The LaSalle Race has recently changed its courses. There was some discussion between the measurer, André, and race director, Mike, about keeping the course records from the old route and using them for the new one.
Here's an edited version of the exchanges and my response. I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Laurent
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“Please put on the site the record changes I requested. Those are the LaSalle records. Some were made on a different but accurate course, measured the circuit, by outstanding runners. It is important to respect these people.
Mike”
“As soon as a new course is measured, old records are replaced by the new course records. You can not keep old records as official records.
André”
“You're putting in question the accuracy of the LaSalle race history and the great runners who have competed over 27 years. I don't intend to throw that away.
Mike”
“That is not the point, if you change a course for a new one, the old record does not hold anymore for it does not have the same course difficulties. History does not play for records and records are made to be broken or changed. Since its beginning, the Circuit has always scratched out all records when a new course was replacing an old course. It has happened at Ile-Bizard, Saint-Laurent for their new courses, Pierrefonds went they changed for Parc Nature, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, to name a few.
André”
“There's no question that the historic records should be preserved, though André has a point that comparing different courses is akin to comparing apples and oranges. I can't comment on this event since I don't know how significant a change has been made. I suggest you take the approach of the Boston Marathon which recognizes the performances of many fine athletes over the years despite changing courses, standards and methods in course measurement. http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/Records.asp
The new and old courses are not listed as certified so the times are meaningless, nationally and internationally. I have recently been in contact with Gabriel Duguay, who had 130 courses certified through Athletics Canada. These files were destroyed and there no longer exists any record of the work he performed in the 70s and 80s; I don't know if the old course falls into that category.
As for the official status of any road running records, Athletics Canada does not recognize any distance other than the marathon for record purposes, although some provincial branches do. http://www.athletics.ca/article.asp?id=454 http://www.athletisme.qc.ca/sousmenus/4_statistiques.html
Laurent“
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