Dr Bend, OR TN Matthew Studholme 452 Brookhill Drive Abingdon, VA TX E.T. McBrayer 4021 Montrose Houston, TX UT Gene Newman 920 N Night Heron Dr Green Valley, AZ VA Robert Thurston 13 Kennedy St NE Washington, DC VT Justin Kuo 39 Oakland Road Brookline, MA WA Mark Neal 323 Griggs St Rochester, MI WI Dave Moore 3112 E Edgemere Dr Appleton, WI WV Matthew Studholme 452 Brookhill Drive Abingdon, VA WY Tom Knight 307 Dartmouth Ave San Carlos, CA Foreign: Mike Wickiser 93 Geoppert Rd Peninsula, OH