Some links below may be affiliate links. BMOW may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these.
As an Amazon Associate BMOW earns from qualifying purchases.
Course Measurement Goes High Tech?
Submitted by Rickshaw :: Mon Feb 21, 2005 6:01 pm
With the ever increasing popularity of GPS-based measuring devices for runners, race directors are beginning to get flak from competitors with a penchant for accuracy. The director of a local 5K in Maryland received an email from a racer upset that her GPS showed a distance of 3.07 miles for the course-- 194 feet and about 15 seconds too short. But can GPS devices really be trusted to measure courses accurately? Most people who've looked at the problem say the answer is no, not even using the newer differential GPS system. An old-school measuring wheel device still provides the best accuracy, and has been used to certify six Olympic marathon courses since 1976.
