Skip to main content

Given that a quality road race is run over a USATF certified race course, how do we convince race directors to certify?  It appears that the "non big event" running population is not demanding accurate course distances from their race directors.  IMO, at least half the field in New England's small races don't care about the accuracy of the advertised distance.  This surely reduces the demand on race directors for certified courses.  It appears that there's no real "carrot" for certifying one's course and no "stick" for not certifying.

I don't have a solution, does anyone?

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

One benefit for the RD is that he doesn't really have to deal with people wearing GPS watches telling him his course is the wrong distance. If he doesn't get it certified his course probably will be the wrong distance, and he will get plenty of those complaints. He'll still get some of those people complaining if he does get it certified, but in that case he can just send them to the course measurer.

Around the D.C. region, where I do most of my measuring, it seems to me that a non-trivial percentage of runners - the more serious types, obviously - just won't register for a race on a non-certified course unless it is for their own fave charity or is on a XC course. I explain to clients that the cost of certification is easily justified by the additional entry fee revenue that would go missing without the certification. And, if the race is an annual event, the amortized cost of the certification may be less than a couple of entry fees per year. Stating this fact doesn't always convince, but it usually works for me.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×