Unofficial adjustment

USATF rules require that for a record to stand the course must be run exactly as per the certification. Due to the alteration to the course prior to  a properly issued revision to the original certificate, that requirement wasn’t met. Therefore the record does not stand. 

I think Jack's "go-no go" interpretation of the rule is a bit restricted.  The process for record recognition involves submitting a performance report.  This allows for explanation of the circumstance of adjustment on race day.   Additionally, the steel taped adjustment could be submitted to the certifier along the original measurement data and a request for certification of the adjusted course.  If granted, the record could be recognized.  That's why I asked for the process for certification of the adjusted course.

Measurement data must be submitted before the race takes place for the certification to be effective on race day. There is no "after the fact" certification. However, for record purposes, I believe a verification ride can be done (by an assigned verifier) of the course as run on race day.

I know of one case where the runners took a wrong turn, so did not run the certified course. But a verification ride was done of the course they did run, and it was found to be long enough, so the record stood. That was a long time ago and the rules may have changed since.

Again, this is hypothetical.  The short distance of the adjustment, measured by the original measurer, from the existing certified course start and finish line nails, using a steel tape, pretty well establishes the accuracy of the adjustment and the overall course length.  My guess is that the records committee would consider all this, and assuming all the other record submittal requirements were met, recognize the record.

I'm not disagreeing with you that the record may be recognized eventually. I'm just saying that getting the adjusted course certified would be irrelevant to the question of record recognition because 1) the certification would not be effective on race day, and 2) the whole course as run on race day would have to be verified anyway (which usually means re-measured by someone else).

So this is not a hypothetical.  About 5 years ago an 8-year-old girl set a record for a half marathon that I measured.  The race director made 2 changes to the course the morning of the race so there was no time react/adjust.  One change made the course slightly longer and the other slightly shorter.  They netted each other out for the most part so I thought it wouldn't be a problem especially since we have the SCPF built in.  And, if it came down to it a verification ride could be done.  I was told that since the course was not run exactly as it had been certified that the record would not stand and that a verification ride would not save it even if the distance was found to be sufficient.  That was the last I ever heard, to this day I don't know how it ended up. 

This is road racing folks. Mark's comments are spot on.

There is difference between competing on a certified course where due to an error (most commonly a police escort) and a course that is changed for convenience.

Any course that is purposefully changed, even on race day, can be certified with that certification effective for the race day adjusted course, IF the course certifier is notified of the change before the race.

For a course that veers from the certified route due to an error can be record worthy but would be susceptible to a Verification re-measurement.

Thanks Mike.  I take it that, if I had called the certifier and informed her of the adjustment (steel tape from USATF certified course start and finish nails, in this hypothetical), there may have been a chance that a record would be recognized if all the other hoops (stopped watches, officials, record request form, validation) were jumped through.

The adjustment was real, the record setting was hypothetical.