In Appendix B Course Layout of the Procedures, we are told to " NEVER lay out a course with a sharp turn within the first 100 m." It's not good course design to have sharp turns too close to the S/F, but NEVER?

I think it should be NEVER. I laid out a course like that once and a kid got clobbered right after the start. The next year we straightened out the start.

Granted it's a bad idea but would you certify a course with right angle turns within 100 m of the S/F

I would certify the course.

One measurer refused to measure a course because of that NEVER. So the running club went elsewhere to have it measured and submitted for certification.

Unfortunately, the logo the USATF uses to signify that a race course has been certified as accurately measured says "Certified Course."

This might lead people to believe the course has been blessed by the USATF in all respects. They really should change that to say "Certified Accurate" or "Certified Accurate Course."

I haven't looked in the measuring book for way too many years...so am glad Tom has and pointed out the suggestion regarding avoiding quick turns at the start. It's a practical, common sense suggestion...but not applicable in all cases.

For the most part, as measurers, we aren't the ones laying out courses- we measure courses already laid out for us. We can point out the potential problems of a 100-meters-to-the-first-turn to a race contact, but, in the end, our main concern is to provide an accurate course.

We can't control what runners read into our letters of certification. We don't want to get into adding disclaimers.