July 6, 2008 Don’t cut corners, but take the shortest route Local runners have had an advantage with three races in the past two weeks right here in San Marcos. The June Bug 5K was held last Saturday, and the Firecracker 5K ran last Thursday night. Both races had over 100 runners and some fast times by many of the runners. The River Ridge course is one of only a few places to run in San Marcos; and it is good in the sense that it is contained in a small area and has minimal traffic to worry about. The course itself is flat and certified, so runners know their times are accurate for the distance. Race organizers can hold a race and get by with a skeleton crew of volunteers, compared to some courses where there are a lot of turns or options to turn unless the course is well marked. About the only disadvantages is that it is not especially scenic; and if the wind is blowing, there is not much in the way to stop it. Running into a headwind is tiring for a runner. I was the lead bike for both races; and since David Alexander and I certified the course, we know the exact path that was used to measure the distance. When a race course is certified it must follow the shortest path between points, so that the runner does not obtain an advantage by taking a shortcut somewhere along the road. A course is measured either twice by one rider or once by two riders over the same course, with a counter mounted on the bike that was calibrated on a 1000-foot calibration course. Each click of a number on the counter is about 3 inches of distance by the bike. Between the two rides, or two riders, the difference can only be .0008 percent off between their total counts. In a 5K distance that is about 12-15 feet difference over the 3.1 miles. If it is more than .0008 percent difference you have to re-measure it until you get it right. The course out at River Ridge is a good example of being able to run the shortest distance. The first loop is 3/4 of a mile long, and the measured distance was within 12 inches of the edge of the road to get the shortest distance around the loop. Most runners are several feet away from the edge, and that makes the course longer for them to run. The portion that most runners do not take advantage of is on the second out-and-back portion of the course. The road leads behind the Butler Manufacturing building and is a series of three ‘S’ curve sections. Looking back at the runners and watching them again as I approach them on the return, many of the runners are following the traditional rule used by most runners on a typical city street by running along the side of the road and out of the way of traffic. The problem with running along the edge of the road and following the bend of the curve is that, when we measured the distance, we had to take the shortest route that a runner might take. The shortest distance on a curve is a straight line from the inside of one curve to the inside of the next curve. When a runner makes the right-hand turn to start the second out-and-back portion, the shortest distance is on the left-hand side of the road. After passing the first curve, the second curve is on the right-hand side of the road, and the third curve again takes you to the left side of the road. The bend of the final curve finds the shortest distance on the right side of the road again. The difference between a straight-line distance and the distance following the curves and bends of the road is considerable. Since you pass this section two times, it doubles the extra distance that the runner takes. Depending on the speed of the runner, a faster runner will run almost 30 seconds faster over the 5K distance by following the straight-line measured distance versus the curved distance along the edge of the road. Even a slower runner will find the time faster by following the measured distance. Next Saturday this information will not help, as the course for the Beta Sigma Phi-nest 5K is out at Hernandez Intermediate School and is an out-and-back course; but the same principle applies if there are curves in the road. Unless the course is marked with cones to signify where you are to run, the shortest distance is still that straight line between the inside curves of the road. Dr. Maurice Johnson - better known around San Marcos as “Moe” - is a professor in the Department of Health, P.E., Recreation and Dance at Texas State University - San Marcos. Moe has been a fixture in the San Marcos running community - both as a runner and race organizer - since way back when Moby Dick was a minnow. His column on running and fitness appears each Sunday in the Sports section of the San Marcos Daily Record. • Recent “Running With Moe” Columns • Home • About the Club • Current News • Club Runs • Places To Run • TX Running Clubs • Running Links • Useful Stuff Upcoming Races • Race Results • Country Roads 10K & Kids Run • ARA-Moe’s Better Half Marathon • “Running With Moe” Contact Us!