Strictly speaking, the number of significant digits gives information on the precision of measurement. By writing "5 km", we should assume that the distance is anywhere from 4.50000001 km (infinite number of zeroes between the 5 and the 1) to 5.49999999 km (infinite number of 9s). Likewise, a race listed as "5000 m" is anywhere from 4999.50000001 (again infinite zeroes) to 5000.4999999 (infinite 9s).
screw your garmin wrote:
As a race director and timer, I'm tired of hearing from people that their $100 Garmin watch measured the course out to be 3.103 miles instead of 3.1 as advertised and their time according their wonderful watch was 19:33.4 instead of the chip timed 19:35.04.
Guess what my $30,000 timing system beats your $100 watch
A friend of mine recently ran a race- the 2017 Run for Rails 5k in Saganaw, Texas ($30), and the finish line was at 1.74 miles instead of 3.1. It turns out that the course distance was changed in the morning on race day, due to flooding, and announced in the cafeteria right before the race.
My friend was warming up and was not in the cafeteria. When she started the race, she still thought she was running a 5k, as there was no announcement about the distance change at the start line.
When she finished the 1.74 mile race, she complained to the race director and asked for a refund. She was refused, and the race director eventually told her to get off the course, or she'd find someone who would pull her off.
The race director should have refunded the money and offered to comp the next race.
Unacceptable, as it stood.