We’ve been having pacing contests every year since 1987, except for 2003, 2005, 2006. Nineteen contests in all. They have been, for me, the most enjoyable part of the USATF Annual Meeting. No politics at all, no strife, no paranoia. Just take a walk while mumbling to yourself.
Over the years 96 different individuals have entered the contest, and 13 different people have won. Two of the 13 were not associated with RRTC.
Two people – Clain Jones and Floyd Ormsby - demonstrated true supremacy at the contest by winning on their first try and retiring undefeated. Others required multiple tries to achieve victory.
Next year the USATF Annual Meeting will be in Indianapolis. I hope to lay out another course for the enjoyment of all.
Send me an email if you want to have the measurement contest master file in Excel. It's got all the data.
Whoops! Missed Stamford, CT, 2004, Jim Gerweck informs me. Things have been corrected above. At Stamford, course length was defined in "units." The rest are expressed in meters.