Thank you, Mark. I had not seen that string. I'll check the "search" function in the future.
For me, the question remains whether there is any current effort to broach this subject with USAT. I have corresponded with Lauren Culp, Event Services Coordinator at USAT in Colorado Springs. My last emailed question to Lauren was "how are the run courses in USAT-sanctioned events measured". I am waiting on a reply. I expect the reply will again be "measurements are left to individual race directors". To me, this means "GPS watches and MapMyRun".
Why don't we make some kind of semi-formal inquiry? kcb203's analysis of the World Championship Ironman is good evidence in support of some kind of standard.
I am willing to start gathering some data from triathletes I know. If there are some ways in which we can gather opinions from a large number of triathletes, we could at least determine whether the majority care about the distances. Anyone have any ideas?
I am not putting myself out as anyone but an interested course measurer in my inquiries to USAT. So, maybe I will politely pester USAT a little more, to see if higher-ups have ever considered course certification. It surely seems odd to most of us that there is this governing body here in the U.S. that has many criteria for sanctioning tri events, with the exception of any standards for its advertised course distances.