Veteran race directors of larger races, particularly marathons and half marathons, are likely familiar with the importance of course certification and may even know a bit about the process. They understand the importance their entrants place on an accurate course distance in order to compare their performance to other races and maybe qualify for another race like the Boston Marathon or the Olympic Marathon Trials. Course certification is a box most larger races check then move on to other, perhaps more pressing, items.
A “set and forget” attitude about course certification is understandable. But even the largest and most important races can make mistakes in this important area. Several recent stories about courses coming up short or long a...
