Long Island, NY · Since 1978
Every millimeter accounted for.
Course measurement, certification and race management from the man who measures Olympic marathons.
01 / Services
Measured. Certified. Managed.
Accurate courses and well-run races are what we do. Bring us in to measure one route or to direct the whole event, backed by more than 45 years at every level of the sport.
Course measurement
- Calibrated-bicycle measurement to World Athletics / AIMS standards
- USATF certification and certificate maps
- Re-measurement after route changes
Course design
- Routes planned for accuracy, safety and traffic
- Start, finish and turnaround placement
- Record-eligible layouts
Race management
- Race or technical director for your event
- Planning checklists and entry forms
- Start coordination and finish-line operations
- Mile markers, water stations and clocks
Technical consulting
- Rules compliance and officiating
- Championship-level technical direction
- Advice for new and growing races
02 / Founder
David Katz
“One of the best in the world.”
Wang Tak Fung, international course measurer, to FiveThirtyEight at Rio 2016
When the world's best marathoners and race walkers line up at the Olympics, the distance they cover has very likely been verified by David Katz. He is one of the world's foremost authorities on road course measurement, the international measurer for the London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games, and on the Olympic marathon measuring team from Los Angeles 1984 to Paris 2024.
He served four terms on the IAAF Technical Committee and two on the World Athletics Competition Commission, was a World Athletics Technical Delegate at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, and co-authored the World Athletics Road Course Measurement Manual that measurers use worldwide. He is a member of the USATF Officials Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Robert Giegengack Award.
- Competition Commission, two terms
- World Athletics
- Technical Committee, four terms
- IAAF
- International road course measurer, Olympic Games
- 2012 · 2016 · 2020
- Olympic marathon measuring team
- 1984 · 1996 · 2024
- Technical Delegate, Olympic Games
- Tokyo 2020 · Paris 2024
- Competition Director, race walks & marathon, World Championships
- Budapest 2023
- Competition Director, World Cross Country Championships
- Tallahassee 2026
- Officials Hall of Fame · Robert Giegengack Award
- USATF
03 / Results
Results archive
After nearly 50 years of providing timing services, Finish Line has transitioned to event management and course measurement and certification. Past race results are still available here.
04 / Map archive
Course map archive
Hand-drawn certification maps for Long Island courses David measured in the 1990s, kept here for reference.