State certifiers are responsible for checking and approving applications for course certification. Once approved, the state certifiers send multiple copies of course certifications to the regional certifier who will sends them to the national certifier. Here are the details on how to prepare and submit the measurent certificates for the regional certifier.
What do I send to the regional certifier?
You'll need to send the regional certifier two copies of the certification
and possibly, a payment. The copies should be two-sided with the certification
on one side and the map on the reverse side.
You may want to print a total of six copies: two for the regional certifier, two copies for the measurer, one for the local USATF association and one for you (the state certifier.) One of the two copies for measurer should be printed on high-quality paper.
What is the payment fee and who do I make the check out to?
Send the regional certifier a $3 payment for each course certificate. There
is no charge for calibration certificate or renewal certificates. Checks should
be made payable to the RRTC course registrar, Stu Riegel.
(Mar 9, 2006)
Who do I mail the certifications to?
In New England, state certifiers should send the paper work to Paul
Hronjak. Paul is the RRTC Vice Charirman and the East Region Certifier.
His address and telephone number is:
Paul Hronjak
4413 Pinehurst Dr.
Wilson, NC 27896
telephone: 252-237-8218
How do I submit renewals?
Renewed course keeps the original certification number. The expiration
date is the earlier of 20 years after the original certification or 2011.
The certification has expired. How do I get that course a valid certification?
If a course certification has expired, then the course certification
is treated as though the course certification never existed. That course has
to be treated as though it was a new course. The course must be remeasured and
assigned a new certification number.
How do I submit certifications for calibration courses?
Submit the certification application like any other course with one
exception. There is no payment for submitting the application.
What is Drop?
In order for performances set on a certified course to be eligible
for American records, the course must have a net drop of no more than
1/1000 of the race distance (e.g. 10 meters for a 10 km race.) Performances
set on a certified courses with a drop that exceeds 1 m/km are still eligible
for "best."
The Drop is entered on the Measurement Certificate in meters per kilometer. To calculate, first convert the start and finish elevations to meters and the race distance to kilometers. Then use this formula:
Drop = Start elevation - Finish elevation / Race distance
Note: the Drop may be a positive or negative value. A positive value indicates
the course had a net downward slope while a negative value indicates the course
has a net upward slope.
What is Separation?
The rules on eligibility for American records make a distinction between
courses with start-to-finish separation less than or greater than 30% of the
race distance (such as 1.5 km for a 5 km race). The course can be certified
either way. However, if the separation exceeds 30%, American records can be
accepted only when there isn't a significant tailwind during the race.
The Separation is entered on the Measurement Certificate as a percentage. To calculate, first convert the straight line distance between the start and finish and the race distance to meters. Then use this formula:
Separation % = Straight Line Distance between the start and finish / Race distance * 100
Renewals
Some coures may be renewed. The policy is described on the USATF
web site. In general, courses measured before 2001 may be renewed for up
to 10 years or until December 31, 2011, whichever occurs first. At this point
in time, all new renewal certificates will expire on December 31, 2011. Courses
measured after 2000 may not be renewed. State certifiers should review the paperwork
and issue a new certificate with the original certification number and expiration
date of December 31, 2011.
Unlike new course certificates, renewal certificates use the original map and
are not rescanned. According to Stu Riegel anything that's already scanned
(1993 and later) generally doesn't get scanned upon renewal. Should the
paper version of the renewal certificate include the map on the reverse side?
I think the certificate would be easier to use with the map. So far, I have
processed just one renewal certificate. I scanned the original map, cleaned
the image with GIMP, and added the USATF logo, the expiration date and the courses
number.
Accuracy
The two rides must be within a 0.08% of each other. That's the equavalent
of 800 parts per million (800 PPM). Compare that to the Total Station which
has an accuracy of 5 PPM.
A question came up regarding the accuracy of the calibration rides. The original measurement manual suggested the accuracy of the rides should be within 0.07% of each other. If the count was 3500 for ride 1, then subsequent rides should be within plus or minus 2.45 counts.
Can I use color on my map?
You can use color for the online map. That map must still be able to
be printed clearly on a black & white printer.
Submitting an electronic map
Maps may be submitted electronically. As of May 2007, you will need
to send the paper map and certificate to Paul Hronjak.
Then, you will need to convert the electronic map with the following format
specifications:
Finally, you will need to email the electronic map to Stu Riegel.
What should I look for when reviewing an application?
There are some items that come up frequently. Here's a short list:
| Map |
|
| Application For Certification
of a Road Course |
|
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