"Received an application today from an experienced measurer who measured a course for a school group."
Did they request the measurer to certify A) a 5K or B) the distance for the defined course?
if A: have them change the turnaround if an out and back, the start or finish to equal 5000 meters for heavens sake!
if B)Why did they certify the course if they wanted to have a 5000+ meter course and not advertise it? I know I wouldn't want to compare my time from a certified 5K to one where I had to run another half lap around a track's distance.--I just don't understand why they wanted it certified in the first place I guess if they didn't really care to state the correct distance. That does reflect poorly on what we do (in my humble opinion) in that case to advertise the incorrect distance. I would call it a 5.2K as Stu suggests and advertise it that way. Otherwise you get the "but it was certified" which should mean something!
I have no trouble with fixed points(Gerwick's excellent example)--one judges their performance on past performance year after year. Just don't make it so they judge it to other 5K distance races.
Maybe I am just grumpy...
