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Monthly tips for how to run a smarter race (Shortest Possible Route), accurate use of GPS, race etiquette, and other useful tips. Each issue is short and to-the-point.

What does RaceMeasure offer you, the racer/runner? Besides listing as many certified races in the U.S. that we can find (go to the Search page);

RaceMeasure certifies courses to USA Track & Field standards, assuring you that a course has been measured accurately, and that split locations are located accurately. We supply a detailed map to the Race Director, so they can lay out the course properly on race-day.

Q: What's wrong with this picture?

A: They don't have their bib numbers
on the front!

You can see the certification map for any course we have listed (we measured many of the Colorado listings, and other USATF measurers measured the rest), so you can preview the course, if you would like. And, on race-day, unless there were last-minute changes (required by weather, or construction, etc.), you will know where the course is supposed to go. If the course changes and we don't have a new map posted (check our site the day before your race to make sure nothing has changed), the course is not certified, and you should run the course as marked, accepting the inaccuracy. There may be a safety reason to follow the course as marked, so please, even if it is wrong, follow the course markings. In most cases, if the race is a "qualifier" for another race (Boston Marathon, Bolder Boulder, for instance), the deviation will be measured, and times will be adjusted accordingly, thereby allowing the race to remain a "qualifier".

"The course is not the right length".
We hear that from some runners who wear a GPS device during the race. GPS devices are not precise! If there were trees over part of the course, or the race ran between tall buildings, the GPS could have lost contact with the satellites, and the measurement is not correct. Or, due to the curves in the course, runners may not always follow the shortest possible route. This adds distance to your GPS reading. Race courses are measured using the shortest possible route that a runner may follow (and still stay on the race course).

Follow this link for visual examples of GPS inaccuracy.

There are many reasons why certified courses don't match less-precise measurements. For a more in-depth presentation, please go to Colorado Runner Magazine