quote:Do any of you have any evidence that Eric Blake actually ran a certified 42,195 meters on this treadmill, the internationally recognized distance for a standard marathon? Most treadmills are dreadfully inaccurate in terms of distance. Is there even a certification process for treadmills?
When I've seen these done, there is usually a surveyor's wheel affixed to the front handrail in such a way that it contacts the moving belt near the front of the machine. It seems this would allow it to bounce somewhat and lose contact - this could make the "course" long or short, I suppose.
I think the only truly accurate method would be to paint a stripe on the belt, then use a tape to measure the actual circumfrance of the belt, then figure out the distance mathematically.