Fast Running Blog

To those who ran the Wasatch Back Relay:
As many know, I make the maps and profiles for the race. My goal is to calculate an accurate distance for each leg, but sometimes the mapping is in error or the exchanges get shifted, resulting in the maps being wrong. In most cases, the distance errors come in pairs, and an exchange just needs to be moved up or back to fix the deviation. One way I can correct this is if people send me their Garmin files for legs that are "off".

If you feel that your leg distance was significantly different than the distance reported in the official WBR maps, then let me know what your Garmin reported. And then either send me your Garmin file in .kml or .gpx format, or send me the lat-long coordinates of the exchange locations (start and stop points) reported by your Garmin. Doing so will help me refine the maps for future races, and give the race a better product.

Note that I consider "significant" difference to be "greater than 0.1 miles". If your Garmin reported a distance 0.04 or 0.07 miles different than the race book, then don't bother! (that amount is within the standard error of the Garmin). I will start the list:

Leg 15: Mapped as 4.95 miles. Measured by Garmin as 5.24 miles. Difference: +0.29 miles.
Leg 16: Mapped as 3.05 miles. Measured by Garmin as 2.92 miles. Difference: -0.13 miles.

In this case, the exchange location for Exch 15 is likely wrong, and fixing it will fix both legs. Can someone send me the GPS file or coords for this?

Send files to: paul(at)marathongis.com

Thanks for the maps they help so much in preparation. All three of my legs were within 0.1 miles by Garmin you are Golden!!!

Okay, just adding another one: both Sasha and Chad recorded 6.0 (or so) miles for Leg 17. Supposed to be 5.9. This leg changed since last year, when I measured 5.5 miles.

Again, Sasha or Chad or someone else please send me your garmin data. If you don't know how to do this, I can walk you through.

Paul, maybe you can steal my garmin data this week for leg 18.  I measured it at 5.07 instead of 5.2, which may be the extra .1 mile from leg 17.  Though Shadley said he measured it 5.1X (something).

Paul, I'll double check when I get my watch out - but my third leg (2nd runner second van - 32?) I think was supposed to be 6.2 or so; and I had it right at 6.  Like I'll said I'll double check all that and have you help me get the coordinates if it is off, but I think it was.

Dave, I would double check if it was off from the map Paul made or the spreadsheet. In the case of my first leg the spreadsheet said 3.32 miles when it was actually 3.46 (almost exactly Paul's 3.5 from the map).

I don't have the computer that has the Garmin software so I'm not sure if I can get the file to you but I measured 3.95 on leg 11 (supposed to be 3.8) and 7.08 on leg 35 (supposed to be 6.9).  It seems that my Garmin is more prone to error when there is a lot of elevation change which both of these legs had.  These legs also had a lot of winding which could have contributed to the length.

The maps were absolutely invaluable and are a great resource.  Thanks for putting them together.

Andy, I've never heard of a 3. 8) distance, but it would be fun to run it!   :D

I think it's metric.

That's because you are not as cool as me.  I have no idea what happened.  It was supposed to be three point eight.  Must be code for one of those goofy emoticons.

8 followed by a ) makes cool.  So that is what happened.  Made me laugh.

All of mine were right on the dot other than leg 36. It was mapped at 5.04 and I garmined it at 5.10... so if that's off that shows how on the other two legs were.

I had leg 12 at 5.11M as opposed to 5.23M.  I don't know how this meshes with the legs in front of me that were short per the runner's GPS.

Leg 17 measured 6.03 instead of advertised 5.87. That probably explains why leg 18 measured short.

Yes, I believe there are a couple exchanges that throw off four or more leg distance. Leg measurement discrepancies tend to go in pairs. What I don't know, though, is if I have it mapped in the wrong place, or if the exchange was plopped down in the wrong place at runtime.

With the ones where it is just an exchange on the side of the road, I'm not sure you can ever tell which it is, Paul.  Although if it is the same distance off 3 years in a row, it may be worth fixing.  That way, they can move it again next year just to throw you off again.