London Olympic Games - Marathon & Race Walk Routes

David:

I am envious of your travels and experiences. The course looks great and thank you for sharing it with us. My only travel this year is a "bucket" trip to three of the four states I haven't yet been to (SD, ND, WY - AK next year) and a trip to CT for a wedding September 15 in West Park, NY. Maybe we can get together for a brew.

Update:
I will be traveling to London June 9-15 for the official measurement with Hugh Jones.

I recently pruchased a new 100 meter nylon clad steel tape which I sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology for calibration. The technician at the NIST called me yesterday to tell me that he found the tape to be long by 13 mm @ 100 meters!
He will be shipping the tape back to me with a full report. I will post the report as soon as I get it.

Looking forward to that tape report, Dave. Half an inch long seems better than anything short. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how/why the difference, and what this could mean for cal courses.

What made you decide to have it checked at NIST? Did they charge for this?

Best wishes for a great experience in London.

I purchased a 100 meter Nylon Clad Steel Tape from CST/Berger. Then sent it off to the NIST for calibration. I requested them to calibrate every 10 meters.
Here is the report (my first crack at linking!):

ooops

Here's the link to the file on my website:
http://flrrt.com/nist-calibration-1.pdf
http://flrrt.com/nist-calibration-2.pdf

I checked with the manufacturer (and so did Justin) and they told me that the tape I purcahsed is a "class 2" and that a "class 1" is more accurate. They don't sell class 1 tapes anymore because anyone requiring that degree of accuracy would use a laser.

Update:
BMW is the official vehicle supplier for the Olympic Games which includes 300 bicycles - yes the make several types!
We will be riding them during the Games for the race walks and marathon.
I leave for London on July 30, the day after my 60th birthday. My lovely wife Frances, asked me what do I want for my birthday? As if going to the Olympics wasn't enough. To make a long story short, we were able to work it out with the London folks and BMW to purchase the bike that I will be using during the Games.
Now my wife is bragging to her friends that she's buying me a BMW for my birthday!

David,
As a mere whipper snapper of 60, you will doubtless manage on an ordinary pedal bike from BMW. However, if you deteriorate like I have between 60 and 70, you will in time come to wish you had gone for an electrically assisted bicycle from BMW. There was a big publicity splash a year ago when BMW announced they would be supplying electrically assisted bikes for the Olympics. I have not seen the specs of the bikes but I will make enquiries and advise whether they will be suitable for course measurement. In order to get good measurements, You need a rear wheel electric drive and not a front wheel drive which some bikes have.

I have an electrically assisted bike (made by Kalkhoff in Germany)and you are welcome to try it out when we meet in London in June, if you have never had the experience before.

David
What ever you wind up with in London has to be much better that what you were riding in Atlanta 16 years ago. That one didn't make it to the Finish Line.
The best in London
Tom and Mary Anne

Mike,
I have been looking at the electric bikes and plan on purchasing one in the near future. I might even have a custom electric adult tricycle built with a narrow wheel base - just to experiment with. I have some theories that if proven correct will open up a large can of worms.

David,

Many thanks for your posts about the upcoming Olympic Marathon measurement. I’m avidly reading them and reliving fine memories of past London Marathons. It’s not just the course, which is full of great and scenic things, but it’s the people you get to work with. They really get it in London, and do things right. This in addition to being friendly and agreeable people.

I hope you’ll be able to find time to continue your updates.

Tom & Pete
1996, 1984 good (and not so good memories) - my bike broke down in 1996- but stll got to do the racewalks.
Pete - you hit the nail on the head. London is all about the experience, the great people I am working with. They are all family. Hugh Jones is a great person, a great measurer, and a dear friend. He has measured this course dozens of times.
I arrive on Monday morning June 11.
Monday and Tuesday we will go over both the marathon and race walk routes marking the turns (30 cm).
We will lay out a calibration course on the roadway adjacent to the Mall.
Wednesday - start the measurements at 2 am.
I would like to calibrate, measure the small loop (2.2 miles), re-calibrate, measure the 8 mile loop, then re-calibrate. This way we are never more then an hour from a calibration. It most likely will be a moot point because of the night measurement and the mimimal variation in the calibration but the calibration course is right there at the beginning/end of the loop.

So, I have the $64K question for all my friends out there- Jones and others have measured this many times. What should I tell him and the LOC if I come up with a different measurement - let's say 10-20 meters for the full 42.195K?

A. you messed up and should re-design the course and start over again.
B. only measurers on this side of the Pond know how to measure.
C. It must be the cobble stones
D. it's becasue you are measuring on the wrong side of the road.
E. the proiblem is I measured the roads and you measured the carriageways.
F. it's that metric thing
G. I am lucky to come up that close in a one shot measurement and you did a great job - don't change a thing.

One additinal problem - I still working on learning the language!

When David completes his Olympic Marathon measurement he will have measured Los Angeles, Atlanta and London, covering a span of 28 years.

Hugh Jones ties David in Olympic marathon courses measured, having measured Atlanta, Sydney, and London, but covering 16 years.



The 1984 Los Angeles Team

Left to right: John Brennand (organizer), Allan Steinfeld, Tom Duranti, Paul Christensen, Bob Letson, Pete Riegel, Jim Delaney, Tom Knight, David Katz, Bob Baumel, Pete Shandera, Carl Wisser, Tom Benjamin, Will Rasmussen and Ron Scardera.

Pete
Brings back great memories.

I give the nod to Hugh-
He was involved with the 1984 Olympic Marathon....sort of.
He placed 12th with a time of 2:13+

I wonder whether Hugh counted his paces? I'd forgotten that he had bigger fish to fry at that Olympics.

Lest you worry about what to do if your measurement of the course is less than Hugh's, rest easy. He's measured with a lot of people and it is a rare thing for anyone to get a lesser measurement.

I remember when the two of us (David & Pete)were in Atlanta before the marathon measurement and we briefly talked about checking the track's lap length with a steel tape. At first it seemed like an attractive idea, but then I considered what we would do if we found a problem with time so short. I saw no positive alternatives, so concluded that it was already measured and best to let it be.

Just arrived at my hotel in London and guess what? It's raining!!! The forecast is for rain (on and off) for the next few days.

One nice perk- they flew me over in Business Class. The inflight movie selection included Chariots of Fire. Great movie to get into gear for this assignment.

An added note- The great UK sprinter Harold Abrahams (who Chariots of Fire was based on) was also a member of the IAAF Technical Committee. I think about that each time I sit in that same meeting room in Monaco for our early meeting.

Tuesday we will layout the calibration course. This will be the first time the "newly NIST calibrated tape" will see the outside world. It has been in the box ever since it was shipped back from the calibration process.

David,

Did Homeland Security give you any hassle with the Jones counters you were going to take with you?

Pete
Good question.
Flying business class, you are allowed 3 pieces of luggage so I checked all my gear.
This included:
-the Jones Counters for the UK measurers
-my new measuring tape
-a box of pk nails.

I told the airline folks about the contents and they said no problem.....it had to be a busineess class thing.