USATF Course Certification - Tools for Course Measurers

Course Measurement Manual

View or download the Course Measurement Procedures Manual

Measuring Equipment

Jones/Riegel (JR) Counters (NEW – April 2008) - This new version of the Jones Counter, officially referred to as the “Jones Counter model JR,” has been designed by Tom and Pete Riegel due to unavailability of parts used in making previous versions. For full details, see www.jonescounter.com. The new counter is available now for sale. Here is a photo of the first production copy of the JR counter, assembled on March 28, 2008:

Note that the numbers can be read from left to right for easy reading, unlike previous axle-mounted Jones Counters which had the numbers rotated 90 degrees. Prices for the JR counters have been set at $115 and $130 (postpaid) for 5 and 6 digit models for US orders; $110 and $125 (plus postage) for 5 and 6 digit models for foreign orders. For more information, see www.jonescounter.com or contact Tom Riegel to order.

Jones/Oerth Counters - previous version of the Jones Counter, still available from Stephen Oerth They can be obtained with either a 5-digit or 6-digit counter, and are available in a handlebar-mounted version as well as the traditional axle-mounted version.

Ordering and pricing information for Jones/Oerth Counters:
RACE EQUIPMENT COMPANY
182 BLANCHARD RD
EL CAJON, CA 92020
(619) 303-5426
(415) 346-4165
STEPHEN OERTH

	USA Price	Foreign Price
5-digit Axle-mounted	$80.00	$90.00
6-digit Axle-mounted	$90.00	$100.00
5-digit Handlebar-mounted	$130.00	$140.00
6-digit Handlebar-mounted	$135.00	$145.00

Shipping is free for domestic USA orders. Shipping cost is $25 for most non-USA countries, but is about $52 if the order needs to be sent by DHL. All orders must be paid in advance. Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards accepted.

Electronic Counter Systems - Certain electronic "cyclocomputer" models can be adapted for use as a counter with the Calibrated Bicycle Method. You can read about this concept on a web page by Neville Wood. If you are new to measuring, please note that although these devices cost less than the Jones Counter (some may be obtained for $20 or less), using them can be tricky, requiring special techniques that aren't explained in our Procedures Manual. These techniques include configuring the cyclocomputer for use as a revolution counter, marking the rim of your bike wheel in preparation for measuring, and using the counter and recording data from it (and these techniques can vary with different cyclocomputer models). Anyone who wishes to try this method must first contact RRTC Chairman Gene Newman (phone 520-648-3353), who will put you in touch with a certifier who has expertise in the method and will try to make sure you do everything right (most of our regional certifiers aren't yet sufficiently familiar with this method to review measurements done this way). Suitable cyclocomputers can be obtained from various bike stores or online sellers such as Planet Bike and JensonUSA. The only cyclocomputers currently approved for this method are the Protegé 5.0, 8.0 and 9.0 wired models (no wireless model has been found to provide adequate accuracy).

Mapping Information

The National Map is an online interactive map of the United States from the US Geological Survey (USGS) billed as "The Nation's Topographic Map for the 21st Century." Get precise coordinates, including elevations, by just clicking a point (no need to interpret contours). Includes lots of satellite imagery so you can zoom in and see landmarks that you can almost touch with your bike. It tends to be slow, but it's totally web-based, so doesn't require installing software on your computer and can be used from any computer. (And even if it's slow, the elevations and coordinates from USGS must be considered the most accurate available.)

Google Earth is a sophisticated tool with high-resolution streaming imagery that lets you "fly from space to your neighborhood." You can find elevations by simply hovering your mouse over a point, and find course lengths using its "Ruler" tool. Google Earth is available in a basic free version as well as a $20 "Plus" version with more capabilities (e.g., GPS data import and better printing) and a $400 "Pro" version for professional and commercial uses. All versions require installing software on your computer, now available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, although requiring a recent operating system version and fairly high-powered computer.

Google Maps isn't as sophisticated as Google Earth, but it's totally web-based (no software to install on your computer) and includes satellite imagery (you choose between a standard map with drawn streets, satellite imagery, or a hybrid view containing both). It does not, by itself, allow measuring distances or elevations, but third-party tools built on top of Google Maps add those capabilities: America's Running Routes on this USATF site and the independent sites MapMyRun.com and Gmaps Pedometer are all based on Google Maps and allow finding route distances and elevation profiles.

Traditional USGS Topographic Maps (which require interpreting contour lines to find elevations) may be viewed for free online at TopoZone or at Microsoft's TerraServer-USA site. Hard copies of these maps may be purchased directly from USGS or from Map Express, or you may search for a map dealer in your area. Unfortunately, these maps are getting out of date; USGS officially completed their series of 7.5-minute quadrangles in 1992 and has replaced them now with the National Map project.

Certified Course Lists & Certificates

Searchable Course List (with Maps) - use the USATF Search Engine to search the active domestic course and display or print course maps.

Downloadable Course Lists - The Active and Archived course lists are no longer available as tab-delimited text files from this page because you can now download the latest course lists directly from the Certified Course Search Engine. To download a list from the Search Engine, choose Show: "All fields" and Format: "download (tab-delimited)." The Search Engine now includes Archived as well as Active courses. To include Archived courses in a search, choose Course status: "any." If you wish to include calibration courses and tracks in addition to road courses, choose Course type: "any." We still provide Foreign and Historical course lists for downloading below:

• Foreign list (not compressed, 17 kB) - foreign.txt (updated Sept 5, 2003)
• Historical list (ZIP compressed, 55 kB) - history.zip (created Dec 30, 1999)

Notes: Courses that do not have "A" (Active) status codes have been "Archived" because they have expired or were removed from Active status for other reasons (destroyed by construction, failed validation, etc.). Some Archived courses may still be renewable - see details of the expiration/renwal policy. The Foreign list consists of USATF certified courses outside the United States. The Historical list was assembled by Malcolm Heyworth from material published by the National Running Data Center in 1982-1984. Most courses in that list were measured under different rules than we use now.

Hard copies of the certified course list for any state are available at $2.00 per state. If you wish the courses to be sorted in a special way, let us know. Otherwise it will be sorted by distance as the list appears in Measurement News. You can obtain other specially-sorted lists—for instance, you might want all the 5 km courses in IL, IN and MO. Just say what you want. If you are online, lists can be sent by email. Contact Stu Riegel.

Certificates and maps for individual courses are available at $2.00 each. Send complete course ID, including prefix and suffix letters (e.g., CA 92057 RS). Send course name, length and location as well. Available from: Stu Riegel - 18316 Ponciana Ave, Cleveland, OH 44135-3940.

More Publications from USATF Road Running Technical Council

Measurement News, the official USATF/RRTC newsletter, is a meaty journal, loaded with information for anybody interested in course measurement. MN is now distributed primarily in electronic form and is available for free, although hard copies are still available if you wish to pay for them. Download current and past MN issues and sign up to receive e-mail notifications of new issues.

Historical Course Measurement Information - We've assembled monographs written by course measurement pioneers, a History of the Jones Measuring Device and, perhaps most importantly, an account of the Measurement of the 1976 Montreal Olympic Marathon course, the first major international course measured using the calibrated bicycle method - includes commentary on Procedure Changes since 1976 and the Evolution of the Shortest Possible Route (SPR) concept.

Course Measurement Video: a concise introduction to course measurement, intended as a supplement to the Course Measurement Procedures manual. See how it's done! Version 2 of this video, completed May 2001, is now available at $10.00 per copy (Shipping included). Send checks to Tom McBrayer, 4021 Montrose, Houston TX 77006-4956.

Certified Course Expiration/Renewal Policy - Newly certified courses expire after 10 years but some older courses are still renewable. Read the full policy.

Pre-race & Post-race Validation Guidelines - Policies for the “Validation” remeasurements performed after a race when records have been set, or before the race when requested by the race organization.

USATF Insurance Policy as it applies to a measurer - Insurance issues for course measurers.

Measurement Calculation Computer Program - an aid for doing the calculations when measuring a course.

How to Tape a Track (PDF, 7 kB) - a one-page summary explaining how to check the length of a track for LDR running events if you don’t have a surveyor’s certificate for the track.

USATF Rules Relevant to Course Certification - find out which of our measurement procedures are specified formally in USATF rules and regulations.

Historical Material on CD-ROM - The history of course measurement is now available on two CDs:
  • The first contains every issue of Measurement News to date.
  • The second has 106 articles containing history, notable course measurements including Olympic Games and World Championships Marathons, various measurement manuals and seminars.
Both disks are available from: Peter S. Riegel, 3354 Kirkham Road, Columbus OH 43221; phone: 614-451-5617. Cost (postpaid) is $3.00 US for one disk or $5.00 (US) for both.

Road Race and Finish Line Management - An updated, although incomplete, version of the Finish Line manual originally prepared by RRTC in 1985. The original 1985 version is out-of-date and no longer distributed by USATF. The updated version linked here was an initial draft prepared by Jim Gerweck in 2001. It may never be completed, as nobody in RRTC is currently working on this project. Even so, you may get some good ideas from it.

Course Measurement Bulletin Board

Road Race Course Measurement Bulletin Board - A message board for discussing all aspects of course measurement and certification. RRTC's electronic communications forum. Moderated by Pete Riegel.

More Measuring Related Links

Some More Links Related to Course Measurement - includes links to course certification organizations in other countries and some other sites that may be of interest to course measurers.

USATF/RRTC Road Course Certifiers

Please contact the USATF/RRTC Road Course Certifier in your state for any additional questions you may have about measuring your course and getting it certified.