Here's an article that appeared in the Florida-Times Union newspaper.
You can read the complete article and view the photos by going to this link.
http://jacksonville.com/sports...-every-step-measured
I included the text from the article below.
Enjoy! -- Justin
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On River Run course, every step is measured
Racing course must be certified as 15 kilometers every time it changes
Posted: March 12, 2011 - 12:00am
Gate River Run
What: U.S. 15K national championship.
When: 8:30 a.m. today (8:24 a.m. for elite women head start).
Where: Start on Gator Bowl Blvd., finish on Duval Street.
More information: Go to www.gate-riverrun.com.
By David Johnson
Todd Williams turned on the final stretch in the 1995 Gate River Run, and Doug Alred had a bad feeling.
"My first thought was, 'We messed it up,' " said Alred, who has been race director since 1983.
Alred had recertified the course that year, and he was worried that a bad measurement could have cost Williams an American record.
But USA Track & Field verified the course was correct, and Williams' 15K record stands to this day.
Alred has had to certify the 9.3-mile course many times since then "including this year" but the science behind measuring gives Alred a lot more confidence.
Construction in the San Marco area led to a course change for today's race, and Alred used satellite GPS mapping to provide an initial road map.
"We can just about figure it exactly," Alred said. "The measurement [by GPS] always comes out a little longer."
The ultimate measurement comes in a decidedly low-tech way. Alred uses the industry standard, a Clain Jones Counter fitted on the front wheel of a bicycle.
"We do it with two bikes in tandem. One follows the other," Alred said. "One is supposed to be taking the shortest path possible. The second one tries to take it even closer, if he can, without violating the measurement."
The Jones Counter clicks more than 18,000 times for a single mile.
The measurement has to be done no closer than one foot off the curb, and Alred said he doubts anyone besides the leader would be able to run all the turns perfectly.
Alred said race officials only had to certify the first four miles of the course, because the rest remained unchanged.
The start line had to be moved about eight feet, but Alred said competitors probably won't "realize it moved at all."
Race officials must build an extra five feet into the course per mile before sending the certification into USATF.
USATF calls this a short-course addition factor, which assures that the race won't be shorter than the stated distance.
That means not even the best runner can finish today's River Run in exactly 15,000 meters.
Alred estimates that the course is at least an extra 45 feet long.
david.johnson@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4491
Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/sports...asured#ixzz1GRG6uDoY
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