USATF/RRTC Meeting Minutes
Orlando, Florida
December 2, 2023
Meeting called to order
David Katz introduced himself as the Chair of the RRTC. Before beginning discussion of RRTC topics David introduced Krystal Abbott from USATF Legal Affairs.
Conflict of interest forms
Krystal Abbott from USATF Legal Affairs distributed Conflict of Interest forms that must be completed annually
Round the room introductions
During introductions David announced that Phil Greenwald will be the new RRTC Treasurer.
Meeting Minutes Approval
The minutes from the 2022 meeting were approved.
Ted Corbitt Award
Andy Carr is announced as the 2023 Ted Corbitt Award winner. Congratulations to Andy!
Registrar report – Jane Parks
2023 Course certification data generated by Justin Kuo appears in the link below.
2023-report of certificates by state (20231127)
1410 Courses weren certified as of November 25, 2023.
As of December 26, 1472 were certified, which includes adjusted and corrected courses from past years.
West Vice Chair Report – Jane Parks
In 2023, three new State Certifiers were appointed:
Minnesota - Mike Bialick
Montana - Jesse Carnes
New Mexico - Tim Newell
Two new World Athletics (WA) Grade B measurers were appointed in California:
Rich Hanna and Wendell Doman
A question was asked from a meeting attendee regarding how a person becomes a WA measurer.
Jane explained that anyone could measure a course for USATF certification using the Road Race Course Measurement Manual at rrtc.net and the on-line system at certifiedroadraces.com or by sending the measurement forms from the rrtc,net site directly to the appropriate state certifier for review. The rrtc.net website has considerable information on how to measure a road course, what equipment is needed, how to make a course map, how to create a calibration course, and how to submit measurement data to the appropriate State Certifier for review. State Certifiers are also an excellent resource for learning how to measure road courses.
An experienced course measurer can be recommended for a World Athletics Grade B designation by a State Certifier or other WA grade A measurer. In order to be approved as a WA Grade B measurer, the measurer must have measured with a WA Grade A measurer and received a satisfactory recommendation. The measurer must submit 10 courses with complete measurement data for review and the WA A recommendation to the RRTC Chair. To be upgraded from a WA B designation to a WA A designation requires the WA B measurer to submit to the RRTC Chair, a minimum 5 new measurements that show competency in complex course measurement and the recommendation of a second/different WA A measurer who has measured with them.
The final decision for upgrades to both “B” and “A” status will be made by the RRTC Chair.
A question was also asked about the approval process for courses to become certified.
As Registrar, Jane gave a brief description of the process, as follows. A measurer submits his or her measurement data for review to the appropriate State Certifier for the state in which the course was measured. Upon successful review, the State Certifier uses the certifiedroadraces.com program to create a USATF Certificate and stamps the course map with the certifiedroadraces.com assigned USATF Certificate Number. The official map and certificate is then passed on to the Vice Chair East or West as appropriate. The dividing line is the states east or west of the Mississippi River.
If the course was not measured by a WA A or B measurer and is approved by the Vice Chair it is forwarded to the Registrar for posting on the certifiedroadraces.com website.
If the course was measured by a WA A or B measurer, upon Vice Chair approval it can be forwarded to the Chair for WA approval. The Chair uses the certifiedroadraces.com program to generate a WA certificate and a WA certificate number. The same map is used with both the USATF and the WA certificates. The Chair then forwards both the USATF and WA certificates and map to the Registrar for posting on the certifiedroadraces.com website.
East Vice Chair Report – Justin Kuo
In 2023, three new State Certifiers were appointed:
Maine - Bob Kennedy
Rhode Island - Justin Kuo
Ohio - Jane Parks
Webmaster Report – Mark Neal
New Measurer Google Group
Provides a mechanism for RRTC leadership to communicate directly with all measurers through group emails.
All measurers displayed on the certifiedroadraces.com measurers’ list have been added to the group.
All measurers who have measured a course for certification in the past 5 years (but who don’t appear on the measurers’ list) have also been added to the group.
Measurers have the option to unsubscribe, or remove themselves from the group.
A new message is sent about once every 3 months.
Messages are archived on the group site for easy review of past messages by group members.
Updated the look of the rrtc.net website
Dropdown sections to streamline the look.
Desktop or Phone/tablet detection to automatically use the best format/styling for detected device.
No updates to Procedures Manual in 2023
Records Verification Report
Mike Wickiser has stepped down as Verifications Chair. A new Chair will be appointed.
David Katz explained the process for ratifying records. The RRTC’s responsibility in that process is to ensure that the course used for the record was accurate. This is known as course verification. For an American and/or World Open record, the course must have been measured by a World Athletics “A” or “B” measurer. If the course was measured by two WA “A” measurers, or an “A” and “B,” then it is considered to be pre-verified. This means that it does not have to be re-measured, i.e., verified, after the record it set. If the course is not pre-verified, then the course does need to be remeasured by a different WA measurer after the record is set, to ensure the course is accurate.
For American age group records, if the course is not pre-verified, a verification measurement must be made by a WA measurer. However, for American age group records, the RRTC Chair, along with the Verifications Chair, can decide based on the reputation of the person who originally measured the course that a verification measurement is not necessary.
Amy Begley introduced herself
Amy has been appointed as the new Director of Long Distance Running Programs. Part of her responsibilities will be to work with Ryan Cash to communicate with race events that will be acting as the USATF National Road Race Championships for various distances. That will include making sure the national championship events, as well as other important races in the US, have WA certifications so they can be used to score ranking points.
Amy Begley and Ryan Cash will provide a list of events that USATF will use WA ranking points as part of the selection process.
Financial Report
Ryan Cash says USATF is adding funds to the RRTC budget including money to update the online system.
RRTC budget for 2024 is $24000, which is a 25% increase:
$8000 for verifications, $6000 for online system update, $6000 for travel, training, education, and $4000 annual meeting which is the same as other groups.
Certifying courses on non-paved surfaces
The current rule for USATF/RRTC is that if a course includes more than 10% non-paved surface (this was stated incorrectly by Mark Neal at the meeting as 5%), then a separate calibration must be performed on a similar non-paved surface, and that calibration must be used for the measurement of the non-paved sections of the road course. If that is done, then the course can be USATF certified.
Currently, World Athletics has no explicit rule for courses with non-paved rules. David has proposed that for courses longer than a marathon that have significant portions that are non-paved, they can still be WA Certified if a separate calibration is performed on a similar non-paved surface, and used for the measurement of the non-paved sections of the course. This was accepted by the WA administrators.
Measurement requirements for records
Chart that shows all the requirements was presented. Mark Neal sent the document to David Katz, and then David will distribute it to all persons whose input is needed.
New Training Chair & Potential Seminars
David Katz has appointed Doug Thurston as the Training and Education Chair.
The possibility of seminars will be discussed offline.
Online Certification Application Submission System
Email Justin for suggestions for improvements.
Olympic Trials – Orlando
David designed the course. There were many geographic restrictions on the course. West and north are restricted by a busy railroad line. South is restricted by a major hospital that cannot be blocked. East is restricted by an executive airport.
The other big restriction is there are many residential streets that are brick paved, and that surface can’t be used.
Eventually an 8-mile loop with a turn-around was designed. This loop will be run 3 times. There will be a 2-mile start section and a 0.2+ end section that brings the course to the correct distance.
The course has been measured by 4 WA “A” measurers.
World Athletics Road Running Championships – San Diego 2025
Measurer will be appointed by WA.
Clarification USATF and WA certifications
Doug Thurston asked for a clarification of how re-certifications will work for the USATF and WA certifications for courses in the US.
The rule in the US is that for the original certification, a course must be measured twice for both USATF and WA certification. This is different in the rest of the world, where WA requires only one measurement of the course. In the US, after 5 years the WA certification can be renewed for another 5 years with a single measurement as long as that single measurement is within 0.02% of the correct distance for the course. This also results in a new 10-year USATF certificate. This can be continued indefinitely every 5 years.
Attendees
Krystal Abbott
Amy Begley
Ryan Cash
Andy Carr
Philip Greewald
Greg Hipp
David Katz
Justin Kuo
Bill Leavy
Evita Lopez
Robert Lotwis
Carol McLatchie
Teddy Mitchell
Mark Neal
William Orr
Jane Parks
Ron Pate
Stephen Peckiconis
Roy Pirrung
Mike Scot
LaTesha Short
Jessica Stanford
Doug Thurston