IAAF News IAAF-AIMS Road Running Manual aspects of race organisation, attempting to address members â€˜frequently asked questionsâ€™ first. These have been available as the online â€˜Event Manualâ€™ since 2007. Addressing the AIMS Marathon Symposium last November European Athletics Association vicePresident Jean Gracia memorably remarked that athletics authorities had only woken up to the significance of road running â€œafter the train had left the stationâ€?. The explosive growth of road running in the early 1980s forced race organisers to take their destiny into their own hands. A few dozen of them banded together to form AIMS as a self-regulatory body which would lay down certain minimal rules for its members. Foremost among them was a measurement procedure designed to assure runners of accurate courses. IAAF later adopted the AIMS procedure and in succeeding years a joint (IAAF-AIMS) system of measurement has been operated. The recent â€œRoad Running Manualâ€? has been the result of similar cooperation between the two bodies. IAAF had previously issued a â€˜Distance Running Handbookâ€™ the purpose of which purpose had been to describe basic principles involved in the organisation of championship races with fields of around 100 runners of comparable ability. In these circumstances laps can be run almost as if in a stadium, but it is not an option open to race organisers attracting tens of thousands of runners with widely varying abilities. AIMS expanded rapidly following the millennium, with new member races all seeking to improve their events. There was also a lot of interest from organisers who sought advice on how to go about organising a road race from scratch. In response AIMS put together advisories on different ! " " % . # ) " % $ $ $ . " " " & "@ % B " % %" " & :% )" )" ") H % 5 % - ") - = " # $" 6 " % % $ . & " " $ %% 5 " & : %" " % O " "$" " %"$ $ ) O # % :% )" )" ") % H # " " " - . % % ") " " " = % . - B " "& % $ 6 )) $ # " $ & . " . $ ) )) $ ) $ " & " &. &. " " " # % 6 $" # " " " " = % " %" $ " )) "< . " #" #"%% ) 2 #"%% " " . 6 % % #"%% # " " " <) = % #" " %% % " % <) " ) $ # ! $ " $ " & #"%% ) #"%% " 6 %% " " /. . # "$ % +0,. " " ) " "$" " % +0 Around this time IAAF had split the Cross Country and Road Running Committee in two by setting up a separate Road Running Commission with members appointed at least in part for the specific expertise they have to offer in the organisation of road races, without necessarily having any other connection to IAAF. Two members of the RRC are representatives of AIMS. The idea of the Road Running Manual originated with the IAAF Technical Committee seeking to update the Distance Running Handbook, but this quickly became a broader joint project with the Road Running Commission involved. The focus was very much upon the organisation of mass races on citywide point-to-point or single-loop courses where logistics and management become vastly more complicated. The material within the AIMS online Event Manual was made available. A text was put together that attempted to link the existing advisories and fill out what gaps existed between formerly self-standing sections. IAAF Rules were incorporated within the text where relevant. What has resulted is a compendium that will be of great service to the distance running community. It will help race organisers to avoid pitfalls and to organise quality events that meet the expectations of the runners they attract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istance Running | 2015 Edition 2 11