I'm a club runner, so why does it matter?
Firstly, if you've paid to run a set distance, you expect to get what you've paid for, and nowadays many races aren;t cheap to enter.
Then, you run the race, cross the line, check your time and, hurrah, it's a PB. Only it turns out that it isn't, because it subsequently turns out that the race was short. This really shouldn't happen.
Some race promoters are large commercial organisations and make a lot of money from staging events, especially in big cities. Their profits come from you, the runner. They can afford the costs of measurement but don't like to cut into their profit margins.
They also avoid payng any levies to the sports governing bodies, thus denying funds to promote and develop grassroot sports.
I'm an elite runner, why does it matter?
It matters more to you.
All the above applies, plus none of your times will qualify for inclusion in World Athletics rankings.
If you set any records (national, international or world) they will not be recognised
What should you do before entering?
You should check that:
- the race has been measured;
- that it has a Certificate of Course Accuracy; and
- that it has lecence from either Scottish Athletics or the Association of Running Clubs.
This should be displayed on the race website. If it is not obvious, ask the organisers. You can also go to https://www.course-measurement-scotland.com/certified-races-in-scotland where a lsit of all forthcoming certified races can be viewed. If the race you're interested in isn't there it is neither certified nor licensed.