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Reply to "Effect of course change on course records"

Courses do often change from year to year. Sometimes it is necessary to change a course route due to one of many possible reasons like road construction, avoiding traffic congestion, and maintaining runner safety. There are times when the aesthetics of a course route warrants a change. What all USATF and IAAF/AIMS Certified courses have in common is that they have been measured in accordance to a standard set of procedures using the calibrated bicycle method.

Granted when a course route is changed there may be more or less drop in elevation or head wind. There are some who will argue the differences in weather conditions on a particular day or the quality of competition. Yet, what remains constant is the measured distance. The measured distance truly establishes a meaningful standard for comparison and records to be established.

We can’t say without some doubt that the Carlsbad 5000 course is faster than the Syracuse Festival of Races 5 km course. Is the competition better? Does prize money play a part in faster performances? The differences in course routes, weather conditions, quality of competition, prize money awards, and the ongoing list of possible differences, does create an apples to oranges comparison. What we are left with to recognize course records is the distance, which remains invariable, give or take a few meters.
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