The fast course

Jeff,

I suppose it's possible that a hilly course could be faster than a flat one. My marathon best happened on a hilly course - but only after I had run it 7 times and learned how.

If the 5k in question is not certified, it is highly probable that it is short. Almost every uncertified course that gets measured for certification is found to be short.

Both the mens and the womens 8K road world records are set on the Crazy 8s couse in Kingsport, TN. The race website (http://www.crazy8s.org) gives an elevation profile of the course and I have run it several times. It is not particularly flat, but the race organizers attract world class elite athletes to come compete every year. Sometimes it's the level of competition and not the course that creates PR's. I'm sure that every measurer out there agrees with Pete that 999 times out of a 1000 an uncertified course is typically short.

On the elite level, there's nothing like stupendous prize and appearance money to make a course fast.

Many thanks for the respones!

I have found several markings on the road which I think may be the turnaround. They look like this:


Is this a common symbol someone may use to indicated a turnaround?

I have no problem with the way that is marked but where is the nail and washer? That should be the proof you are looking for to differentiate. Also, if it is indeed certified, have they not given you a specific landmark and a distance from that point to prove which one is the specific turn around you are in search of? (i.e. 42.5 meters south of driveway at 3214 Elm Street) .05 miles is almost 88 yds--that kind of direction should tell you which one it is..

I have enjoyed learning how others are using technology to their advantage with the use of digital cameras, GPS devices etc. to fix these problems by providing them to the Race Director. Hopefully these type of issues will be less frustrating in the future. A lot of our courses around here share the same roads--it would be cool to see clearer distinguished marks and a universal solution to this problem. One measurer I have spoken to had unique washers for each event with the name of the race stamped on there, the split and a cool little runner logo. I do see that surveyors often have numbers stamped on the washers for their reference at a minimum for certain types of jobs.