USATF Course Certification - Expiration/Renewal Policy

Because courses degrade over time, the USATF Road Running Technical Council decided in 1992 that all certifications would expire automatically 10 years after the year of issue. Initially, however, expired courses could be renewed upon testimony that the course was still in use and had not been altered. Then, in 2000, RRTC decided that such testimony is not adequate to overcome the uncertainty that inevitably creeps into every course. Therefore, all courses will simply expire after 10 years, without any possibility of renewal, and must then be re-measured in order to be recertified.

Meanwhile, to honor language on previously issued certificates, the policy change approved in 2000 is being phased in over a 10-year period. To eliminate confusion, RRTC Chairman Mike Wickiser issued a statement on July 25, 2001 containing the following information:

Road Running Technical Council Certified Course Renewal Procedure

USATF certified courses expire after ten years from original certification. Course certificates issued prior to 2001 contain renewal language and may be renewed. Courses certified in 2001 and later may not be renewed.

To renew an expired course, it is necessary to complete an Application for Renewal of Certified Course form. Forms are available for download from this website or from Stu Riegel, 18316 Ponciana Ave, Cleveland, OH 44135-3940.

The renewal application states clear questions for the race director, original measurer or technical director (i.e., person in charge of setting up the course on race day) to answer.

The completed Application for Renewal of a Certified Course must be sent to the Regional Certifier along with a copy of the original certificate & map. Applications that are sent without original maps are not to be renewed.

Once the certifier is satisfied that the course is as originally measured for certification, he or she produces a new certificate for the course, using the original course number. Using the original number allows for historical identification and proper sorting of the course list.

The expiration date for ALL renewed courses is twenty years after the year of original certification but not later than December 31, 2011.
• A 1990 course being renewed would expire at the end of 2010.
• A 2000 course renewal will expire December 31, 2011.

Certifiers will return one copy of the renewed measurement certificate to the person requesting renewal. This notifies them of the final expiration date of their course. Certifiers also send the renewal form, or a copy of it, to their Vice Chairman along with two copies of the new renewal certificate. The Vice Chairman forwards the renewal form and one copy of the new certificate to the Course Registrar to complete the process. No money is required for renewing a race course.