Early returns (about 200 responses) from the RaceMeasure Certification Survey show interesting results. Going in, I expected that at the most, 25% of runners cared about certified courses. I am surprised with the results, so far.

A summary:
"Do you choose races based on if their course is certified?" - Yes: 47% No: 53%

"Are you unlikely to run an event whose course is NOT certified?" Unlikely to run: 38% Doesn't matter: 62%

"If you traveled at least 50 miles to run a race, did you check for certification?" Yes: 62%

These results seem to indicate that certification is more important to runners than I thought. I will share these results with race directors, as certification appears to be a large factor in participation for their race.

If you have access to a newsletter for runners, if you could put a short "ask" in the newsletter, that would be great: "RUNNERS - We are interested in your thoughts regarding the value of certified courses. Please go to www.RaceMeasure.com/Survey to complete a 7-question survey about course certification. Your input is greatly appreciated, and may result in more of the races you run being on certified courses. Thanks for your input!"

When I have more results, I will post the entire survey with stats. Until then, I will give periodic updates of the important questions.