Officials
play an important role in making thousands of events run smoothly. From working
national championships to officiating high-school track meets, officials are essential
for maintaining the highest levels of integrity at all levels of competition. This
section offers resources for current officials, as well as those seeking certification.
“Sir” Charles (Charlie) M. Ruter went to be with the Lord, Saturday, February 4, 2012 at home with Ruth, his beloved wife of 67 years, holding his hand. During his last visit with good friend Gordon Bocock (Kentucky Certification Chair), Charles insisted on seeing the PowerPoint presentation from the recent Officials Hall of Fame Banquet and fondly recalled the names of basically every picture that Gordon showed him. He was mentally sharp until the very end, but the old tired body had run just too many laps and needed some long deserved rest.
Charlie was instrumental in molding track and field officiating in this country into what it is today. He served as the first National Certification Chair as Administrator of Officials for AAU beginning in 1976. He continued in that role under AAU, TAC and USATF until 1992. In 1998 the National Officials Committee created the Charles M. Ruter Award to honor the outstanding running event official in the country each year.
For information on arrangements and more on Charlie's life please click here.