MARATHON CHAMPIONS TOLA, HASSAN KNOW THEY RAN PRECISELY 42.195 KILOMETERS, WITH ALL THANKS TO MAURICE WINTERMAN, WITH SUPPORT FROM DAVID KATZ.

MARATHON CHAMPIONS TOLA, HASSAN

KNOW, THEY RAN PRECISELY 42.195 KILOMETERS,

WITH ALL THANKS TO MAURICE WINTERMAN WITH SUPPORT BY DAVID KATZ.

By ELLIOTT DENMAN

I didn’t expect Tamirat Tola (2:06.26 last Saturday) and Sifan Hassan

(2:22.25 last Sunday) to say “thank you/thank you/thank you” to Mr.

David Katz.

But, then again, it would have been a heck of good idea.

From their appearance in the next few steps after crossing

their Olympic finish lines, it was obvious to the world

that both gold medalists – both in Olympic-record time – were mighty

happy they weren’t being asked to run a single more centimeter.

The course – routed past an array of some of the most historic locales in the French capital – was challenging and often brutal.

Even as the route, which started at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and ended at Les Invalides – ran past such storied sites as the Opéra Garnier, Place Vendôme, Jardin des Tuileries, Pyramides du Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais, Jardins du Trocadéro, Château de Versailles, the Eiffel Tower – no one was taking a sight-seeing tour.

But Tola and Hassan mastered their assigned route in brilliant fashion. The previous Olympic mara-bests – 2:06.32 by Kenya’s Samuel Wanjiru at Beijing in 2008, and 2:23.07 by Ethiopia’s Tiki Gelana at London in 2012 – are now history.

Tola ran away from 80 pursuers. Hassan had 90 chasers.

Sure it was a supreme test of mind and body for every one of them.

Just as surely, they ran precisely 42.195 kilometers, not a centimeter longer,

not a centimeter shorter.

And that’s where David Katz’s role in all this emerges.

The 72-year-old resident of Port Washington Long Island, New York, is the man who helped set up the route and then certified that the man guaranteeing the exactitude of it all was up to the precision-perfect duties the job required.

Let David Katz tell his own path:

“I had the honor of being the official International Road Course Measurer for the last three (previous) Olympic Games (London, Rio, & Tokyo/Sapporo). Now, for Paris, I was thrilled to hand over the baton (an instrument called the Jones Counter) to Maurice Winterman of the Netherlands.

“ I first met Maurice several years ago at the Dubai Marathon and was very impressed with his skill, work ethics and problem-solving ability. And I recommended him to be the official measurer for the World Championships in Doha (2019.).” They’d partner again at the 2023 Budapest Worlds

Joshes Katz: “Maurice is now a member of a very elite group: KLM. “

“No, not Royal Dutch Airlinesrlines; yes, Katz’s Little Monsters.”

Katz continues:

“Dreams do come true. Now with 72 trips around the sun, I am living the dream spending my birthday as one of the four Technical Delegates for the Paris Olympic Games. This will be my sixth Olympic Games as an official and fourth as an International Delegate.”

His formula for success: “Dream big, work hard, never compromise your integrity, always put the athletes first.

“I’m still a kid at heart and hopefully I will be around for LA28 which will complete the circle where in 1984 (the second LA Games) I was one of the course measurers.”

Portugal’s Carlos Lopes took his ’84 Tour of Tinseltown, arriving back at the LA Colisum in 2:09.21 ; USA’s Joan Benoit won that epic first women’s Oly marathon in 2:24.52.

The 1984 king and queen can thank David, too.

They, of course, covered 42.195 KM. Not 42.194, not 42.196.

The LA 1984 back story:

“Forty-one years ago (1983), 13 of the top measurers in the USA came together to measure the LA Olympic marathon course, “ Katz relates.

“Most were scientists, engineers, and mathematicians – all dedicated enthusiasts of our sport. This was the first time that most of us had met in person. In the arcane world of road course measuring this was a defining event confirming that we were all on the same page and establishing the rules and protocols for decades to come.

“It should be noted that after all this time and even with exponential advances in technology, those methods are still in place today.”

Fast forward to Paris.

Like all good teachers, Katz had full confidence in Winterman.

He wasn’t going to step on his Dutch colleague’s toes.

“ I just might get on a bike and enjoy the ride,” he said. “And so far, it’s been a great one and a nerd’s dream come true. “

It took Mr. Bruce MacDonald’s inspiration to get David Katz on this path.

“Mac” was his teacher at Schreiber High School in Port Washington.

And one of the most dedicated track people any of us might ever meet.

“Mac” had been an excellent high hurdler in his NYU days, then began training for the National All-Around, a one-day 10-eventer and

precursor of today’s decathlon. Its roots dated back to the 1904 St. Louis Olympics.

Well, one of those 10 events was the 880-yard racewalk. ‘Mac” began learning quickly enough to leave his hurdling days behind,

One thing led to another….and another,

He became a championhip racewalker….and mastered the art of going a lot further than 880 yards. And so he became a three-time USA Olympian, walking 20K at Melbourne 1956, 50K at Rome 1960, 20K again at Tokyo 1964. And he made his mark at further Olympics as USA team manager and international walk judge.

He took a lot of others under his wing, too.

One of them was yours truly, the author of all this.

Well remembered are those long walks and lively chatter as we took our strides, around some elegant Long Island estate areas, and more

Bruce would be a terrific track coach at Schreiber High, too. Why they never put his name on the school’s track is beyond me.

Among MacDonald’s Schreiber students:

“Neni” Lewis, a former sprinter who now is the world’s finest women’s Masters Division thrower; Ron Daniel, a National AAU racewalk champion and then USATF national chairman for the event.

And David Katz. too.

Bruce MaDonald’s passion for all things track and field would inspire Katz to immerse himself in this sport, too, at least 55 years ago.

But that’s guessing.

Ask David Katz now and he’ll tell you how much territory that includes.

Down to the centimeter.