Certified Courses: Why They Matter

“I’m a slow runner, but I’m out there doing something – and I’m involved.”

That’s been my motto for a long time now.

I consider myself old school.

For example, I wouldn’t run Boston unless I qualified, but I’m not opposed to those that decide to raise money for a charity and do so.  They’re Boston’s rules.  So be it.

I like custom bibs.  I understand the Road ID bibs and those acquired through running specialty stores help defray some expenses for start-up races, but a basic custom bib with the race’s name on it does it for me.

One more:  I like certified courses.

Other than knowing that you’ve run the correct distance – that is, if the race sets the course up properly, there are two major reasons why you certify a course.

For marathons, it is so that people can submit their qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.

Additionally, it is so that a fast time can be ratified – upon the proper paperwork being filled out and turned in – as an American overall or age-group record.

I ran the inaugural Fort Smith Half Marathon and the race producer, right up to the day before the race, was advertising that his courses were USATF certified.

Well, of course, the marathon was.  Even though it was pretty tough, you’re lot of faster runners would fall through the floor without it.

But the half wasn’t and once I was on the course, I understood why.  A couple of the middle miles ran all over the cart path of a hilly golf course.  Nobody was going to set a record at that distance.

Their thinking was likely:  Why pay to have that course certified?

I would submit, though, two more.

It shows the racer – regardless of one’s speed – that you’re serious as an event producer for meeting the sport’s best standards.

And, as a result, it shows that you're a professional – or aiming to be.

Granted, a great race can be produced without a certified course and there are some events with certified courses that have event production teams that should do something else.

So where am I going with all of this?

I started running in 2003.  The biggest thing that I’ve seen since that time – and especially in the last 9-10 years – is the introduction of hype into our sport.

And one of the tools of hype - sometimes - is “our courses are USATF certified”.

If it is an event producer that I’ve never heard of, I go right to the USATF web site to see if the paperwork has been filed and is online.

And you’re probably asking, “Why do I care if I have no plans to run them?”

It is my journalist nature that asks the question, “Why doesn't this add up (at that moment)?”

We have no real-time news in running – or triathlons, for that matter - in Texas. 

Yes, I sometimes write for and submit statistics for Texas Runner and Triathlete magazine, but it is a monthly publication.  Mostly everything is looking in the rear-view mirror – from a news perspective.

So I take to this forum – and other social media – to ask the questions, “When will see the courses?  Who measured the course?  When do we expect to see the paperwork online?”

If somebody can’t answer two out of those three, I know that they either don’t have a clue or are behind.  One of the two or both.

And if you're behind, just be honest and say so.

There are a handful of new marathons in 2018.

They include Run The Alamo 26.2 in San Antonio (held earlier this month), the Arlington Marathon (on the first Sunday in April), the Lubbock Mayor’s Marathon (two weeks later) and then, the Silo District Marathon in Waco on the first Sunday in May.

The first and the latter screamed on their web site about certified courses, but no certification numbers were listed on their sites.

I saw that Run The Alamo was adding a marathon.

I reached out to them via Facebook Messenger on February 25 and asked, “What are the USATF course certification numbers?  I couldn't find the marathon one on the USATF website.  Thanks.”

They responded the next day, “Soon to be posted Jon here and on our race sites.”

I followed up on March 4, the evening of their race, and they responded last Wednesday stating, “Courses were certified Jon with numbers going up shortly from Official Certifier and then onto USATF website.  Delay was due to last minute City construction projects that were SUPPOSED to be done AND promised but SHOCKER they were NOT.  Appreciate your patience and understanding but we'll get them up just as soon as they come in sir.  Saw firsthand just how hard our Certifier worked on the last-minute changes to THE ENTIRE course within a 2-week window.  Nothing short of miracle.”

I saw those maps online this evening and saw that the certifier was Scott Wood, the owner of Athlete Guild timing services out of New Braunfels. 

Scott and his wife do an incredible job for the running community.

I also reached out to the inaugural Silo District Marathon in Wco, which was putting out an entry fee of $150 for the marathon and $135 for the half marathon.

That made it –immediately – one of the highest-priced marathon events in the state of Texas.

Even though it is for a cancer-related charity, it just sent up red flags.

After doing a little checking round, I posted the following on their Facebook event page on February 9, “Website states "USATF Certified Route Distances".  Who's doing your course certification, when will the paperwork be posted on the USATF website (usatf.org) and has the City of Waco approved your courses yet?”

On February 20, the post was released for public viewing with the following comment from Magnolia Market, “Hey, Jon! Yes, the course will be USATF certified and up on their site soon.”

Just this past Saturday, March 10, I made a Facebook post after seeing that they were going to give out $83,000 in prize money, but noted that the course maps were still not online nor on the USATF website.

Logan Burgess, Texas’ USATF Road Course Certifier, said in a comment on that post that “USATF cert is on my desk.  Measured last week and just need to finish up documentation.”

Next up is the inaugural Lubbock Mayor’s Marathon, which will run a single loop around Loop 289 in the Hub City.

Yes, literally just like running around Loop 610 in Houston (which, by the way, I believe, is something like 32 miles around).

On March 4, the Lubbock Mayor’s Fitness Council tweeted (@Fitness_LBK) a photograph of the crew that did the course measurement so the marathon can be a Boston Marathon qualifier.

As of Tuesday, March 13, they are not yet on the USATF website, but I’m sure Logan will facilitate there soon.

The other marathon  - the Arlington Marathon, to be produced by Demery Cox’s Cox Racing Services and held on Sunday, April 8 – also stated – albeit in a January 17 comment on their Facebook event – that “Yes, this will count as a Boston Qualifier! We hope to see you all in April! :-)”

Like the Mayor’s Marathon, it still doesn’t show on the USATF website either.

My thing is this:  I just don’t want to see an event producer overpromise and not deliver.

I saw a longtime Chevron Houston Marathon veteran get taken by an event that was promised a few years ago in Galveston.

Therefore, I don’t want to see it happen to anybody else so that’s why I take the time to ferret things out.

Is you’re a race director, yes, there’s some expense to it, but go the route of certification, if possible.

Also, if I’m comparing two events, as a runner, I’ll go for the ones that are both certified and timed.