Recently, I was retained to certify a new 5K course in a Washington, D.C. park. The course is a lollipop configuration, or maybe more like a lacrosse stick. The map is attached. There are at least 3 certified courses on this exact piece of real estate, each with a different Start-Finish as required by the event in question.
While measuring, I stopped at the calculated turn around point to double-check my numbers and to mark the spot. As I looked down to the ground, I saw a nail in the pavement. It was surrounded by faint paint marks indicating a turn around point. I instantly recognized Bob Thurston's spray paint writing, which is easily identifiable via its immaculate letters. Next, I saw that my front hub was directly over this nail.
How many of us have had a similar experience? Here we have two measurers, with different equipment, different cal courses, on different days, measure to the exact same points for a given distance. For me, this is one of the best validations that our process works when it is properly executed.
