I doubt there is a standard way to deal with it, but there should be. I did a 1/2IM this summer with a 51.8 mile bike leg! All the race info, including tee-shirts and finisher’s medal, say 56 miles on the bike. That’s silly.
I think they should publish the actual distances, and base all pace calculations off that. A race with a 1-1.5 mile swim, a 53-59 mile bike, and a 12.5-13.5 mile run could be called a 1/2IM, etc, etc.
-Colin
It can be even more confusing. Last year, a race that I think is almost 10% short for both bike and run appears to have used the actual race distances for speed calcs. But this year, they used they advertised distances.
When possible, I will often ride the bike and run course and measure them myself using my road bike that has a computer, and then do my own speed calcs based on my splits in the official results. For the swim, I often look for the splits of the top swimmers and compare to some of their other recent races and estimate whether it might be short or long from that.
What if it is a 70.3?
Maybe you could compare your times against previous events on the same course? That way, unless the course is fluctuating wildly year to year, you can chart your improvement.
I’m not sure you can compare event to event, since the courses themselves will differ.
Comparison with other athletes that you race against often can be a good measure. It’s probably the best measure in the swim because so many variables affect how quickly you swim even if the course is set up accurately and that is very hard to do.
On the bike, you should have your computer, which should give you reasonably accurate numbers. At least give you a comparison with training if nothing else.
Iffy distances on the run seem to be part of triathlon. If you want a really accurate run, then you can always go run a road race. 
If you use one of those fancy watches with a GPS system built in or you ride the run course with your bike before or after the race, you can know the distance fairly accurately. In any event, you should have a reasonably good idea of how well you did by how well you felt on the run.
Something that never makes sense to me is advertising a certain distance and then not having it be correct, just post what that actual distances are like Boulder Peak (1.5k swim, 42k bike, 10k run), Loveland Lake to Lake (1.5k swim 30mile bike, 10km run).
I thank the race directors for putting on the events so I can compete but make them accurate. I know the swim courses are more difficult to do but you can get them close with a simple GPS unit. What I want most at a race is (in no particular order), a transition area that is big enough so you aren’t pack like sardines, an accurately measured course and advertized at that distance, medical tent/paramedics (cause you never know), enough port-a-johns or bathrooms, one aid station at the exit to transition to the run, for Olympic distance-minimum 1 aid station on the bike, 2 aid stations on the run (mile 2 and 4) (but the hotter the condidtions then increase to 1 per mile or 1 per 1-2km), post race food/water/gatorade. I really don’t think that an accurate course/accurage milage is that hard to get is it?
Branden
Based on the RD’s I’ve been around on race day, it’s amazing that the course even gets marked sometimes. I’m not surprised at all that getting the course exactly the right distance is at the very bottom of the RD’s priority list. They are generally overworked and way to busy and frantic on any given day before the race.
That said, they should do it right. RD’s: Get a GPS and test the course a few times. It will probably never happen though. Maybe the best solution is for us to contact the RD a few weeks before the race and offer to do the measuring before hand so they won’t have to worry about it and we can make sure it is accurate. I bet they would be ecstatic, and everyone that raced would appreciate the accuracy. And if we, who are so anal about distance accuracy aren’t willing to help the RD, why should he do it? (yeah, I know, because he makes the money, but really, he’ll make money if the course is off +/- 5%)
Carry a GPS and use your own data to calculate your speeds. Otherwise, you have to base off of how others performed.
Sometimes RD’s have to make the course route with what they have.
RD’s are up against a few factors:
City and/or Police: They may have a say in where you can turn, what street you can close off.
Area of Turn Arounds: Sometimes, we have to go a wee bit shorter/longer to get the SAFEST turnaround spot for the athletes.
I have a GPS, I have used it on the course I RD. It’s as accurate as it’s going to get. We only have so much to work with sometimes.
And yes, if you want a 100% accurate course, HELP US. Don’t come onto a site and b*tch, call us up and help. I would love the extra help the week of the race.
And guess what, this little RD, she’s not making $$$$. I volunteer to do this. Today for instance, I have spent the whole day on the phone, confirming my Volunteers, prizes, City workers, Police etc. etc. Doing this while at my day job.
So, if you want a 100% accurate course, help out the RD’s. We do our best.
You know a bike or run course won’t be accurate when the start and finish are miraculously at the same spot and it is not an out and back course. BTY, you’re talking to the world record holder for a 5K road race - 8:26!!
Are you a RD?
First off…I’m not complaining abour course distances…just to clarify that part (that’s someone else). And, thank you for putting races together!
My questions was more along the lines of how the results are tabulation based upon the distances. Is this something that the timing company asks?
Also, in order to be a USAT sanctioned race, does the course need to be X amount of distance within X% deviation…or can you put together any combination swim,bike, run?
I do use my Garmin…but only on the bike. (This is how I know of the timing issue) The the grand scheme of things, it’s not a big deal. I’m just curious to best practices…
Yep, RD in Ontario though. Couldn’t tell you about your USAT rules etc. I have enough to learn with OAT rules!
But, if we were to hold a “Worlds Qualifying Race” (similar to the one that got cancelled by USAT in KC) the course needs to be as precise as it can be. If it’s advertised and measured as 1.5/40.10, it best be. Or within a hair of it. (at least to my knowledge)
From what I know, we give the timing company the distances, they input the data into their computer and pop out your results. If we goof and give them 1K as the swim but it’s 1.5K, you will see the difference in a second.
If you are going to a race and want to know the exact courses, just email the RD’s. The ones in Ontario are always happy to let you know.
I use my Garmin on the run only, damn thing is far too accurate!
Fair enough…but do you give the “real” distance or the advertised distance?
I have helped volunteer at races where we went out in the car and measured the course with the good ole car odometer. Which in just about every case is fine. But in MANY races I’ve done, the mile markers aren’t even close. Since I’ve done it, and see how easy it is, I have little sympathy for RD’s who can’t drop a mile marker somewhere in the general vicinity of where it should be. Also, I agree with the original poster that the issue isn’t always 100% accuracy, but RD’s advertise the course as being Oly or 1/2 and the distances are WAY off. The Lake Zurich bike course is something like 1 mile short. The Lake geneva Bike course is a mile long. This is fine. Just let the competitors know. I spoke to one RD after a race about the run course, and he admitted that it was long. But pretty much gave me the “Shh!!! Don’t tell anyone” attitude. I don’t see the need for secrecy. Heck, the competitors will appreciate the truth since then their paces will be more accurate.
Sorry if anyone took what I said the wrong way, but what I have a problem with is when a race says the distances of 1.5k, 40k, 10k and will say it repeatedly but they know the course is long or short. I just want to know the actual distances that the course is, it doesn’t matter that much if the course is exactly olympic distance, Boulder Peak is close that is good enough for me. You can’t have a triathlon PR like you can a track PR, the courses are too different to be able to do that, but if the tri has a 10k run that is flat and you have another tri with a flat 10k run you can have a triathlon 10k pr. Hopefully the course stays the same over the years so you can try to improve your time on that course, but there are things out of RD’s hands that will cause the course to change either for a year or two or permanently.
Races aren’t put together in a week, everyone knows that, it takes a lot of time and dedication. My coach has started to put together a sprint (0.75k, 20k, 5k) race for next June. There will probably be one day between now and then where a RD can go out and measure the course, i would do it on a training ride. Besides you have to give the city the route of the course for them to approve it you can get the distance then also. I am bitching, but this is a very basic thing about a triathlon, just give me the total distance, I don’t care if every mile is marked just tell me how far i am going to go on each leg.
I will re-iterate the first line of my first post, I am very thankful to RD’s without them we wouldn’t have triathlons in the first place, some races make money some are lucky to break even. I do understand what it takes, I have been involved in putting a race together, but it takes less than half a day to get the course distances for shorter races.
the short answer: accuracy of tri race courses is basically non-existent. and that would be correct without even addressing the truly stupendous inaccuracy of swim courses.
any doubts? ask Carol Montogomery. she lost her only chance at an olympic slot because of this.
Folks…I’m not talking about COURSE accuracy. I don’t really care about the course lengths…my gosh, the great thing about different venues is that they are different!!!
The question is regarding pace/mph calculations.
the short answer: accuracy of tri race COURSES is basically non-existent.
and that would be correct without even addressing the truly stupendous inaccuracy of swim COURSES.
i am not referring to the fact that course lengths vary.
Seriously…did you read my post?
Go back to the top and start over. Does that make sense?
I would say the accuracy in “some” tri courses is non-existent. I know a number of RDs who measure their courses accuratly and can state the distances. The second " pace "issue is whether the RD has communicated with their timing company. RunScore is the most used software and has the capability to be adjusted for any length. Its a matter of simple commitment to the premise. But for what its worth, bike computers are notoriously inconsistent. You need to use a combination of GPS and a UST&F Jones device to get to the meter accuracy on the bike and run. It does take a bit of work.