Running: Cavanagh is detailed in measuring courses
Pete Colaizzo, For the Poughkeepsie Journal 4:29 p.m. EST January 20, 2015
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal...ng-courses/22024671/
Ask Brian Cavanagh his age, and his answer (as of Jan. 12) will be 58.507813 years. Why the extreme specificity about his length of time on this planet? Well, here's the thing. Among his many roles in the sport of distance running and track and field, Cavanagh is most well-known now as an official course certifier — ensuring that road races are measured to the exacting standards of the United States track and field governing body, USATF.
USATF-certified courses are essential for earning qualifying marks for races such as the Boston Marathon. But they are also crucial in ensuring that the race distance you are running is the race distance you are running … no matter what your fancy GPS watch says.
So. Back to a middle-aged man's excruciating explanation of his exact age: "We always calculate to seven decimals when doing USATF measurement calculations,'' Cavanagh said. Yes. Of course! We all knew that, right?
Cavanagh has certified more than 80 local and regional races, including the Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club's Dutchess County Classic. His latest and greatest challenge has been certifying the three races of the highly anticipated Walkway Marathon event on June 13 — the marathon, half marathon and 5-kilometer races. In order to do this, Cavanagh has spent countless hours on his specifically calibrated bicycle in the frigid cold of early winter, making sure that the 26.2-mile, 13.1-mile and 3.1-mile races are accurately measured.
I did a lengthy interview with Cavanagh via email. Simple queries elicited responses in the hundreds of words. Such is his attention to detail, a key trait for someone charged with the important task of officially measuring road race courses. For the sake of brevity, I've whittled down his responses today to give you a glimpse into the world of an official course measurer.
What got him started in measuring courses? Back when he was a competitive runner, Cavanagh ran 1:16:40 for a 13.1-mile half marathon. The only problem was, the course was not accurate. More likely, it was about a half-mile short of this. He based a future marathon race strategy on this supposed time, and he ended up running a too-fast pace in the 26.2-miler.
"I have come to feel that race directors have a responsibility for providing an accurate course — not just T-shirts, bagels and beer,'' Cavanagh said. "The track doesn't lie, the stopwatch doesn't lie and a road race course distance shouldn't either.''
The race measurement certification process is painstaking and can even be dangerous — Cavanagh once broke his shoulder avoiding a driver running a stop sign while measuring a course. USATF-certified courses need to be measured within 0.08 percent of accuracy on two separate measurements of each course. For a marathon, that calculates to 110.748 feet; for a half marathon, the two measurements need to be within 55.374 feet; for a 5K, it's 13.12 feet.
While 110 feet might seem like a lot, the microscopic percentage of error ensures that the course distance is accurate. Ah. But, what about your GPS watch that told you that you ran 26.5 miles at the NYC Marathon instead of the accurate 26.2 miles?
Don't get Cavanagh started on GPS watches. Short story: He's not a big fan. Long story: He's not a big fan.
"Instead of being within 0.0002607 to 0.0090842 miles, I have seen GPS measurements that were commonly off by 0.200000 to 0.400000 miles over a half marathon, which is crazy when you think about the magnitude of their error and how much stock some runners place in their GPS,'' he said.
Perhaps the most important factor in accurate measurements is that the measuring device on the bicycle must be re-calibrated before and after each and every use. This separates it from what Cavanagh feels are the very flawed personal measurement devices that many runners use.
"GPS is based on an estimation, not an actual pinpointing, of where you are,'' he said. "GPS technology, Nike+ watches, Fitbit bands and the like are wonderful devices for motivating people to get out the door to be more active, to inspire them to grow in fitness and confidence, but they are not as accurate as people need and want them to be.''
During a four-day period in late December, Cavanagh biked 116 miles in a chilly four-day period and 249 miles total to get accurate measurements. As his injury can attest, course measurement is not easy. The Walkway courses afforded him the luxury of a mostly traffic-free environment in which to ply his trade.
Still, Cavanagh needed to ride within one foot of the inside of every curve and this was challenging on the ever popular Walkway on a Saturday measuring ride. "Excuse me." "Coming through." "Marathon measurement." "On your right." "On your left." "Behind you." Those were some highlights of Cavanagh's vocabulary during his measurement days. "Most people were cooperative and I thank them for it,'' he said.
In June, Cavanagh said he hopes to be among the many excited runners lining up for the Walkway half marathon. Unlike that long-ago, pseudo-fast race, he will know for a fact that every inch of the 13.1 miles was accurately measured. And don't worry. Cavanagh's nose hasn't been buried in his calibrated measuring devices. "The courses are beautiful and spectacular,'' he said. "Runners will love the area.''
Like everything else he has done with the Walkway races, Cavanagh's statement is accurate.
Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club member Pete Colaizzo, the track coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, writes on running every week in Players. He can be reached at runhed246@hotmail.com. For more club information, go to www.mhrrc.org
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