# How by using Google Maps or any other means you can determine the length of a route?



## JMR (19 Sep 2007)

Anybody know of a way, by using Google Maps or by any other means you can determine the length of a route on the map?

I can see a satellite image of my local park and have a route which I run but I would like to be able to tell exactly how long the route is....

I know I could get an odometer fitted to a bike and cycle the route but surely there must be an easy way in this technological age???


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## HighFlier (19 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Not high tech but unless its straight lines which you can scale, then print off a copy of the map get a piece of thread and lay it out over the exact curves of the route, mark it and than scale the thread.


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## boug (19 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

JMR 

Try using mapmyrun.com use it all the time to measure runs.


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## JMR (19 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Going to answer my own question here.....

Mate in work showed me this site

http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm

Brilliant!!


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## diarmuidc (19 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

If you use Google Earth you can draw out the path and measure it !! If the route does not include crossing big mountain ridges, the distance is quite accurate.


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## runner (19 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

mapmyrun is very accurate. Ive measured the dublin marathon course with it as a test and I came to 26.2 miles at greens bookshop - just round the corner from finish! This would be simple rounding errors. Ive mapped out runs with my training group likewise.


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## Marathon Man (20 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*



runner said:


> mapmyrun is very accurate. Ive measured the dublin marathon course with it as a test and I came to 26.2 miles at greens bookshop - just round the corner from finish! This would be simple rounding errors. Ive mapped out runs with my training group likewise.


[Apologies for digressing slightly off topic - reply relates to runner's post]
I use mapmyrun quite a bit for illustrating road race courses and checking out others before measuring - once went to measure a 10k course that was claimed to be accurate but was nearly 7 miles long. Mapmyrun will give you the ballpark distance figure and is good enough for most purposes.

It is not good enough for the marathon though. You were lucky to get close to 26.2 with mapmyrun - the "rounding errors" are on mapmyrun - googlemaps will only measure between points that you click on the map. 

A certified race is measured by the SHORTEST possible route - if a runner can cut corners, you measure where he can cut, e.g. unbarriered footpaths, green areas etc. You cut corners everywhere. In a marathon, nobody wants to run 26 miles and 375 yds - a race course may NOT be short but, for record purposes, can be long. Check out this site for details on measurement: [broken link removed]

- Marathon Man - Accredited Athletics Ireland National level course measurer.


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## runner (20 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Interesting re measuring the marathon - 'marathon man' , didnt know that after doing around 80 of them! As a matter of interest we have both done many races abroad ( eg London), where you follow the blue line as the race line. Are you saying that this is more than the 26.2 miles if you dont also cut corners as well? Agree that mapmyrun is point to point measurement and only approximate but ideal for training run measurements etc.


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## Marathon Man (20 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

There is a short course protection factor (SCPF) of 1.001 built into the calibration, to ensure that the distance is at least 26.22 (in the marathon case). The big marathons generally have corners barriered off, so you can't take short cuts. Some runners (including myself!) will take the shortest possible route (within reason) but many will stay in the centre of the road, and possibly run 27 miles. Take a straight line, corner to corner!

Blue line: I've never laid a blue line and haven't seen it done or been in contact with some one who has laid it, so I don't know if it is actually along the calibrated "line". It will, at the very least, be very close to the actual calibrated course. As far as I can remember, the line usually is about a metre out from the curb at bends. If this is the case, then the blue line course will probably be slightly longer, but not much. You've got me wondering on this one - must check it out.

You may also be interested in this: [broken link removed]

BTW, I'm only a novice compared to your 80 - run 19 marathons, 2:46:03 best (1988), next will be dublin 2008.


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## runner (20 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Take Dublin marathon then- where there are several places on the course where you can short cut across grassy corners etc. Ive always assumed you had to stay on the ROAD as the measured distance, but it seems ive been running over the 26.2 distance by doing so. The corner of Clonskeagh/Roebuck road near me here is an example. Agree that the blue line abroad goes 'corner to corner' and in big city marathons there are no grassy verges much you can cut across, and if so they tend to have barrier protection. Anyway Dublin here we come (its my 25th Dublin marathon) - but the times are not getting any better! Hope to get in around 3:15 ish, sub 3hr days are gone im afraid!
Good luck anyway! We are way off thread here.


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## danole (20 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Can Google Maps give me a map/directions to a specific address in Dublin?


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## Marathon Man (21 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*



danole said:


> Can Google Maps give me a map/directions to a specific address in Dublin?


No it can't but if you know exactly where you're going, you can plan the journey.

But....that's probably not what you want....try the AA routeplanner;
http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/routes/ If the exact address doesn't work, try locality.


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## woodseb (21 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

exactly what you need

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com


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## bacchus (21 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

How accurately measured are the Adidas Race series (5miles, 10 miles and half marathon) in Phoenix park?
I am under the impression there are a bit on the short side, but i could be completed wrong.


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## Marathon Man (21 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*



bacchus said:


> How accurately measured are the Adidas Race series (5miles, 10 miles and half marathon) in Phoenix park?
> I am under the impression there are a bit on the short side, but i could be completed wrong.


I can't speak categorically for the races in question - I've never run any on them, but all AAI accredited races are supposed to be measured by an accredited course measurer.  

I'd be very surprised if these races were short.  The road surface in the park is pretty good which makes for fast running, which may account for impressions of them being short. 

Sometimes lower key races might be measured "using a wheel" - usually 4 wheels i.e. a car and anything goes - long short, incorrect miles etc.  Courses are measured using a calibrated bicycle with a Jones (or Oerth) counter.

I've measured courses where the organisers have said "we *must* finish here", so we measure backwards to the start. Then they've said "oh no, we're starting here", i.e. a point nearer to the finish.  One particular course was advertised as 4 miles but the organisers cut nearly 300m from the first mile because they wanted to start it outside a sponsor's office! 

I generally ask "who measured it?"  sometimes the answer is a blank stare!!


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## runner (21 Sep 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*

Have run the park courses many times and the start/end positions are always the same. Ive no reason than to think they are other than very accurate. You can cut corners a bit, but I doubt if you gain 25m in total and probably loose this in momentum anyway! Not a easy course IMHO for any of the races 5,10 or half M. Road surface not the best in some areas, with slopes and also hills as well!


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## bacchus (4 Oct 2007)

*Re: Google Maps*



runner said:


> mapmyrun is very accurate. Ive measured the dublin marathon course with it as a test and I came to 26.2 miles at greens bookshop - just round the corner from finish! This would be simple rounding errors. Ive mapped out runs with my training group likewise.



Just measured the Dublin Marathon 2007 route using mapmyrun.com, and got 42.47kms instead of the official 42.195kms.  That's less than 200m difference,  using a world wide map!!! I am actually very impressed with the accuracy of mapmyrun.
When i zoom in to the max, i can see than in some place i have either cut a corner or went the long way around a corner, and i also make use of the "follow road" feature in some place. So, based on that and very interesting post from Marathon Man about measurements, it is not surprising that there is a small difference.


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## runner (5 Oct 2007)

I though I just got lucky that my measurement came so close. Maybe should measure it again cutting all possible corners and see what distance I can save this year!


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## europhile (20 May 2009)

*Re: How by using Google Maps or any other means you can determine the length of a rou*

mapmyrun.com doesn't always seem to give the shortest route.


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## Pee (20 May 2009)

*Re: How by using Google Maps or any other means you can determine the length of a rou*

I use walkjogrun to measure my routes and find it ok.


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## Brendan Burgess (20 May 2009)

*Re: How by using Google Maps or any other means you can determine the length of a rou*

You could try www.mapmyride.com


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## TarfHead (20 May 2009)

*Re: How by using Google Maps or any other means you can determine the length of a rou*

http://walkjogrun.net works well for me


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