Marathon courses short in the 70's and 80's?

Your understanding is incorrect Benji. The "short course prevention factor" is a recommendation, not a requirement.

This is the html version of the file

http://www.aims-association.org/measurement/MeasurementOfRoadRaceCourses.pdf

.G o o g l e automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.To link to or bookmark this page, use the following url: http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:gMmiIVlo8AEJ:www.aims-association.org/measurement/MeasurementOfRoadRaceCourses.pdf+road+race+course+measurements&hl=enGoogle is not affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its content.These search terms have been highlighted: road race course measurements ________________________________Page 1 INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ATHLETICSFEDERATIONSTHE MEASUREMENT OFROAD RACE COURSESSecond edition, 2004________________________________Page 2 ________________________________Page 3 AcknowledgementsThe IAAF wish to acknowledge the use of material first published by TheAthletics Congress of the USA in 1985 in their booklet Road Race CourseMeasurement and Certification Procedures.The IAAF would like to take this opportunity to thank the Association ofInternational Marathons and Road Races (AIMS) for its invaluable work indeveloping responsible attitudes to road race course measurement among itsmembers, and for developing the measuring techniques first instigated byJohn Jewell of the Road Runners Club (GBR) and Ted Corbitt of the RoadRunners Club of America. The first edition of this book was published in 1989 and this edition updatesmany aspects, including changes in IAAF Rules. The latest edition of the bookwas written by Dave Cundy (IAAF Area Measurement Administrator) andHugh Jones (AIMS’ General Secretary and an “A” Measurer) and IAAF owesthem a great debt of gratitude.Measurement procedures outlined in this booklet are those prescribed byIAAF/AIMS for the measurement of IAAF/AIMS races. The IAAF will onlyrecognise times on courses measured by this system for world records,qualifying times for Championships, etc.________________________________Page 4 ________________________________Page 5 ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Extracts from IAAF Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Measurement procedures - how it is done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111. Define the road race course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132. Select and measure a calibration course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14- What is a calibration course?- Selecting a location for a calibration course- Equipment required to measure a calibration course- Measuring the calibration course3. Calibrate the bicycle on the calibration course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184. Measure the road race course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19- Overview- Riding the shortest possible route5. Re-calibrate the bicycle on the calibration course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256. Calculate the length of the road race course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267. Make final adjustments to the road race course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268. Document the measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27- Overview- Drawing clear maps of the road race course- Supporting documentation________________________________Page 6 Appendices01. TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CALIBRATION COURSE . . 3102. SUPPLEMENTARY TIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Fitting the Jones counter to the wheelReading the Jones counterRiding techniquesOVERVIEWMEASURING AROUND A BARRIER OR GATEOFFSET MANOEUVRE AROUND AN OBSTACLEOFFSET MANOEUVRE ACROSS A ROADHUMAN OBSTACLESMULTIPLE RIDERSTURNAROUND POINTSHow bicycle tyres affect calibration changeTYRE PRESSURERESPONSE TO TEMPERATURE CHANGERESPONSE TO SURFACE VARIATIONCONCLUSIONMultiple calibrationsWhen to use the larger constant03. EXAMPLE OF A COURSE MEASUREMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4304. EXAMPLES OF COURSE MAPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5605. STANDARD FORMS FOR INCLUSION WITH MEASUREMENT REPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6206. MEASURING EQUIPMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7007. THE IAAF/AIMS MEASUREMENT SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7108. GUIDELINES FOR RACE DIRECTORS SEEKING IAAF/AIMS MEASUREMENT OF COURSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7409. SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7610. GLOSSARY OF TERMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80________________________________Page 7 IAAF President’s MessageRoad racing is one of the most exciting and dynamic bran-ches of our sport, and its steady growth over the yearsmeans that, for many people, it is their first point of contactwith athletics, either as participants or spectators.Furthermore, the fact that the IAAF began to recognise offi-cial World Records in road race events since 1 January2004, means that the measurement of road courses evenmore important.I am pleased to welcome this edition of The Measurement of Road RaceCourses since it replaces the first and only version that was published in 1989,and since then the sport has developed dramatically and there have beenmany changes to IAAF Rules as well as changes in the actual techniques ofmeasurement, thanks to new technologies.On behalf of the IAAF, I would like to thank AIMS, the Association ofInternational Marathons and Road Races, for its valued work in developing thesystem of measurement throughout the world and for working, together withthe International Measurement Administrators, to draw up a list of road racemeasurers who are skilled and proficient.Lamine DiackIAAF President________________________________Page 8 Extracts from the IAAF Competition Rules 2004-2005Rule 240Road Races“2.The races shall be run on made-up roads. However, when traffic orsimilar circumstances make it unsuitable, the course, duly marked, maybe on a bicycle path or footpath alongside the road, but no on softground such as grass verges or the like. The start and finish may bewithin an athletic arena.Note(i): It is recommended that, for road races staged over standarddistances, the start and finish points, measured along a straight linebetween them, should not be further apart than 50% of the racedistance.” “3.The start and finish of a race shall be denoted by a white line at least5cm wide. In events on roads the course shall be measured along theshortest possible route that a competitor could follow within thesection of the road permitted for use in the race.……….. where possible……….the measurement line should bemarked along the course in a distinctive colour that cannot be mistakenfor other markings.The length of the course shall not be less than the official distance forthe event”. “ …the uncertainty in the measurement shall not exceed0.1% (i.e. 42m for the Marathon) and the length of the course shouldhave been certified in advance by an IAAF/AIMS approved coursemeasurer.Note (i): For measurement, the “Calibrated Bicycle Method” isrecommended.Note (ii): To prevent a course from being found to be short on future re-measurement, it is recommended that a “short course preventionfactor” is built in when laying out the course. For bicyclemeasurements this factor should be 0.1% which means that each kmon the course will have a “measured length” of 1001m.Note (iii): If it is intended that parts of the course on race day will bedefined by the use of non-permanent equipment such as cones,barricades, etc. their positioning shall be decided not later than the timeof the measurement and the documentation of such decisions shall beincluded in the measurement report.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS8THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESIntroduction - Extracts from IAAF Rules________________________________Page 9 9INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSIntroduction - Extracts from IAAF RulesTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESNote (iv): It is recommended that for road races staged over standarddistances, the decrease in elevation between the start and finishshould not exceed one in a thousand, i.e. 1m per km.”This ‘decrease in elevation’ is commonly called ‘drop’. As course measurers are often asked to advise on course design, it isuseful for all measurers to have an understanding of the implications of‘separation’ and ‘drop’ (see Appendix 4).Rule 260.8World RecordsThe IAAF now recognises World Records in road races for the followingdistances: 10km; 15km; 20km; Half Marathon; 25km; 30km; Marathon;100km; Road Relay (Marathon distance only). IAAF Rule 260 states that thefollowing criteria with regard to the course must be complied with in order fora World Road Record to be ratified:“a)The course must be measured by an “A” or “B” IAAF/AIMS approvedmeasurer.b)The start and finish points of a course, measured along a straight linebetween them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance.c)The decrease in elevation between the start and finish shall not exceedan average of one in a thousand, i.e. 1m per 1km.d)Either the course measurer who certified the course or another “A” or“B” measurer in possession of the complete measurement data andmaps must validate that the course measured was the course run byriding in the lead vehicle.e)The course must be verified on site (i.e. within two weeks before, onthe day of the race or as soon as practical after the race), preferably bya different “A” or “B” measurer from the one that did the originalmeasurement.f)Road World Records set at intermediate distances within a race mustcomply with the condition set under Rule 260 and be timed accordingto IAAF Rules. The intermediate distances must have been measuredand marked during the course measurement.g)For the Road Relay, the race should be run in stages of 5km, 10km,5km, 10km, 5km, 7.195km.________________________________Page 10 ________________________________Page 11 Measurement procedures - how it is doneA calibrated bicycle fitted with a Jones/Oerth counter is the only approvedmethod of measuring road race courses. The Jones/Oerth counter, which ismounted at the hub of the bicycle’s front wheel, is named after its inventorAlan Jones and its current manufacturer Paul Oerth.The Jones/Oerth counter does not measure distance directly. It measures therevolutions and part-revolutions of the bicycle (front) wheel. Depending on theinternal gearing of the counter it may record 20 counts per revolution for theolder counters or 260/11 counts (23.63636… counts) for the newer counters.Because the circumference of bicycle wheels normally used in measurementis about 2.1m this means that each count represents approximately 9 to 11cmon the ground.The counters are available in five- or six-digit configurations. They may bepurchased from:Paul Oerth2455 Union Street, #412San Francisco, CA 94123, USAPhone: +1 415 346 4165Fax: +1 415 346 0621Email: POerth@aol.comThe cost of the counters is: USA: $70 for the five-digit model and $80 for thesix-digit model. Other countries: $75 and $85 plus postage (air mail). Visa,Mastercard and American Express cards are accepted. Payment in advanceis required.They are also available (with user-friendly modifications) from:Laurent Lacroix131 Sunnyside BlvdWinnipegManitoba R3J 3M1CanadaPhone: + 1 204 832 2301Fax: Email: llacroix@mb.sympatico.caThe cost is U$110 for a five-digit model and U$ 120 for a six-digit counter.The basis of the method of measurement is to compare the number ofrevolutions of the bicycle wheel (recorded in ‘counts’) needed to coverthe race course with the number of revolutions needed to cover astandard ‘calibration course’ of known length. The method is simple and11INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 12 INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS12THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is donedirect, but there are many important details to follow in order to obtainan acceptable measurement.The following eight steps are necessary to measure a road race course:1.Define the road race course2.Select and measure a calibration course3.Calibrate the bicycle on the calibration course4.Measure the road race course5.Re-calibrate the bicycle on the calibration course6.Calculate the length of the road race course7.Make final adjustments to the road race course8.Document the measurement.Each step is discussed in greater detail in the following pages. The main textcontains all basic information required to undertake a course measurement. Further information and more detailed explanation appears in the appendicesand is referenced from the main text.________________________________Page 13 1. Define the road race courseThe road race course is the route to be taken by participants in the event.Defining the course is the most important step in measuring a road racecourse because the measurement is irrelevant if participants in the eventfollow a different route.Before you can measure something, you must know what to measure. The race organiser will probably have a rough route in mind. Make sure thatthis route has been agreed with the highway authorities and the police. The race organiser, the police and the highway authorities must also decidewhat part of which streets will be available to the runners. Will they be ableto use the entire road, from kerb to kerb? Will they be kept to the right orleft hand side? Are there any places where the course crosses a grass orgravel area? You must know the answers to such questions before you startto measure.If runners are expected to stay to one side of the road this may causeuncertainty in measuring at corners. The precise route around each restrictedcorner must be defined prior to the measurement and set up in exactly thesame way on race day.The easiest way to define a course is to say that the runners will have full useof the entire road, from kerb to kerb, or from kerb to solid central divider, ifone exists. This leaves no doubt where the measurer should measure. SeeRiding the shortest possible route in step 4 below.On race day the race director may put up barriers for safety but, even if theseintrude into the roadway, they will only lengthen the course slightly.If you lay out a course with many restrictions and barriers it may measureshort if the race organiser omits or misplaces the barriers. If a bestperformance is involved a short course can be extremely embarrassing to therace organiser and to the measurer. So encourage the race organiser to keepthe course design simple.The end result of your work will include a map that shows the entire road race course. The map should be good enough to allow a perfectstranger, using the map alone, to measure exactly where you did. If yourcourse has any restrictions they must be clearly documented on the map. Ifthere are very many restrictions the map may be hard to draw and hard tounderstand.13INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 14 2. Select and measure a calibration courseWhat is a calibration course?A calibration course is an accurately measured base line used to calibrate thebicycle. It will be straight, paved, level and on a lightly-travelled section ofroad, free of parked vehicles. It should be at least 300m in length, although alength of 500m is recommended. A shorter calibration course near to, or on,the race course is better than a longer one distant from it. The effectiveness of the calibrated bicycle method of measurement dependson good calibration procedure, which demands quick access from thecalibration course to the race course and vice-versa. Calibrations are bestused when ‘fresh’, before conditions can change much.Selecting a location for a calibration courseChoose a location that will be safe and convenient for calibrating the bicycle.Every time you measure a road race course you will ride the calibration courseeight times (four times before the measurement and four times afterwards),and you will need to ride in both directions.Calibration courses are often measured along the edge of a straight road, thesame distance from the kerb as you would ride the bicycle when measuring(30cm). If vehicles often park on the street you may need to measure farenough from the edge of the road to avoid them (say 2.5m). Bicycle pathsnext to roads may provide suitable locations, but the surface of the calibrationcourse should be similar to that of the road race course you are going tomeasure. If you select a road where it is too busy to consider riding againstthe traffic, you may need to measure two parallel calibration courses onopposite sides of the road.The marks defining the endpoints of your calibration course must be in theroadway where your bicycle wheel can touch them, not off to the sidesomewhere. In general the endpoints should be marked by nails driven intothe road. Urban areas often have numerous permanent objects in the street(drain gratings, manhole covers, etc.) that may serve as one or both endpointsof a calibration course.Your calibration course will be most resistant to obliteration if both endpointsare permanent objects, which will mean that the calibration course will be anodd distance such as 584.75m. This is perfectly acceptable. You can alsomake your calibration course an even distance where both endpoints areclose to permanent landmarks, and where you have precisely located theINTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS14THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 15 endpoints relative to such landmarks. See the map in Appendix 3 for anillustration showing the referencing of the endpoints of a calibration course.The end points defined should be marked with nails. If the nails cannot befound at the time of a future measurement the calibration course should bere-measured.When measuring a short on-site calibration course that you will probably useonly once convenience is more important than durability. Lay out a wholenumber of tape lengths - say 10 lengths of a 30m tape.Equipment required to measure a calibration courseThe standard method of measuring a calibration course is with a steel tape.Any steel tape may be used but to be confident of accuracy use a tape madeby a well-known manufacturer of surveying and construction equipment, withtemperature and tension specifications (usually 20C, 50N) printed on theblade of the tape.Your steel tape should be at least 30m in length. You will also need maskingtape and pens, for marking tape lengths on the road, and a notebook forrecording data. A spring balance for checking the tension of the tape, and athermometer for checking roadway temperature, are recommended.Measuring the calibration courseYou can measure a calibration course with just two people but it will be easierwith a third person who can watch for traffic and take notes. In somelocations, particularly where there are no kerbs by which to align the tape, thethird person can sight the taping positions of the other two in order tomaintain a straight line measurement.Check your steel tape carefully to be sure you know where the zero point is.Not all tapes are the same.Pull the steel tape firmly to stretch it flat and straight, without twists, beforemarking.Use pieces of masking tape to stick to the pavement for marking. Putnumbers on the roll before you tear pieces of tape off for marking. This willhelp you to keep count of the tape lengths. Once you have stuck the maskingtape down in the approximate position, apply the correct tension to the steeltape using the spring balance. Then use a narrow pen to make distance markson the masking tape. Do not lose count. This is the most common source oferror.15INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 16 ________________________________Page 17 It is recommended that you use a spring balance to apply the correct tension.However if a spring balance is not available, a strong pull on the tape issufficient.Even where a spring balance is available, once the measurer has determinedthe ‘feel’ of the correct tension it may be possible to dispense with thespring balance and apply the estimated tension by firmly pulling on the tapeend.To avoid twisting the tape when walking from one taping position to the nextmaintain some tension in the tape and hold it in a consistent position.You must tape the course at least twice. Normally the second measurementwill be done in the reverse direction from the first. Use a new set ofintermediate taping points displaced by, say, one metre, from those usedearlier. This will require new pieces of masking tape to be laid down.Treat the second measurement as a check of the distance between the sameendpoints that you measured the first time. The second measurement willresult in a second number indicating the distance between your originalendpoints, and not a new set of endpoints. Your final result will be based onthe average of both measurements.If the second measurement is significantly different to the first measurement,further measurements should be undertaken until reasonable agreement isreached. As a guide, a discrepancy of 5cm on a 500m calibration course wouldbe regarded as a significant difference.At this stage you may wish to use the bicycle to check that you have notmade any major mistake. The counts obtained on the calibration courseshould be very close to the counts obtained on other calibration courses of thesame length. If you are riding an unfamiliar bike, obtain the counts betweenthe ends of a single tape length. Multiply this by the number of tape lengthsyou measured and use it as a check of the length of the entire calibrationcourse. Any error in the measurement process at this stage will lead toserious consequences later.You may then adjust the corrected length of the course to obtain a desiredeven distance, such as 500m.Before driving in the nails to mark the endpoints, your measurements shouldbe adjusted for temperature, although this will have minimal impact on thewhole measurement procedure. See Appendix 1 for a full explanation of howto adjust the length of a calibration course to account for temperature.17INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 18 INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS18THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done3. Calibrate the bicycle on the calibration courseThe aim in calibrating the bicycle before doing the road race coursemeasurement is to calculate the number of counts registered on theJones/Oerth counter for every kilometre ridden on the bike. This figure iscalled the working constant.To calibrate the bicycle, follow these nine points: 1. Check the condition of your bicycle’s tyres. They should be firmly inflated.You should ride the bicycle for several minutes just before beginning tocalibrate. This will ensure that the tyres are at air temperature and reduce thevariation in the counts recorded in your series of calibration rides. Do notcalibrate immediately after taking the bicycle out of a vehicle.2. At one endpoint of the calibration course slowly roll the front wheel forwardthrough to the count at which you will begin the calibration ride. This willensure that the spoke of the wheel is driving the ‘finger’ of the counter. Lockthe front wheel with the brake and place the axle directly over the endpointof the calibration course. Record the counter reading. Whenever a reading istaken, this should always be done in the same way (for example, always sightdownward from directly above the hub of the wheel).3. Ride the bicycle over the calibration course in as straight a line as possibleand with the same weight and equipment on the bicycle as will be usedduring the measurement of the road race course. A calibration ride should beone non-stop ride. Try to maintain a constant riding posture. Changing yourposition will change the pressure on the front tyre and affect the calibrationreadings. See Appendix 2 – Riding techniques – for a full explanation.4. Stop the bicycle just before reaching the other endpoint of the calibrationcourse and roll it slowly forward until the axle of the front wheel is directlyover the endpoint. Lock the front wheel and record the counter reading.straight, flat section of surfaced road of known length (e.g. 500m), measured by steel tapePK nailor permanent landmark PK nailor permanent landmarkmaintain a consistent viewing position for reading the countercounter reading 1counter reading 2e.g. 1 7 0 0 0e.g. 2 2 5 8 4________________________________Page 19 5. With the front wheel still locked by the brake, turn the bicycle around andplace the axle of the front wheel directly over the endpoint of the calibrationcourse. After you have repositioned the bike and before you start the nextcalibration ride check that there has been no change to the counter readingrecorded at the end of your previous ride. 6. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 until you have made a total of four calibration rides(two in each direction).7. For each ride, subtract the counter reading taken at the start of the ridefrom that at the end. Compare the four rides. If the number of counts on anyride is very different to the number of counts on other rides, discard that rideand undertake an additional ride until four reasonably consistent rides areobtained. The inconsistent ride may have been caused by swerving to avoida person, dog, vehicle, etc.8. Add the number of counts obtained for the consistent rides. Divide the totalnumber of counts for the calibration rides by the number of rides you havemade (in most cases, four). This will give you an average number of countsfor one calibration ride.9. Divide this average by the length of the calibration course in kilometres toobtain the number of counts per kilometre (multiply this by 1.609344 if youwish to obtain the number of counts per mile).10. Multiply the number of counts per kilometre by 1.001 to obtain theworking constant. The ‘short course prevention factor’ (SCPF) of 1.001 isapplied to recognise the error in measurement by the calibrated bicyclemethod (one part in a thousand). Applying the SCPF is intended to result inroad race courses which are at least the distances stated, within the limits ofmeasurement precision. It may also mean that very slight variations in thecourse layout on race day will not invalidate the measurement.Once you have calculated the working constant you can go to measure theroad race course. When you are finished, return to the calibration course.4. Measure the road race courseOverview Once you have calibrated the bicycle you will have determined a workingconstant. Use this constant to measure the road race course.Go to one end of the race course. Either end will do – as long as you follow theproper line, the direction of measurement does not matter. If the race director19INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 20 has a fixed position for the finish line, you may need to start there and measurein reverse; if the start is fixed, you should begin the measurement there.Look at your Jones/Oerth counter. Rotate the wheel until the counter showsa figure (say a round thousand) which will be convenient to use as a startingcount, and then lock the front wheel with the brake.Calculate how many counts it will take to reach the various split points youwish to note along the course (eg. every kilometre, every mile, or every 5km).Add these to the starting count. When you have finished calculating you willhave listed the appropriate count for each split point (in marathons, don’tforget the halfway split). Remember, if you are measuring from the finish tothe start, your first split in the marathon will be after 195m, and in the halfmarathon after only 97.5m.Ride along the course stopping either at or near the pre-calculated counts.Then either make a mark on the road, using paint or waterproof crayon, whenthe counter records the calculated numbers, or record the count at a nearbypermanent landmark, such as a numbered lamp post (this will be differentfrom the pre-calculated count, but not by very much).Record the location of the paint or crayon mark for later documentation ornote a description of the permanent landmark. Such descriptions should beprecise and unambiguous (e.g. if you stop at a road junction, note with whichkerb of the road you are aligned). In rural areas where there may be fewerpermanent landmarks along the roadside, you may have to use paint marks.When you reach the end of your list of pre-calculated counts, you will haveestablished a tentative race course.It may prove impossible or too dangerous to do the measurement in anunbroken ride from start to finish (or finish to start); for example - if the racecourse uses sections of one-way streets or carriageways where there isoncoming traffic. In these cases you may need to break off and reverse thedirection of your measurement ride, before resuming at the end of thissection.Make sure you select identifiable points at which to break the ride, preferablycorresponding to permanent landmarks which can be mentioned in the coursedocumentation. Making additional marks with paint in these locations will allowyou to sight them in good time as you approach from the opposite direction.Riding the shortest possible routeThe road race course is defined by the shortest possible route that a runnercould take without being disqualified. Any particular runner is most unlikely toINTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS20THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 21 follow the shortest possible route, just as a track runner cannot always holdthe inside kerb for the length of the race, but must move out in order toovertake other runners. The actual path of any given runner is irrelevant. Theshortest possible route is theoretically well-defined and unambiguous.Defining a road race course in this way ensures that all runners will run atleast the declared race distance.Your measured path must be the shortest possible route (SPR) within thelimits of the course boundaries. Imagine how a stretched string would fitwithin the boundaries of the course. Follow that imaginary string when youmeasure. Runners may swing wide to take corners but do not attempt tomeasure what you think they will do. The exact SPR is the proper route tofollow.Measuring the SPR means hugging the inside edges of bends. The path youshould attempt to measure officially lies 30cm from the kerb or other solidboundaries to the running surface. Attempt to maintain this distance on bendsand at corners. On stretches between bends the SPR takes the shortestpossible straight path. It will cross from one side of the road to the other,whenever necessary, to minimise the distance.The shortest possible route in various different road configurations is shownbelow:21INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 22 TurnsWinding roads – use of full width of roadINTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS22THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 23 23INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESWinding roads – use of half of the road only (runners may not cross thecentre line)Lap coursesThe previous illustrations show a lap course. A multi-lap course is not suitablefor mass races. If thousands of runners (or even hundreds) are competing thecourse should consist of no more than two laps.Ultra distance races are often run on multi-lap courses. Relatively few runnerscomplete many laps (eg. 50 runners may complete 20 x 5km laps in a 100kmrace). In such circumstances it is very important that the lap length ismeasured accurately. Any under-estimate of the lap length will be multipliedmany times over in calculating the full race distance. Several measurementsof the lap should be made (two at minimum; three is recommended) and theshortest lap length recorded should be used as the official lap distance.Turnaround pointsMost races featuring turnaround points mark these with a single cone whichrunners must keep always on their left or right side. The simplest way tomeasure such a layout is to ride up to the position of the turn, lock the frontwheel, record the count, turn the bicycle around and then continue themeasurement back in the other direction.Where turnarounds are not “points”, but are more elaborately laid out with anarc of cones at a specific radius from the centre of the turnaround, this is stillthe best way to measure them. You can calculate the amount by which such________________________________Page 24 a defined turn increases the running path and add it to your measured courselength. See Appendix 2 – TURNAROUND POINTS - for a full explanation.The course must be measured as it will be when the race is run. If youdetour around parked cars, or other obstructions which will not be presenton race day, your measurement may make the course too short. You maymeasure around obstructions, such as a car parked on the inside of a bend,using an offset manoeuvre - measuring on the pavement if necessary. SeeAppendix 2 – OFFSET MANOEUVRE AROUND AN OBSTACLE – for a fullexplanation.Repeatedly doing this is time consuming. Moving gradually out into the roadto avoid a line of parked cars, and gradually back to the kerb after passingthem, will add little distance to your measurement on relatively straightsections. For example, moving out 20m before and back 20m after will addabout 20cm to your measurement; if you observe a 50m approach and returnthe additional distance will be 8cm.Remember the warning about course restrictions: if cones and barricades arenot in position on race day, runners may cut distance from the course as itwas measured. Race marshals, even if they are in position, will find itimpossible to enforce a longer route than that allowed for by the physicalbarriers in place.Road races are run on the road, but if there is nothing to stop runners cuttingover sidewalks or grass verges at particular corners then they are very likelyto do so. If they do, they will then run shorter than the measured route. Yourmeasurement report should make it very clear, in such locations, what mustbe done to prevent short cutting by runners.You may have to specify the placement of barriers, or state where plastic tapeshould be stretched between lamp posts or stakes. The positioning of conesis not sufficient to prevent corner cutting unless a course marshal is availableto note race numbers of runners who do not observe the coned route. If youcannot be sure that race restrictions will be enforced you should measure theshortest possible route according to whatever permanent boundaries do existand are likely to be observed by runners.If the definition of the course does depend on the use of barriers, cones etc.the correct position of these must be indicated on the course map. If runnersare restricted to one side of the road only, you must be sure to specify exactlywhere they will run when turning corners. This can vary greatly and make asignificant difference to the measured length of the course (see below). Thereshould be no doubt about the measured path.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS24THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 25 Sometimes the sides of roads are poorly defined and you must decidewhether to measure on the road itself or a dirt shoulder. It is probably best toremain on the hard road surface unless the route on the dirt is obviouslyshorter. 5. Re-calibrate the bicycle on the calibration courseThe aim in re-calibrating the bicycle after the measurement is to checkwhether there has been any change in the number of revolutions and part-revolutions of the bicycle wheel which correspond to the length of thecalibration course during the measurement of the road race course. This is tobe expected, mainly due to temperature variations. If the temperature hasincreased, the calibration constant will be smaller. A slightly larger calibrationconstant may result when the temperature has dropped. Unexpected changecould indicate that there is some other reason for it, such as a slow punctureof the tyre.It is best to complete the post-measurement calibration as soon after themeasurement as possible, before there is time for conditions to change.Repeat steps 2 – 6 as in the pre-measurement calibration. Again, four ridesare required for the post-measurement calibration.25INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 26 The average post-measurement count obtained (step 8) should be divided bythe length of the calibration course in kilometres (step 9) and multiplied by1.001 (step 10) to obtain the finish constant.Remember that each day’s measurement must be preceded and followed bycalibration rides. You may measure as much as you want in a day, so long ascalibration closely precedes and follows measuring. Frequent re-calibration‘protects’ the previous measurement. A smart measurer will re-calibratefrequently – you never know when a flat tyre is coming.6. Calculate the length of the road race courseTo calculate the length of the road race course, you must first calculate theConstant for the Day. This is the average of the working constant and finishconstant. Calculate it by adding those constants and dividing by two.The next step is to calculate the total number of counts recorded in riding theshortest possible route between the start and finish along the prescribed raceroute. This figure is then divided by the constant for the day. The resultobtained is the length of the road race course.For example, if your Jones/Oerth counter has registered 110526 counts whenriding the shortest possible route, and the constant for the day is 11059, thedistance of the road race course is 110526 divided by 11059 = 9.9942km.In some circumstances it may be appropriate to use the larger of the workingconstant and finish constant, rather than the average of those constants, asthe constant for the day. See Appendix 2 – When to use the larger constant –for a further explanation.7. Make final adjustments to the road race courseIt is only after calculating the length of the course using the constant for theday that final adjustments can be made to the road race course. You will mostprobably need to add or subtract some distance to make the road race coursethe desired length.Depending on the configuration of the race course, adjustments can be madeat the start, at the finish, or at a turnaround point. If more radical adjustmentsare required, like re-routing along different roads, then these will have to bedone using the calibrated bicycle. Further use of the calibrated bicycle rendersthe post-measurement calibration insufficient: it was done before theadjustments were measured. Therefore another set of calibration rides mustbe done after using the bike to make any further adjustments.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS26THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 27 Relatively short adjustments should be made using a steel tape. Rememberthat intermediate split points will also have to be re-positioned to take theadjustments into account, unless these are made at the finish line. If youadjust the start, all other points will require adjustment.If you adjust at a turnaround point remember that any extension or retractionof the turnaround position will increase or decrease the race distance bydouble that amount. If the road race course is a multi-lap course with aturnaround point, any adjustment of that turnaround point will increase orreduce the race distance by four times the adjustment if a two lap course; sixtimes the adjustment if a three lap course; and so on.Converting a turnaround point marked with a single cone into an arc of conesthat enforces a defined running path can add distance, as mentioned above inthe section on Riding the shortest possible route and described further inAppendix 2.See Appendix 3 for an example of a course measurement. It will reinforce allof the lessons from step 2 through to step 7. The example also highlights howto handle a measurement where two or more riders are involved.8. Document the measurementOverviewIt makes no sense to measure something unless you document what youmeasured. If you do not do this properly you will be the only person who cansay where the course is supposed to go, or where it begins and ends. Painton the road is not enough. The documentation must be sufficient to allow thecourse to be checked in the event of a re-measurement being required (asmandated, for example, after a world best performance has been set). Withinthe documentation you must include a map of the road race course which isclear enough to allow the race director to re-establish the course even if theroads were re-surfaced.Drawing clear maps of the road race courseThe course map is the most important part of the documentation of thecourse. It should provide all the information needed to run the race using thecourse as certified. The map must clearly show the course route, indicating all the streets androads it uses. Include any annotations which are necessary to make the routecompletely clear and unambiguous (e.g. what part of each road is available to27INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 28 the runners). Good maps are usually not drawn to scale. Portions may beenlarged or distorted to show particular details, such as when a race starts orfinishes in a stadium, or when a turnaround point must be established.The locations of start, finish and any turnaround points must be preciselydescribed using taped distances from nearby permanent landmarks. Thesedescriptions must be clear enough to allow a complete stranger to accuratelyre-locate the points with no assistance other than from the informationsupplied on the course map. This may require you to draw enlarged details ofthese points. They should be included on the same sheet of paper as thecourse-length map.If the course is laid out so that runners have use of the entire road, the mapwill be easier to draw. If there are restrictions to the use of particular roadsthe map must show exactly how the runners will be guided onto theprescribed path. All those objects (barriers, cones etc.) which may be used todo this must have their location indicated precisely on the map.The actual measured path – the shortest possible route - should be indicatedon the map by an unbroken line. Use arrowheads to indicate the direction ofthe race. This line should show how the measurer negotiated the bends in aroad, how each turn was taken, and how any turnaround point or restrictedturn should be set up. Road widths on the map will have to be exaggeratedin order to show this information clearly.Several copies of the course documentation will have to be prepared. Yourmap should use black and white only, to allow for easy copying. If the courseis complicated, or the map very detailed, you may wish to produce it on alarger sheet of paper and reduce the finished product down to a single A4sheet.If you have located split points along the road race course these should alsobe documented so that they can be re-located when necessary. To avoidclutter on your course-length map, you may wish to prepare a separate listdescribing each split location (with or without individual sketch maps). It willstill be helpful to the race organiser if the number of the split appears on thecourse-length map in the approximate location.See Appendix 4 for examples of course maps.Supporting documentationThe course map must be accompanied by a written measurement reportwhich includes notes about how the measurement was undertaken,INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS28THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESMeasurement procedures - how it is done________________________________Page 29 29INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSMeasurement procedures - how it is doneTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSEShighlighting any unusual aspects. Documentation that must be included withthe report includes:• Application for Certification of a Road Race Course• Summary of Measurements• Overview of the Measurement Procedure [what you did in your ownwords]• Detail of the Calibration Course• Steel Taping Data Sheet• Bicycle Calibration Data Sheet• Course Measurement Data Sheet• Course Map [the map is mandatory but not standard: you produce ityourself]See Appendix 5 for copies of standard forms. You may use these standardforms or design your own forms for inclusion in your measurement report. Ifdesigning your own forms, it is important that you follow the format providedin the standard forms and do not eliminate any information.________________________________Page 30 ________________________________Page 31 Appendix 1TEMPERATURE ADJUSTMENT OF THE CALIBRATIONCOURSEYou can ensure a high level of accuracy for your calibration course if you adjustthe measured length to account for the temperature. This is because moststeel tapes are properly accurate at 20C. At colder temperatures theycontract, becoming shorter. At warmer temperatures they expand, becominglonger. A short calibration course will lead to a short race course.To correct for temperature, you can use the following table or the formulabelow:CORRECTION FACTORS FOR CALIBRATION COURSES Correction factors are in centimetresLENGTH OF CALIBRATION COURSEExample: You lay out a 600m calibration course at 10°C. To correct fortemperature, add 7cm to the length before you put down permanent marks.If temperature is 25°C, remove 3cm before putting down final marks. Temperature Correction FormulaCorrected average length = average length [ 1 + (average temperature – 20)x 0.0000116]If the average temperature is more than 20°C the correction factor is morethan one. The corrected length will be longer than the measured length.31INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSAppendicesTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESTemp300m400m500m600m700m800m900m1000m35°C-5-7-9-10-12-14-16-1730°C-3-5-6-7-8-9-10-1225°C-2-2-3-3-4-5-5-620°C0000000015°C2233455610°C35678910125°C57910121416170°C79121416192123- 5°C912151720232629- 10°C1014172124283135________________________________Page 32 If the average temperature is less than 20°C the correction factor is lessthan one. The corrected length will be shorter than the measured length.Appendix 2SUPPLEMENTARY TIPSFitting the Jones/Oerth counter to the wheelThe Jones/Oerth counter is mounted on the left hand side of your front wheelwhere it can be seen while riding. The counter fits between the wheel huband the fork. Remove the wheel, and then take off any nuts or washers (orthe quick-release mechanism) from the axle. If you have a quick-release hubthe counter may not fit on the axle and still leave enough threads for the forkto rest on. You may have to remove a spacing washer or adjust the nuts whichkeep the bearing in place, to move the axle further to the left.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS32THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESAppendices________________________________Page 33 After replacing the wheel on the bike with the counter fitted to it, you mayfind that the whole counter rotates with the wheel. To free up the counterfrom the wheel place a washer between the hub and the counter. If your frontwheel is fitted with a mudguard, you may find that the nuts holding themudguard stays press against the rotating disc of the counter and push it outof alignment. A spacing washer fitted between the counter and the forkshould prevent this.Reading the Jones/Oerth counterElectronic odometers are available which are fitted to the front wheel andprovide digital readouts that you can attach to the handlebars. These areinsufficiently accurate for measurement purposes, but they can alert you tothe upcoming kilometre points so that you do not have to strain continuouslyto read the Jones/Oerth counter. With or without this aid, it may be helpful tolist the target counter readings for intermediate stops on a folded sheet ofpaper and attach this to the brake cables where you can refer to it easily.Lock the front wheel with the brake before reading the counter. If youovershoot a kilometre point, it is best to make a mark where you happen tobe, or preferably to note the counter reading at a nearby permanent landmark.You can then precisely locate the split point by measuring backwards with atape later. Try to avoid wheeling the bicycle backwards.If you do have to back up, be sure you move the bicycle forward again beforetaking a counter reading. This eliminates the ‘backlash’ effect which ariseswhen the ‘finger’ of the Jones/Oerth counter is free to move back andforward slightly between the spokes of the wheel.Riding techniquesOVERVIEWTry to keep a relaxed, consistent riding position and ride in as straight a line aspossible. Don’t worry about slight wobble. If you ride the road race course inthe same way that you ride the calibration course, you will get good results.Try to use only the back wheel brake. If the front wheel locks and skids, youwill be covering distance without the Jones/Oerth counter registering thatdistance.To assist in riding a straight line, locate a distant point in a direct line to whereyou need to ride and aim for it. If you cannot see which way the road turnsover the brow of a hill, look at which way roadside light or telephone poles goand use this as an indicator. Be aware of a natural tendency to track diagonally33INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSAppendicesTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 34 across the road too abruptly, reaching the other side before the shortestpossible route would do so. Watch for slight bends in the road so that you donot stay too close to the kerb when the shortest possible route would becutting across the road markings to the crown of the next bend.When you see potholes or bumps, do not swerve to avoid them. Slow down,or if it is a bad one, stop, dismount, and walk the bike through. Changes ofpressure on the front tyre will not matter for such short distances. You willalso have to dismount when you come to a barrier blocking the road (seebelow).MEASURING AROUND A BARRIER OR GATEStop at the gate.Mark the roadway at the backof the rear wheel.Lock the front wheel.Pick up the bicycle.Place the front of the frontwheel over the mark.Unlock the front wheel.Roll the bicycle forwards to the gate. Lock the front wheel.Pick up the bicycle.Carry the bicycle around the gate(or ride to the other side andre-set the counter).Set the bicycle down so that therear wheel touches the gate.Unlock the front wheel.Resume measuring.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS34THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESAppendices________________________________Page 35 ________________________________Page 36 If an obstruction stretches for some distance but does not block the wholeroad width – the most common example of this is a single awkwardly-parkedcar – you can do one of two things: measure around it, or perform an “offsetmanoeuvre”. If the obstacle is on a long, straight section of the course,gradually move sideways to clear it. If it is on the inside of a bend ride to apoint before it, lock your wheel and move the bicycle sideways until you haveclear space ahead of you. Roll the bicycle forward until you are clear of theobstruction. Lock the wheel again and move sideways back to the shortestpossible route of the road race course. Then resume measuring.OFFSET MANOEUVRE AROUND AN OBSTACLEOFFSET MANOEUVRE ACROSS A ROADIt may not be possible to measure some sections of a road race course withreasonable safety at any time. An escort, whether of police vehicles or a truckequipped with arrows and blinkers used for traffic control, is the best way todeal with this.If there is no escort, and you have to measure a section of the course bytracking diagonally across traffic (especially oncoming traffic), a similar offsetmanoeuvre can be used. Simply lock the wheel when you arrive at aconvenient mark running at right-angles across the roadway - such as apedestrian crossing or an expansion joint. Pick the bike up and carry it acrossINTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS36THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESAppendices________________________________Page 37 the road. Resume measuring at the same joint or crossing line on the otherside. This will slightly increase the length of the course (if you cross a 10mwide road in 100m of road length, you will have measured 100m, but theactual distance will probably be about 100.5m).HUMAN OBSTACLESHuman obstacles may also present a problem. Pedestrians, runners, skatersand other cyclists may block the shortest possible route you are trying tomeasure. Slow down, and stop if necessary. Unlike inanimate obstacles, theywill most likely soon change position and move out of your way. You mayneed to explain that you are measuring a race course and have to ride in astraight line. If you are courteous, they will nearly always make room for you.It is best to choose a time to measure when traffic of all kinds is at aminimum.MULTIPLE RIDERSIf two or more people are measuring together, then they should all measurethe same thing. They should take counter readings at the same permanentlandmarks or a single set of paint marks made by the lead rider. No other ridershould pre-calculate the counter readings for the intermediate points. It isbest if the riders, although stopping at the lead rider’s marks, do not simplyfollow the leader but make their own independent judgement of where theshortest possible route lies. This may require long gaps between the riders. Ifmeasuring with a police escort, it will not be possible to allow such large gaps37INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONSAppendicesTHE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSES________________________________Page 38 to open up. See the ‘Example of a Course Measurement’ at Appendix 3 foran explanation of how to interpret data when there is more than one rider.TURNAROUND POINTSNo runner turns instantaneously, spinning on the foot like a ballet dancer. If acourse features a turnaround point, you have the option to dictate howrunners may negotiate the turn by specifying how the turn should be laid out.When you measure to a point, reverse direction and then measure back fromit no allowance has been made for how runners will turn. Most suchturnaround points will be marked with a single cone. The measurementtherefore ignores the small semi-circular turnaround path that the runnertakes around the cone. This is extra distance. If the cone has a 20cm x 20cmbase, then the runners’ path can be assumed to lie 30cm beyond it – that is,at a radius of 40cm from the point itself. The turnaround path will thereforebe 0.4m x pi = 0.4m x 22/7 = 1.25m.This is a trivial distance, but if enough road width is available significantlylarger-radius turnaround points can be designed using a semi-circular arc ofcones. This will mean that the runners do not have to slow so much at theturn, and bunching of runners will be reduced.For example, if a turnaround is designed with an arc of cones laid out at a 2mradius centred on the turnaround point to which you have measured, this willadd 2.3m x pi to the shortest possible route (7.22m). The length of the arc ofcones is 2m x pi, but the running path is further offset 30cm from the line ofcones, just as it is from the kerb of the road. Distance added by suchturnaround designs may be cut from the course in other places, but it can beremoved at the same turnaround by bringing the centre of the turning circleback by half of the distance added (in this case, 3.61m).Note that when designing walks courses, typically 2km in length, they usuallyfeature two turnaround points. To reduce the need to slow at the turns, andso continually disturb the competitors’ walking rhythm, such turns shouldwherever possible have a 5m turnaround radius (walking path = 5.3m x pi, or16.65m)How bicycle tyres affect calibration changeCalibrating the bicycle wheel before and after measurement establishes thecalibration constant on which the measurement depends. This procedure willusually get good results, but the measurer should be aware of three mainfactors which are continually changing the precise calibration of the wheel.INTERNATIONALASSOCIATION OFATHLETICSFEDERATIONS38THE MEASUREMENT OF ROAD RACE COURSESAppendices________________________________Page 39 TYRE PRESSUREAny reduction in pressure as the air leaks from a pneumatic tyre will cause thecalibration constant to increase. A flat tyre dramatically increases thecalibration constant and will be immediately obvious. If you get a flat front tyrebefore you have re-calibrated all your measurement is void. You must startagain. For this reason, it is best to re-calibrate as frequently as possible. Thisprotects the measurement already done. If you get a flat rear tyre you can fixit and go back to the last point at which you took a counter reading beforepuncturing. The rear tyre has no effect on the calibration of the front tyre.If you get a slow leak, you may not realise that you have punctured before yourecalibrate. The large increase in constant should alert you to the leak,particularly if you are re-calibrating at a higher temperature than that at whichyour pre-measurement calibration was done (when you would expect asmaller constant). Even a slow leak invalidates all the measurement donesince the previous calibration.Do not take tyre pressure between calibrations. Using the pressure gauge letssome air out of the tyre and changes its calibration.All pneumatic tyres demonstrate very slow leakage by diffusion of air throughthe rubber inner tube. The calibration constant may increase by between oneand five counts/km each day due to this slow diffusion. For this reason weneed to complete measurements and calibrations promptly, and always withina 24 hour period.U

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