Skip to main content

Reply to "day of race course layout"

My advice to race directors has always been to try not to restrict the runner’s use of the entire road. Where absolutely necessary, then restrict the road to a single lane or shoulder of the road. The burden is squarely on the race director’s shoulders to insure course restrictions are in place and that runners follow the measured route.

Laurie perfectly described the inherent problem in restricting the use of the entire road. Race day isn’t the best time to restrict the runner’s path, too many traffic cones and barricades to set in place, too many intersections to man, and too few volunteers show up to handle all race day activities.

The marginal difference in a measurement using a redistricted path versus an unrestricted one isn’t that dramatic. It is best to error on the side of a slightly longer path than to have all your hard work be tossed out the window because a traffic cone line was missing and runners ran a shorter course. Many times I measure a course using the entire road and on race day they might restrict the runner’s path. The important thing is ensuring that runners run at least the stated advised distance.

Just yesterday morning we had to improvise boundaries for our cross-country invitational course. The person in charge of delivering 300 traffic cones got a flat tire on his trailer on the way. Of course, he didn’t have a spare.
×
×
×
×